MANCHESTER, Tenn. (Major League Fishing) — Adrian Avena and Jacob Wheeler found themselves in a league of their own Tuesday on Tims Ford Lake. Representing Team MillerTech, the duo combined for 40 pounds, 9 ounces of scorable bass to dominate Elimination Match 3 of the Toyota Heritage Cup Presented by OFF! ® Deep Woods® Repellents.
Avena and Wheeler outpaced the competition by nearly 19 pounds, delivering the most decisive winning performance of the second 2026 Starlink Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops event thus far and easily securing their place in the Knockout Round.
While Team MillerTech’s lead was never seriously threatened, Michael Neal and Wesley Strader of Team Lucas Oil had to work considerably harder to secure a place above the Lucas Oil Cut Line. Neal and Strader began the morning targeting shallow fish but eventually found a productive forward-facing sonar bite during the final period to secure the remaining advancement spot and finish the day in second with a total of 13 bass for 21-11.
The late adjustment vaulted Neal and Strader past Team OFF! Deep Woods’ Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery appeared poised to advance through much of the day. The 2024 Heritage Cup champions’ momentum stalled in the final period, however, ultimately allowing Team Lucas Oil to overtake them. They finished third with 10 bass for 16-1.
Team Knighten Industries’ David Dudley and Jacob Wall also struggled to establish a sustainable bite, finishing the day with just four scorable bass for 5-5.
Avena and Wheeler Burn the Banks
After two days of competition in which anglers primarily focused on the stained water in the backs of creeks, Avena and Wheeler took a different approach, venturing into a clearer section of Tims Ford that had largely gone untouched by the previous competitors. The decision proved pivotal, as the pair discovered an aggressive shallow bite that allowed them to cover water quickly and capitalize on bass positioned along shaded banks.
Rather than relying on forward-facing sonar, the duo put the trolling motor on high speed and worked their way down the shoreline with a variety of moving baits. Avena found success with a bladed jig, while Wheeler – a two-time Team Series champion and four-time Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year – mixed in topwater presentations and a minnow-style bait. Their approach combined the shade-oriented pattern that had produced for other teams earlier in the week with a different section of the lake, and they utilized natural-colored presentations better suited to the clearer water.
The pattern began taking shape early in the opening period, when Avena picked up a bladed jig and quickly connected with a bass. A few additional bites confirmed they were onto something, and the pair spent the remainder of the day running similar stretches of shoreline, steadily building a lead that the rest of the field couldn’t overcome.
“This is the time of year that you can catch some really good bass on topwater baits,” Avena said. “On the second stretch we hit, I was able to catch one. Then I had a couple bites really quick, and instantly the light bulb went off. I could tell Jacob was thinking the same thing – here we go, we’re about to catch a bunch of bass.”
Avena led all anglers on the water in both total weight (21-13) and number of scorable bass (13). Wheeler contributed steady production of his own, and the pair’s ability to keep moving and replicate their pattern across different stretches of shoreline allowed them to steadily separate themselves from the competition.
“It was kind of a hodgepodge, just running the bank,” Wheeler said. “Once Adrian got on that deal early this morning, we were able to run with it and establish a pattern. That was the most fun part of it. We were just covering water and catching fish.”
For Avena, the success was especially rewarding given the notoriously challenging fall fishing conditions, when scattered baitfish and changing water temperatures can make it difficult to establish a consistent pattern.
“Not too often do you get to catch more than 20 bass, especially this time of year,” Avena said. “This is one of the toughest times of the year to bass fish, and to do what we did is really a testament to the lake. Tims Ford Lake is a phenomenal fishery with a lot of bass in it. We had a great day of bass fishing just fishing the old-school, traditional way.”
Knockout Round Roster Set
Six teams remain in contention to claim the Heritage Cup, and three of them will take the water on a new fishery Wednesday for the first of two matches in the Knockout Round. Neal and Strader will face off against Takahiro Omori and Dean Rojas of Team Lowrance, as well as Team Starbrite’s Bobby and Chris Lane, with two spots in Friday’s Championship Round up for grabs.
Catch the final hour of each day of competition broadcast live from 4-5 p.m. ET only on RFD-TV. Watch all the action through Friday’s Championship Round on RFD-TV+ from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
