While Wheeler hasn’t enjoyed the fame of her upstream sister Lake Guntersville, she has earned the reputation as being a solid producer where 20-pound bags are a staple. With miles of shoreline and feeder creeks to tempt an angler’s fancy, the options for fishing are almost limitless; however, no other spot or area has received more glory on Wheeler than the mid-lake area, known worldwide as Decatur Flats.

Historically Decatur Flats is where you’re most likely to find at least half of the field of any tournament held on the Tennessee River impoundment. 2008 cemented the fact that if you’re going to win a big time tournament at Wheeler Lake, Decatur needs to be central to your game plan due to the abundance of hydrilla and milfoil that blankets the area. 

Put simply, that’s history. As anglers reported to The BASS ZONE Tuesday, the Flats are mysteriously barren of grass. In fact, they explained, grass is noticeably absent throughout the lake. The vanished grass, along with lower-than-usual lake levels left many in the 100-angler field scratching their head as they tried to assemble a pre-spawn pattern on Wheeler capable of producing more than 10 pounds a day. 

Adding to the frustration the absence of bass-infested grass created was the swift current sweeping through the lake as a result of upstream rains and the TVA’s efforts to keep the lake’s level below the summer pool until the middle of this month. And though current can be a blessing in some cases, many reported that it has had negative effects by bringing in chilly, mud-stained water. 

As a result of these factors, Wheeler is fishing uncharacteristically small as anglers were grouped in the backs of fishable feeder creeks and spawning pockets in search of the four-pound females that will be required to be a contender.

Alton Jones is once again in the thick of things, and despite the ferocious afternoon weather, was able to find the right bites early enough and brought in a five-bass tournament limit weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces to claim the Day One lead. 

2004 Classic Champion, Takahiro Omori, ended the day in second with 17 pounds, 8 ounces, and 2003 Classic champion Michael Iaconelli junk-fished his way into third with 17 pounds and an ounce. 

Rick Morris ended the day in fourth place with a tournament limit weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces, and Alabama native Randy Howell brought a 16-pound, 6-limit to end the day in fifth place. Rounding out the Super Six was veteran pro Tommy Biffle with five bass weighing 16 pounds and 2 ounces. 

Friday’s weather looks to be more promising with clouds early and partial sunshine expected in the afternoon, with a 10- to 20-mile-per-hour northwest wind expected. With four past Classic champions, two TTAOY winners and a former Rookie of the Year, along with several of the saltiest bass fishermen in the world amid the Top 12, Friday promises to be a “no holds barred” cage match at the top of the leader board.

1st Place: Jones On To Something (Again)
If Alton Jones was a publicly traded stock, there would be no recession. He’s at it again this week, thanks in part to the day’s big fish. “It really was a good day,” he said. “It went a lot better than what my practice did, that’s for sure.

”I would’ve been happy with 13 pounds, because I was thinking that’s about as good as I could do. A seven-pounder will change that in a hurry though.”

Alton explained that his practice this week focused on the changing weather as opposed to the current conditions. “This is one of those tournaments where you had to practice for what the conditions were going to be, and not worry about catching fish right then,” he said. “Fortunately it worked.”

Focusing exclusively on largemouth, Alton knew from the bites he was getting in practice that they were running small. Feeling confident that he was positioning himself for a bigger average come derby day, he pressed on. “A lot of times it goes that way in practice, but if you’re fishing a pathway the big fish will show up,” he said. 

“That’s exactly how it worked out for me today.”

Though he knows that he’s onto something completely different, Alton only hopes that the changing wind direction doesn’t throw a wrench in his plans. “Tomorrow is going to be different with the wind coming out of the opposite direction,” he said. 

“I’m in an area that has some quality in it, so hopefully they’ll cooperate.” 

3rd Place: Iaconelli is Junking 
Over the past two events Mike Iaconelli has had a solid finish at Amistad to start the season, and a train wreck last week at Dardanelle. While this event has only just begun, he knows that regardless of how if ends up it will be just like the other two in one key way. 

“I’ve had three tournaments in a row now where I’ve found nothing in practice,” he said. “I went out today with 15 rods on the casting deck, and just went fishing.”

Fishing from two feet deep out to over 20 feet of water, Ike explained that he fished “in the moment” all day long. “Unlike a lot of the guys up at the top, I don’t have a particular pattern or area,” he said. 

“I’m just fishing. I’m fishing a lot different baits and covering a lot of water.”

Ike explained that while he was still getting bit until around 2:00, most of his damage came earlier in the day. “I didn’t really do anything during the last two hours of the day,” he said. “I don’t know if it was the wind or what, but they totally shut off for me.”

Just like he did Thursday, Iaconelli said that he’ll be running junk again Friday; however, he pointed out that he has been able to refine his approach at least by a third. “I’ll probably have my rods culled down to around 12,” he laughingly said. 

“I think I have that much figured out at least, but just like at Amistad I’m smiling because I had absolutely nothing going into the day.”

4th Place: Morris Started Slow
Rick Morris ended the day much better than he started it. “I had to make a long run to get to my first spot,” he said. “I had some problems with my big motor, but the Mercury guys were able to come to the rescue, so my day obviously started really, really slow.”

Getting 25 bites the final day of practice, Morris revealed that he only had 12 the first day of the tournament. “I didn’t catch a lot of fish, but I did have at least as many as I caught that hit the bait but didn’t commit,” he said.

“They’re biting funny, but at least they’re still biting.”

After the slow start, Rick revealed that he caught some luck coming back in to the boat basin. “I left with plenty of time because the storm was coming in, and had enough time to make a quick stop by the ramp,” he said. “I pitched the jig in there and had a four-pounder eat it. That’s what pushed me over the hump.”

With the change in wind promised for Friday, Morris isn’t ready to commit to a projection on his Day Two performance. “To be able to repeat what I did today, I don’t know,” he questioned. 

“My Marshall said that he was a good luck charm for me today, but I’m just going to run and gun again tomorrow and hope for the best. I’m in an early flight, so I’m going to have to get it done quick.”

5th Place: Howell Grew His Limit
Randy Howell knows Wheeler and the potential that she holds, so he didn’t get unwound when his bite didn’t produce as early as he may have like. “It was a slower day than I expected, but I just stayed with it,” he said. “I caught a small limit early, but wasn’t able to get a bite on my cranking spots.” 

Making the run down to the Elk River, Howell explained that he was finally able to begin to upgrade his bag. “About 2:00, I went into a spot and caught a three-pound smallmouth,” he said. 

“I caught five or six there, and lost another one that would’ve went around four pounds.”

Once in the Elk River, Howell realized that the water had cleared up some since practice. As it turned out, at least 10 other competitors noticed the same thing. Despite the presence of a lot of company, Howell said that he’s committed to the area. “The key to that spot is that the water was really ripping,” he said. “They might make the water run again tomorrow, which may make the smallmouth turn on as well.”

During the afternoon weigh-in, the skies dumped rain over the area, and to Howell it was a welcomed sight. “If we could get the water to come up a couple inches overnight, it will make them start pulling water,” he pointed out. “It will make those shallower fish turn on if they do.”

6th Place: Biffle Called an Audible 
Veteran pro Tommy Biffle isn’t going to give away anything in terms of what or where he’s fishing, but he will say that the day when as he’d planned. “The day pretty much went like I thought it would,” he said. 

“I never jerked on anything in practice, but I felt like I was around some quality fish based on how they would bite it.”

Tommy said that he caught fish all day, but had to cover a lot of water to amass his final tally. Though he wouldn’t say for sure, it’s a pretty good bet that a jig was involved in at least a few of the bass that made the ride back to weigh in.

“I was just fishing,” he said. “I was doing whatever I thought I needed to be doing to get a bite.”

Tommy did reveal that he called an audible before the day got underway…and he’s pretty glad he did. “I didn’t go to the spot that I thought I was going to start,” he said. “That was probably a pretty good decision because I was able to catch them without having to touch my best water.”

Tommy explained that every bass in the lake is in total pre-spawn mode, leading most of the field to be fishing fairly similarly. That could all change Friday as the wind direction will force a lot of hands. “Tomorrow, it’s going to depend on the weather,” he said. 

“I’ve got some other water that I can go to, plus the spot that I was going to start on. We’ll just have to see.”

7th Place: Mark Menendez 
“I had a limit in the first six casts of the day. I wound up having to weigh in a couple of those fish, but it was still an awesome day.

“I’m bouncing around between a few different spots, but I was finally able to settle down on one. I caught three of my keepers (including a 5-5 smallmouth) in that area, and was able to figure something out that should help me.

“I’m fishing an area that I found in 2001, and I didn’t see more than six boats in the vicinity all day. I know though that I’m not fortunate enough to have found a spot that I’ll be alone in like I was last week. Still, if the weather gets better tomorrow, I should have a pretty good day again.”

9th Place: Jason Williamson 
“I’m really glad to have made it back in this afternoon. The waves will get to bouncing off the dam on the lower end of the lake and you get three- and four-foot rollers really quick.

“As far as the fishing goes though, it was just really a phenomenal day. The lake is going strong, but it’s really hard to get a quality bite. I do have a couple of areas that I didn’t go to today, so I fell like I’ll get stronger as the tournament wears on.

“If the wind will calm down a little, and the sun will pop out, I’m looking to have a better day tomorrow.”