“ That ’ s going to be a really cool deal , trying to figure out what ’ s going on that given day , figuring out what ’ s happening , and then ultimately going out there and trusting your teammate .” determine the fields for the Patriot Cup ( Oct . 24-29 ) and Summit Cup ( Nov . 17-22 ), with the top 24 AOY finishers once again serving as captains .
“ We ’ ve fished the USA Bass tournaments together as a team several times , we ’ ve fished weeknight tournaments with each other ,” Wheeler said of Connell . “ So , out of anybody in the field , I ’ ve had the most experience fishing with Dustin , and so knowing that we can work together , that ’ s what it ’ s all about . It ’ s going to be a lot of fun . I ’ m going to have to deal with some shenanigans . But , overall , I ’ m beyond excited .”
Among the teams Wheeler and Connell will face in the Challenge Cup are Wesley Strader and Scott Suggs , who are reuniting after comprising two-thirds of the winning team at the 2023 Team Series Championship . In the Heritage Cup , we ’ ll see two different father-son duos take the water : Alton Jones and Alton Jones Jr . as well as Marshall and Marty Robinson . Following Stage Seven , another draft will be held to
“ That ’ s going to be a really cool deal , trying to figure out what ’ s going on that given day , figuring out what ’ s happening , and then ultimately going out there and trusting your teammate .” determine the fields for the Patriot Cup ( Oct . 24-29 ) and Summit Cup ( Nov . 17-22 ), with the top 24 AOY finishers once again serving as captains .
One of the fascinating dynamics of the new format will be seeing how anglers who are used to commanding their own vessels and making their own decisions work together . Strader believes he and Suggs have an advantage in that department because they ’ ve not only competed alongside one another in the 2023 Team Series but fished out of the same boat enough times to know which is better suited to take the lead in given situations .
“ It ’ s good to fish with someone that you ’ re familiar with , you ’ ve fished with , and you know their quirks , you know how they ’ re thinking and how they ’ re not thinking ,” Strader said . “ And we ’ ve fished enough together to know which one
64 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024