Professional Bass Fishing Angler

Jacob Wheeler | Biography

Wheeler's favorite fishing techniques are topwater and offshore fishing with his electronics

• By Ojasbi
• Original : September 16, 2021

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Jacob Wheeler is a professional bass fishing angler.

Who is Jacob Wheeler?

Wheeler is a professional bass fishing angler who has participated in many reputed fishing events such as Forest L. Wood (FLW) tours and cups, Bassmaster, and Bass Fishing League. 

Moreover, he is the founder of the Wheeler Fishing Foundation, which strives to foster the popularity of fishing and encourage young students to participate in it without any economic strain. He also owns an apparel line named Wheeler Fishing Merchandise and is the brand ambassador for Igloo, a cooler business.

When was Wheeler born?

Wheeler was born on 18 September 1989 in the United States.

Career

Jacob Wheeler exhibited indications of a well-versed angler at an early age with his participation in junior fishing programs. He also grabbed adept honors of angler-of-the-year, won state championship titles, made it to the top ten, and competed in the Junior Bassmaster Classic. He then played at reputed professional competitions, namely Forest L. Wood (FLW) tours and cups, Bassmaster, and Bass Fishing League, among others. 

Leagues and Tournaments

In 2010, Wheeler placed first in his first Forest L. Wood (FLW) Bass Fishing League (BFL) in the Buckeye Division. The same year he qualified for the UMF Federation Championship and FLW All-American and secured fifth place in the BFL Regional Tournament. In 2011 Wheeler again qualified for FLW Cup (finished in 12th place) and for Indiana State Team (BASS). He further went on to compete for the 2011 BFL All-American, where he set a record by being the youngest fisherman, at the age of 20, to win the BFL All-American, and he did so by going wire-to-wire. 

Similarly, in 2012, he qualified for the FLW Cup for the third time and finished first. He was the youngest competitor in FLW outdoor history to accomplish this feat. Furthermore, the victory was the first in FLW Cup history to be won wire-to-wire with the largest spread. He became the ultimate match fishing champion and secured two top-ten finishes on the FLW Tour.

He consequently qualified for the 2013 FLW Cup, where he finished second with one top ten finish in FLW Tour events. He finished tenth in the 2014 FLW Cup and had one top ten finish in FLW Tour tournaments. The same year, he qualified for the Bassmaster Classic and finished first in the Bassmaster Elite Series BASSfest. Likewise, in 2015, he finished second in the Bassmaster Central Open (3rd match) and 14th in the Bassmaster Classic. In addition, he finished fourth in the FLW Cup in 2015 and had two top-ten finishes on the FLW Tour.

His professional achievements in 2016 include a seventh place at FLW Cup, fourth place at Angler of the Year (AOY) FLW Tour, two top-ten finishes, and top 25 finishes in FLW Tour events alongside a second-place finish at the Bassmaster Northern Open (second match). Similarly, in 2017, he finished first at the Bassmaster Elite Series at Cherokee Lake, tenth at the Finish Bassmaster Elite Series at Toledo Bend, third at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest, fourth at the Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Mille Lacs Lake, and third at the Bassmaster Elite Series with Angler of the Year Standings.

Again in 2017, Wheeler scooped seventh-place finish at the Geico Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell, fourteenth at Bassmaster Elite Series at Grande lake, second at the same Bassmaster Elite Series at LakeTravis, fifth at yet another Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Oahe, and third at Toyota Bassmaster AOY Championship at Lake Chatuge. 

On top, in 2019, he won second place at Bassmaster Classic Tennessee River at Knoxville. He played at several locations for the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour in 2019. He scored 2nd place at the tour match in North Carolina, 5th at Table Rock and first at the second match at Table Rock. In the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour in 2019, he played at North Carolina, secured 1st place at Lake Winnebago (7th place), and won REDCREST Championship (19th place).

Also, Wheeler competed in the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five in the St. Lawrence River on 25 July 2021. There, he caught 35 points basses totaling 129 pounds to profess his fourth career Bass Pro Tour victory and the top prize of $100,000. With this accomplishment, he amassed his career earnings to more than $2.6 million.

Top Five Swimbait Setups

Wheeler frequently uses delicate swimbaits to capture all species of bass fish, even in the depths of fisheries. His top five swimbait setups include a 3-inch long swimbait, Storm Largo Shad rigged on VMC hybrid swimbait jig, a 4-inch long swimbait, Storm Largo Shad rigged on the former swimbait jig, the swimbait Storm Largo Shad rigged on a Tokyo rig, weedless rigged swimbait, and a swimbait that is used as a trailer on moving baits such as vibrating jigs (ChatterBait), swim jigs and spinnerbaits.

His favorite fishing techniques include topwater and offshore fishing with his electronics.

Wheeler Fishing Foundation

Wheeler is the founder of Wheeler Fishing Foundation, which works to popularise fishing and alleviate the economic strain it imposes on college students with limited discretionary cash. The organization also motivates young college students to improve their skills, compete and emerge as notable figures in the world of competitive fishing. For this reason, the foundation sponsors a range of competitions and events with free entrance fees.

Personal Life

Wheeler married Alicia in 2017. They welcomed their first child, Olivia Wheeler, in January 2019. They also have a dog named Bradley.