You know going in to any late summer tourney at Long Pond Lakeville that 10-12 lbs will probably win it. So when Brian Wheeler landed three fish early, including a 2.5 lb "lunker" from deep under a dock, he felt pretty good. Grinding out the rest of the day by casting vibrating jigs through the grass and skipping soft plastics under docks, Wheeler was able to finish out his limit at 10.06 lb with a 3.21 lb kicker. And at Lakeville that was enough to lock up the win. Congrats to Brian Wheeler for a great victory despite the tough conditions.
Jim D'Ambra fished offshore rockpiles for most of his fish, and with only three fish in the boat at 2:30 he didn't have much hope for a strong showing. But one cast under a dock just before weigh-in changed all that, as D'Ambra dragged a 3.74 lb Lakeville Largie out of its hiding place and into the livewell to anchor a 7.52 lb limit that was good for second place. More importantly, it gave him enough points and weight to jump into first place overall in the AOY race, displacing Bill Barrett from the top spot that he has held since week 1 of the season. It will come down to the last two tournaments of the season to determine who will take home the coveted 2019 AOY Trophy. Stay tuned to see who has what it takes to call themselves 2019 Angler of the Year!