Optimism lacking after Wheeler Lake practice

DECATUR, Ala. – The last time the Elite Series came to Wheeler Lake was in mid June, 2011, and David Walker won with a four-day total of 63 pounds, 10 ounces. None of the Elite Series anglers think it will take that much weight to win this year when the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake begins here Thursday.

“I don’t think it will take 60 pounds to win,” said Bernie Schultz. “I’m going to say somewhere between 56 and 60 pounds.”

That was the consensus of opinion: Wheeler isn’t fishing as good now as it has at times in the past.

“I’ve had my worst practice ever,” said Rick Clunn, who has often expressed his enjoyment of difficult tournament conditions. “I like tough tournaments that have logic to them, where it’s tough to figure out, but there is something going on. And I’m sure there is here. I suspect what I’m missing is dragging soft plastics. But normally you don’t have to do that here.”

The only time in recent history that B.A.S.S. has been to Wheeler at this exact time of year was a Southern Open in 2009. The three-day tournament was won with 45-8.

“I was here in that tournament,” said Cliff Prince. “The shad spawn was going on, and the bass spawn was pretty much over, about like it is now. And the fish were biting better then than they are now.

“It was a tough tournament, and I think it’s going to be tougher this time.”

Obviously, 15 pounds a day has been awfully strong in the past at Wheeler, where there is a 12-inch minimum length limit on largemouth and spotted bass, and a 15-inch minimum on smallmouths.

“Fifteen pounds a day will win this, hands down,” said Gary Klein. “Unless I’ve just totally missed the bite, I think we’ll see a lot of limits that will be in the 7- to 8-pound range. Somebody could catch 18 or 19 pounds and lead it the first day, but it’s going to be real hard to back that up here.”

Brandon Lester had one day of practice where he thinks he could have weighed maybe 18 pounds, but he didn’t experience anything like that the other two days.

“I think it’s off for Wheeler,” he said. “When I’ve been here in the past you’d catch a lot of fish. Size is the issue. After three days of practice, I’ve not caught a lot of fish, and size is still the issue.”

This is sounding like every other post-practice/pre-tournament story on the Elite Series. Everybody talks about how tough the fishing is, then several guys go knock it out of the park when the tournament starts. And these anglers recognize the pattern.

“You know this group,” said Clunn. “They’ll make me look like an idiot when we weigh in.”

Schultz hasn’t found it, but he thinks somebody will find offshore structure that is holding post-spawn largemouth bass.

“I don’t think you can win running points, like everybody is,” he said. “There are so many guys doing the same things. So the guy that’s able to figure out something offshore is in the driver’s seat.”

Finally, David Walker makes an important point about any fishery this time of year: It can change quickly.

“It’s tough right now, there’s no doubt about it,” Walker said. “But that doesn’t mean a lot of fish won’t be weighed in. This time of year especially, things tend to evolve quickly. Yeah, maybe it sucked two days ago. But maybe two days later it’s unbelievable.

“We’ve had kind of static weather during practice every day – real hot, a little breezy. We’ve got a front coming in tonight. Usually that’s what it takes this time of year to shuffle the deck.

“Somebody that’s still willing to try new stuff during the tournament is going to get rewarded for that.”

Daily takeoffs begin at 6:15 a.m. and weigh-ins start at 3:15 at Ingalls Harbor.