What connects the two best bass anglers on the planet ?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a freelance writer and photographer , Rob Newell has been reporting on fishing tournaments for 20 years , finding the stories between fish and angler to be a stretched line of heroes , heartache , triumph , torture , inspiration and exasperation .
“ W hat makes Jacob Wheeler so good ?” “ How does Michael Neal make so many Top 10s ?”
These are two of the common questions I hear from fishing fans . Wheeler and Neal are unequivocally the two best pros under the MLF umbrella right now . As proof , both anglers have just notched back-to-back Angler of the Year titles : Neal on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and Wheeler on the Bass Pro Tour . That ’ s an amazing feat given the competition these two face every tournament day . Yes , back-to-back AOYs have been accomplished before , but never by pros as young as Wheeler and Neal .
I ’ ve watched both of these anglers become bass fishing stars over the last 10 years , on and off the water . During that time , I ’ ve observed several common traits that make them both lethal tournament anglers . So , instead of rehashing their many accomplishments , I want to render my opinion of what makes them both so good .
the tennessee valley and electronics
It ’ s by no coincidence that Neal and Wheeler both live in the heart of the Tennessee Valley . The quality of the fisheries , the stout tournament competition , the diversity of the lakes and the
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