​The Bassmaster Elite Series made it’s 6th stop of the season at Wheeler Lake in Alabama this past week, and Connecticut’s own Alex Wetherell didn’t take his foot off the gas pedal through the four day tournament. Alex finished the event in 5th place, adding some quality AOY points and taking home $20,000 in winnings. Alex said he had a slow practice, but the schools he found where the right size. Alex finished Day 1 sitting in 14th place and only went up from there. 9th on day two and 7th on day three before finishing in 5th on the final day of the event. Alex said his ability to adjust and find new fish throughout the entire event allowed him to continue climbing the leaderboard. His confidence in his side scan is what allowed him to do so, and he felt that his background in the Northeast gave him an advantage.

“You know down south when it comes to utilizing side scan, the softer, less structured bottoms allow the fish to be seen easily on side imaging. But up north we have a lot more going on down there which makes it difficult to spot fish. This gave me an advantage over some of the other guys when finding new schools during the tournament”. Alex said the fish where moving each day, and he transitioned from fishing for them around the grass, to fishing for them in the grass. During the first two days, Alex’s key bait was a ¾ ounce green pumpkin jig. He said his 7’2 heavy Shimano Expride rod was key to feeling every bite he got. He paired it with a 7:1:1 gear ratio Shimano Mentanium casting reel. Day 3 and 4 were all about the big worm. Alex found great success fishing 10 inch and 16-inch big worms on his 7’6 heavy Shimano expride rod in the grass. The big worm can make for a fun bite, so Alex enjoyed finding success on a newer technique. Overall, Alex has had a solid season so far along with the other Northeast anglers. He contributes his ability to adapt and try new techniques to his Connecticut background and looks to continue his hunt for a Bassmaster Elite Series trophy.