Major League Fishing Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship Tournament on Wheeler Lake – Day 3 Information and Photos
Ingalls Harbor Decatur, Alabama – October 9, 2021
Championship day (day 3) turns out to be the first day without a fog delay. With twelve Boaters and twelve Co-Anglers fishing today, they want all the time they can get to find the winning fish. These anglers are trying to finish in the top six positions to qualify for the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All American Tournament. One Boater and one Co-Angler will be awarded the 1st place prize that includes a new Phoenix Bass Boat.
The good thing about having a tournament of this caliber on Wheeler Lake and launching at Ingalls Harbor is the diversity it offers. There is a resurgence of grass in the lake with the majority of it being in the mid lake (Decatur) area. The lower end of the lake offers several major creeks and a lot of river rocky shoreline. The upper end towards Huntsville is the narrower section of river that offers plenty of cover with current breaks being a major target. As expected, it turns out the top 12 Boaters proved all areas of Wheeler Lake was a part of the game plan for success in this tournament. Even among the top 6 Boaters that qualified for the All American Tournament there were anglers that had success on the lower end, the mid lake area and upriver.
Tyler Smith from Selma, Alabama qualified for this tournament by finishing in 20th place in the Bama Division. Tyler started the day in 5th place but caught 18 lbs. 8 ozs. which was the biggest limit of the tournament to capture the victory. He said that he was struggling until he made an adjustment late in the day. He ended up catching key fish on a Strike King 3XD which propelled him into the lead. Tyler won $60,000 for his victory which included a $10,000 check plus a Phoenix Bass Boats 819 Pro powered by a Mercury Marine 200 HP outboard.
Jeffery Johnson from Austin, Indiana qualified for this tournament by finishing 44th in the Hoosier Division. Jeffery started the day in 3rd place. Being a Co-Angler in the BFL requires being versatile with your fishing presentations. They are paired with a different Boater each day which increases the possibility of doing something completely different each day to catch fish. Jeffery was able to catch 10 lbs. 14 ozs. today to capture the Strike King Co-Angler victory. Jeffery won $50,200 which included a Phoenix Bass Boats 819 Pro powered by a Mercury Marine 200 HP outboard and $200 from the Wiley X Sunglasses contingency program.
Top 12 Boaters
| Place | Boater | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Total | Payout |
| 1st | Tyler Smith | 10 – 01 (4) | 14 – 07 (5) | 18 – 08 (5) | 43 – 00 (14) | $60,000 |
| 2nd | Sean Wieda | 13 – 14 (5) | 11 – 11 (5) | 13 – 13 (5) | 39 – 06 (15) | $10,000 |
| 3rd | Chris Wilkinson | 13 – 03 (5) | 12 – 07 (5) | 11 – 11 (5) | 37 – 05 (15) | $5,000 |
| 4th | Taylor Parker | 14 – 14 (5) | 12 – 00 (5) | 8 – 09 (5) | 35 – 07 (15) | $3,750 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus) |
| 5th | Preston Henson | 11 – 09 (5) | 13 – 11 (5) | 9 – 12 (5) | 35 – 00 (15) | $2,000 |
| 6th | George Brown | 7 – 15 (5) | 14 – 13 (5) | 10 – 10 (5) | 33 – 06 (15) | $1,800 |
| 7th | Roger Stegall | 10 – 04 (5) | 12 – 03 (5) | 10 – 08 (5) | 32 – 15 (15) | $1,600 |
| 8th | Adam Wagner | 8 – 01 (5) | 12 – 10 (5) | 11 – 14 (5) | 32 – 09 (15) | $1,400 |
| 9th | Brandon Edel | 10 – 07 (5) | 11 – 07 (5) | 9 – 11 (5) | 31 – 09 (15) | $1,200 |
| 10th | David Wesson | 12 – 04 (5) | 7 – 14 (5) | 10 – 01 (5) | 30 – 03 (15) | $1,000 |
| 11th | Brady Duncan | 13 – 05 (5) | 10 – 08 (5) | 5 – 13 (4) | 29 – 10 (14) | $1,000 |
| 12th | Jacob Burgess | 12 – 01 (5) | 9 – 14 (5) | 2 – 06 (2) | 24 – 05 (12) | $1,000 |
Top 12 Strike King Co-Anglers
| Place | Co-Angler | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Total | Payout |
| 1st | Jeffery Johnson | 6 – 15 (5) | 10 – 00 (5) | 10 – 14 (5) | 27 – 13 (15) | $50,200 |
| 2nd | Gilbert Jolley | 5 – 09 (4) | 8 – 12 (5) | 11 – 00 (5) | 25 – 05 (14) | $5,000 |
| 3rd | Luke Schmits | 0 – 00 (0) | 14 – 04 (5) | 10 – 04 (5) | 24 – 08 (10) | $2,500 |
| 4th | Eric Eden | 10 – 06 (5) | 3 – 10 (1) | 10 – 08 (5) | 24 – 08 (11) | $1,500 |
| 5th | Andy Vance | 9 – 05 (5) | 6 – 07 (4) | 6 – 15 (2) | 22 – 11 (11) | $1,000 |
| 6th | Brad Smith | 9 – 10 (3) | 4 – 03 (2) | 7 – 14 (5) | 21 – 11 (10) | $1,025 |
| 7th | Todd Mowery | 6 – 01 (5) | 11 – 05 (5) | 2 – 09 (2) | 19 – 15 (12) | $800 |
| 8th | Teddy Baggett | 12 – 10 (5) | 4 – 09 (2) | 2 – 09 (2) | 19 – 12 (9) | $700 |
| 9th | Zach Smith | 5 – 10 (5) | 8 – 09 (5) | 5 – 03 (4) | 19 – 06 (14) | $600 |
| 10th | Barry King | 8 – 11 (5) | 7 – 12 (4) | 2 – 03 (2) | 18 – 10 (11) | $500 |
| 11th | Tobie Ummel | 9 – 06 (4) | 4 – 05 (2) | 4 – 06 (4) | 18 – 01 (10) | $500 |
| 12th | Kellen Wilson | 4 – 14 (4) | 9 – 09 (5) | 3 – 04 (3) | 17 – 11 (12) | $500 |
