THE
FRONT PAGE By Mitchell Forde
bally bet angler of the year :
Rewarding excellence for Becker , wheeler , past AOYs
In December 2021 , Bally ’ s Corporation signed on as the title sponsor of the most coveted trophy on the Bass Pro Tour , the Bally Bet Angler of the Year . Over the past two seasons , the race to claim the crown has made for some compelling storylines — especially in 2023 , when the top four anglers finished within five points of one another . Here ’ s a look back at the highlights from the Bally Bet AOY era , plus a stab at a few anglers who could contend for the title in 2024 .
cash prize amplifies prestige
Whether it ’ s for a local weeknight series or a national tour , an angler of the year award represents the ultimate prize , as it rewards excellence across a full season . Bally ’ s added some extra juice for Bass Pro Tour anglers by putting additional money on the line , too .
Each of the past two years , Bally ’ s has presented the Angler of the Year with a $ 100,000 payday . That meant Matt Becker left Stage Seven with two $ 100,000 checks this year — one for winning at Saginaw Bay and the other for taking the points title in the process . Additionally , at REDCREST 2022 , Bally ’ s paid $ 50,000 to the winners of the AOY titles that predated its partnership with MLF : Edwin Evers ( 2019 ), Jordan Lee ( 2020 ) and Jacob Wheeler ( 2021 ).
wheeler stays dominant , but becker proves a worthy challenger
Wheeler kept his momentum rolling into 2022 , winning the first Bally Bet Angler of the Year award in convincing fashion . While he didn ’ t win a BPT event ( after winning three times in 2021 ), Wheeler made six of seven Knockout Rounds and never
finished worse than 11th . His unmatched consistency gave him a 70-point margin over second place and further stamped him as the top tournament angler in the country .
To the surprise of no one , Wheeler made another run at keeping his crown in 2023 . Despite a rare dud at Lake Murray , where he finished tied for 77th , he entered the season ’ s final event just seven points back of leader Alton Jones Jr . But a magical final day from Becker allowed him to leapfrog
Wheeler , Jones and Ott DeFoe to take the title in his debut season . Could Becker challenge Wheeler ’ s claim as the perennial angler to beat in the points race ? Time will tell .
two anglers knocking on aoy door
If history is any indication , we can expect Wheeler and DeFoe to contend for the 2024 AOY title . Each has finished among the top 10 at least three times during the first five Bass Pro Tour seasons . And it would come as a surprise if Becker doesn ’ t make a spirited defense of his title .
But a couple other names who haven ’ t received quite as much publicity deserve inclusion on the short list of candidates , too . Both Dakota Ebare and Jesse Wiggins have finished among the top six in the AOY standings each of the past two seasons , proving that regardless of location , conditions or species , they can catch ‘ em . Ebare finished fourth in 2022 , his BPT debut , and fifth in 2023 . Wiggins has been sixth both years . What ’ s that saying about knocking on the door enough and eventually it ’ ll open ? Don ’ t be surprised if either Ebare or Wiggins breaks down said door next season .
16 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024