Top 5 Patterns from Wheeler Lake Day 2
The shallows rule again
Springtime continues to hang on at Wheeler Lake – at least according to Wheeler Lake bass. The words “bass are still spawning,” “shad spawn” and “shallow” have been used a whole lot more than “offshore,” “ledges” and “deep” in the Costa FLW Series presented by Mercury and hosted by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism this week.
Interestingly, three of the top five spots are taken up by Floridians who like the shallow game.
Tournament leader Kim Carver may be fishing over deep water, but he is close to the bank a majority of the day.
Others in the top five are grinding the shallows for bass that are still in the throes of spring.
2. Dustin Smith – Mount Dora, Fla. – 31-7 (10)
Dustin Smith brought in 14 pounds on day two to move up a spot to second place.
Smith is making a long run of about an hour to a remote area far off Wheeler’s main river. Once he gets to his area, he is pitching steeper banks within the area to catch his fish.
“I haven’t really noticed a shad spawn where I am, but there are a lot of bluegills along the banks,” he says. “Anywhere the steeper banks have a little step off or a small shelf where the bluegills can sit seem to be the better places.”
3. Glenn Browne – Ocala, Fla. – 31-4 (10)
Glenn Browne wrestled a 7-pound, 2-ounce lunker aboard today, which anchored his 18-pound, 4-ounce day-two catch. That bass not only won the day-two big bass honors, but it also helped propel him into third place and locked up his Costa FLW Series Southeastern Division Strike King Angler of the Year title.
Those who know Browne’s fishing style know exactly what he is doing: pitching and flipping shallow cover.
“I also caught some on a frog,” Browne says. “There is a little bit of a shad spawn going on first thing and I’m skipping a frog around when that is going on.”
As for the big bass, Browne says he caught it from a laydown.
“I caught a five or six from that same laydown in practice,” Browne says. “It’s a pretty good laydown so I might have to pitch in it again tomorrow.”
4. Jared Dial – Winter Haven, Fla. – 29-8 (10)
Jared Dial sacked up 14 pounds, 2 ounces on day two to move into fourth place going into the final day.
Dial is also making a sizeable run to get to his fish, which are located far from the Tennessee River. He believes his fish are in all three phases of spawning and he witnessed a shad spawn in his area today.
“Some of the bass are postspawn, feeding on those shad,” Dial says. “But the biggest one I caught today – a 5-pounder – was definitely spawning. I shook it off on Wednesday, pitched into the same exact spot today and caught it and it had a real bloody tail so I’m pretty sure that one was spawning.”
Dial feels most of his bass are resident fish that live back in the area he is fishing all year.
“There is plenty of deep water and some shallow backwater areas for them to spawn in,” he adds. “So they really have all they need back there.”
5. Bradley Dortch – Bay Minette, Ala. – 28-15 (10)
After catching 16 pounds, 8 ounces on day two, Bradley Dortch moved up 14 spots and rounds out the top five.
Dortch says he fished shallow laydowns “across breaklines” for his catch today to earn him a ticket to the final day.