Jacob Wheeler hoists a Texas tank , caught on Lake Fork during Toro Stage Two .
Wheeler finished in 5th place at Bass Boat Technologies Stage Four on the Lake of the Ozarks .
Jacob Wheeler battles a big smallmouth at
Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake .
PHOTO BY JOSH GASSMANN PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON around Indianapolis , and the closest place to his house to catch a bass was the White River .
Wheeler didn ’ t have a boat , but he did have a bike . Instead of bellyaching about not having a boat as an excuse not to fish , Wheeler relied on his bike to get where the fish were .
“ I was determined to find a way to fish ,” Wheeler says . “ The first step was to get to the water , and the only way I had to get to there was on my bike , so that ’ s what I did .”
Wheeler strengthened his work ethic and honed his problem-solving skills by pedaling his bike to the river every evening in the summer , after his daily chores were complete . While fishing from the bank , he became captivated with the evening team tournaments held on the river by groups of local anglers .
“ I would hang around on the dock with my rods and tackle bag and beg the older guys to take me fishing ,” Wheeler remembers . “ But they already had team partners , and no one wanted to take ‘ that kid on the dock ’ fishing .”
One day , Wheeler got the break he had been waiting for : A local angler named Greg Moorhous had a partner who didn ’ t show up on time .
“ The tournament had already taken off ,” Wheeler says . “ Greg needed a partner to fish with , and I was standing there ready to go . He said , ‘ Alright , kid , hop in the boat . Let ’ s go .’”
“ Greg and I won the tournament that night ,” Wheeler says . “ That very experience had such a profound impact on my life . It allowed me to see possibilities , despite my limitations . If I could take my tackle bag , a few borrowed rods , ride my bike to a ramp , hitch a ride with a guy who had a boat and win a tournament – it ’ s like my whole world opened up .”
Wheeler and Moorhous became team partners for the rest of the season and won tournaments together . The next year , Wheeler teamed up with another local angler named Bryan Johnson , who also had a boat . When Wheeler could drive , Johnson eventually let him use his bass boat to go fish tournaments . Wheeler says both anglers were instrumental in his career being what it is today .
“ When it ’ s game time , Wheeler embodies an efficiency and sense of urgency on the water that ’ s second to none .”
“ Greg and Bryan taught me a lot about fishing ,” he says . “ But they also let me do my own fishing , which was critical . They let me try new lures and techniques and different areas without any judgment . They were super important in providing me a platform to fish from and the freedom to develop as an angler on my own .”
Some might say Wheeler was ‘ just lucky ’ to have found such great people to take him fishing as kid , but Wheeler was the one who diligently did his chores to create time for fishing . He pedaled his own bike to the river . He took the initiative to hound guys he didn ’ t even know to take him on the water so he could try lures he purchased with money he made from hustling . From there , Wednesday night derbies on the White River rewarded Wheeler with endless possibilities of what could be .
36 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2022