For all of the griping about difficult fishing, this is the Tennessee River and big ones live here. That’s why the 2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops is far from a done deal
Even Guntersville pro Matt Adams, a veteran of the Tennessee River system, was a bit shocked that Laker Howell dropped 25 pounds, 4 ounces on the scales today.
“I didn’t see that coming,” Adams said. He still managed 22-8 and is a mere 4 ounces out of the lead. That’s one spit-up shad, one missed hookset of difference.
Another Tennessee River hammer, Michael Neal, likewise expressed surprise. “I really expected the weights to drop today,” he said after seeing a couple of 20-pound bags. After the elimination demolition derby of the Opens, you can always expect someone to catch ‘em big.
Of course, the big prize here is an entry into the 2026 Progressive Elite Series. EQ points leader Grae Buck fell off the pace today, dropping from fourth in the tournament to 17th. That had to sting, but the drop wasn’t so precipitous that it meaningfully hurt his chances of making his big dreams transfer to the big stage next year.
There’s still lots of fishing to be done here at Wheeler, and then there’s the issue of Florida. Yes, like Wheeler it holds big bass, but it ruins as many plans as it confirms.
Here’s what I think heading into the home stretch of the second event on the EQ schedule:
Twenties – Yesterday, three anglers topped 20 pounds. Today, four hit that mark. Howell and Adams are the only two who’ve done it both days. In fact, they’ve both topped 21 each day, and Adams hasn’t been under 22-8. The smallest bag in the Top 10 was Nic Rand’s 11-10 today, but he slid through on the strength of yesterday’s catch of 20-11. He beat 11th place finisher Jack Dice by 10 ounces.
Two Times Lucky? – None of this week’s Top 10 also made the Top 10 at Champlain.
Cut – Yesterday’s 10th place angler had 16-5, but the top of the field fell off that pace, as it took just under twice that (Nic Rand, 32-5) to make the Top 10. The 40th place cutline was 12-4, and in contrast to the 10-cut, that mark went up. The 40th place finisher, veteran pro Mark Menendez, had 25-4, which is 12 ounces over twice yesterday’s 40th place angler
Watching from the Sidelines – No one who entered the tournament in the Top 10 in points who will be competing tomorrow, although four – Aaron Jagdfeld (12th), Matt Messer (16th), Grae Buck (17th) and Russ Lane (20th) – all made the Top 20.
2025 Elites – Paul Marks (19th, 39-3) was the top finisher among the 2025 Elites. Beau Browning (37th, 26-1) and Mark Menendez (40th, 25-4) also snuck into the check line. Knoxville resident Robert Gee had the same two-day weight as Menendez but fell to 41st by virtue of a tiebreaker. Chad Pipkens (44th, 24-4) missed the money by a pound.
Mark Menendez – “Okeechobee and I don’t get along. We never have….I have a surprise for you, what I’m bringing down there.” Could it be a specialized boat? In the most recent of his three Bassmaster wins, at the 2009 Elite Series Diamond Drive on Lake Dardanelle, he used a borrowed aluminum boat to access a backwater through a culvert.
Home Cooking – Of the 10 Alabama residents in the field, five made the Top 10 and two more cashed checks. The lowest finisher was 2025 Bassmaster Classic qualifier Connor Jacob (52nd, 23-2), who missed the money by just over 2 pounds.
International – Yui Aoki was the top-finishing international pro, but Australian Tommy Wood (32nd, 26-12) also cashed a check, his third in the last five tournaments and fourth of the year.
Cody Stahl – “I did exactly what I did yesterday but I did it opposite.” He added nearly doubled his Day 1 catch of 8-2 with 16 pounds and rose up to 46th place. He entered the tournament in second in the EQ points and may have saved his Elite dreams today.
How the West Was Won – Tai Au and Riley Nielsen slipped a little in their respective quests to become the next western Elite Series pro, dropping from a tie for 17th to 26th and 28th, respectively, but they’ll both be in good shape heading into Okeechobee. That presumes that Au can get his bank card reactivated. “I’m basically out there with no money but I’m balling out,” he said, dropping a not-so-subtle plug for his jig sponsor.
Ryan Salzman – “Today was a story of ‘never give up.’ I culled out a 1-pounder on my last cast.” He added 15-8 to the 18-9 he had yesterday, and while he fell from 6th to 7th, he’ll fish tomorrow, having snuck into the Top 10 by less than 2 pounds.
Ups and Downs – Six of the Top 10 had more weight today than they did yesterday, including four of the top five. The largest gain was achieved by Colby Dark (12-14 to 22-0) while the largest drop was Nic Rand (20-11 to 11-10).
Laker Howell – “I left ‘em biting.”
Stephen Browning – “Yesterday I came up here and told a lie.” Indeed, as we will likely find out from the live coverage tomorrow, he was not LiveScoping on Thursday. Nevertheless, the old dog didn’t need new tricks, as he added 18-4 to his Day 1 catch of 17-11 and rose from seventh to fourth. It’s his third Top 10 of the year, although it’ll be tough to beat his second-place finish at Tombigbee. He last won with B.A.S.S. at Ross Barnett in 2018.
Lucas Lindsay – “I am so thankful for five today.” He entered the day in 5th place in the tournament but had only one fish at 1:45pm. He scrapped up 14-13 and while he slid down a spot, he’s alive to fish another day.
Norsetter Keeps Hope Alive – If Laker Howell holds on to win, he’ll double qualify for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and open a spot for another Elite Series pro. Third place pro Yuki Aoki also won earlier this year, but he’s over 8 pounds behind Howell and Adams.
And then there were ten. It looks like a two-man race, but there’s certainly another 25-pound bag out there – or possibly one even bigger – so it won’t be over until the scales close. It’s a grind.
