SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — With 2 1/2 hours left to fish in Bass Pro Shops REDCREST Presented by Mercury & Lowrance, Jacob Wheeler sat on the front deck of his bass boat and made a phone call. Trying to distract himself from the fact that the $300,000 prize and REDCREST trophy that had long eluded him were within reach, Wheeler FaceTimed his wife, Alicia, and their two children, Olivia and Hudson, during the final period break.
At that point, Wheeler led his nearest pursuer by more than 17 pounds. With postfrontal conditions making for a tough bite on Table Rock Lake, just about everyone knew that the title that had long seemed inevitable was now imminent – including Olivia. The 7-year-old asked, “Daddy, you’re going to win, right?”
“I’m just like, ‘Honey, I’m going to try, but it’s not a guarantee,’” Wheeler said with a laugh. “’It’s OK if I don’t. We’re going to try our hardest.’”…