Wheeler’s wheelhouse

Jacob Wheeler is in his angling wheelhouse, which is dialing into bass holding on deep offshore structure. Usually that means “video game” bass fishing, or using front-deck fish-finding electronics to locate specific isolated bottom structure like a rockpile, and then putting a drop shot rig on the nose of the bass. 

This week he is doing the same thing in a reverse fashion. Wheeler is calling up bass using topwater lures. 

“The bass are suspended, not always on the bottom, because they are following the herring,” he explained. “A lot of times the bass are in 10 feet over a 40-foot bottom and you can call them up with a topwater.” 

Wheeler said the bass are holding on the bottom structure then moving up above it as the day progresses to feed upon blueback herring.

Wheeler is alternating between a jerkbait and topwater walking bait. A Storm Rattlin’ Saltwater Chug Bug is that choice. He also uses a Rapala Shadow Rap Deep Jerkbait with a running depth of 4-6 feet.