By Jason Duran
The Alabama Bass Trail North Division stop on Wheeler Lake became a tournament defined by timing, current, electronics, and one unforgettable father and son moment.
Thomas Shelton and Timothy Shelton claimed the win with 26.07 pounds, earning $15,000 and delivering one of the strongest stories of the 2026 season. The Sheltons also collected the $2,500 AMFirst bonus for being the highest-finishing team financing through AMFirst. Brian and Hayden Marbut finished second with 22.48 pounds and earned $7,500 while also claiming the $1,000 Big Fish bonus with a 6.22-pound bass and the $2,500 Phoenix Boats highest-finishing Phoenix owner bonus, bringing their total winnings to $11,000. Christian Clemmons and Michael Larkin finished third with 20.80 pounds and earned $6,000.
What looked on paper like a typical late spring Wheeler event quickly became far more nuanced. Recent rain changed water conditions across the system, current timing became critical, and offshore smallmouth windows opened and closed quickly depending on cloud cover and generation. While many teams chased shallow fish or tried to establish consistent Tennessee River patterns, the teams at the top of the leaderboard leaned heavily into offshore structure, electronics, and isolated feeding windows.
For the Shelton family, the entire day revolved around one very specific current break Thomas Shelton had discovered previously. Shelton admitted practice was limited, but history on the spot combined with rising water and the right amount of current created the perfect setup at the perfect time.
“I just got lucky honestly,” Shelton said. “Everybody’s got a spot, and when they show up, they show up.”
The winning pattern centered around offshore smallmouth relating to current and feeding windows early in the day. Shelton said cloud cover proved critical, believing the fish would have shut down entirely had the sun come out too early.
The Sheltons rotated between swimbaits, crankbaits, and jigs while targeting fish in 10 to 18 feet of water. Shelton emphasized translucent colors and natural shad presentations, especially with a Strike King 6XD crankbait and Tennessee shad style swimbaits.
“A lot of people think you need bright colors for smallmouth,” Shelton explained. “But here you’ve got to trick them. You want something translucent where they don’t really get a good look at it.”
The day’s biggest moment came when Timothy netted a nearly six-pound smallmouth, the largest and most important fish of the day. Shelton, battling severe tennis elbow during the fight, said he physically could not finish the sequence alone.
“I just told him, ‘Please net that fish,’” Shelton said. “That was the first fish he’s ever netted in his life.”
The emotional weight of the win extended far beyond the tournament itself. Shelton shared that nine years earlier, shortly after learning Timothy was on the way, he sold his boat following a job change to prioritize family responsibilities. Standing on stage with his son after winning an ABT event made the moment deeply personal.
“I remember when the guy drove off with my boat,” Shelton said. “I told myself I’d probably never get this opportunity again. I just prayed that one day maybe I’d get it back. To get my first ABT win with the little guy that made me sell my first boat, it’s pretty amazing.”
The victory also continued a growing family theme within the Alabama Bass Trail. Shelton recently recorded a Top 10 finish fishing alongside his daughter Mattie, and he said shifting his approach toward fishing with his children rather than chasing pressure-filled competition has completely changed the way he competes.
“I stopped putting so much pressure on myself,” Shelton said. “I just started fishing with my kids and having fun again.”
Second place belonged to Brian and Hayden Marbut, whose 22.48-pound limit included the tournament Big Fish at 6.22 pounds.
Their tournament unfolded almost entirely around side imaging and offshore structure on the Decatur Flats. Hayden Marbut spent the majority of practice idling, scanning shell beds, stumps, brush piles, and rough spots rather than actually fishing.
“In two days we probably made over 500 waypoints,” Marbut said. “I’m a huge believer in side imaging.”
The Marbuts relied primarily on a Neko rig and minnow-style baits while rotating through isolated offshore targets all day. Hayden explained that heavily pressured fish required patience and precise bait positioning to trigger bites.
“If one followed your bait down, you had to hold it there and really soak it,” he said. “Those fish weren’t easy to make bite.”
The finish carried additional significance because it marked the elder Marbut’s first Wheeler Lake tournament alongside his son. Their runner-up finish also moved them securely inside Championship qualification range heading into Weiss Lake.
Third place went to Florence anglers Christian Clemmons and Michael Larkin with 20.80 pounds after committing entirely to an offshore brush pile milk run down the lake.
Clemmons said practice conditions changed dramatically after rain moved through the system, creating almost entirely different lake conditions from earlier in the week. Rather than locking into one area, the team spent the day rotating through offshore brush piles and isolated structure.
“We didn’t really have a best spot,” Clemmons said. “We just bounced brush piles all day long.”
The pair caught approximately 25 to 30 fish throughout the day using a Hideup Coike and a Sakamata Shad while relying heavily on forward-facing sonar to target roaming fish.
Their finish likely moved them safely into Championship qualification range after entering Wheeler outside the cut line.
The Top 10 at Wheeler Lake featured a heavy concentration of offshore and smallmouth-oriented patterns, with Lance Whitaker and Jeremy Briscoe finishing fourth with 20.29 pounds, while Gary Thompson and Billy Wallace rounded out the Top 5 with 19.66 pounds.
The AOY race also tightened significantly heading into the final North Division regular season stop at Weiss Lake on June 20.
Elliott Gault and James Swindle now lead the North Division Angler of the Year standings with 808 points after their 28th-place finish at Wheeler. Chris McGregor and Smith McGregor remain just five points back with 803, while Michael Wooley and Kyle Lewellen sit third with 802.
Only 44 points separate first place from 10th, setting up a dramatic finish to the regular season at Weiss Lake.
The Alabama Bass Trail North Division field proved once again that Wheeler Lake can still produce giant Tennessee River smallmouth bags when current, timing, and execution align perfectly. This time, though, the biggest story belonged to a father and son who turned one magical offshore window into a memory neither will ever forget.
Download and listen to the ABT Podcast presented by Phoenix Boats for extended angler interviews, tournament insight, and behind-the-scenes coverage from the Alabama Bass Trail. New episodes are released every Tuesday on all major podcast platforms.
The 2026 Alabama Bass Trail Team Series is made possible through partnerships with industry leading brands: Phoenix Boats, AMFirst, Larry Puckett Chevrolet, 13 Fishing, Rapala, VMC, CRUSHCITY, Buffalo Rock, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Jack’s, Garmin, Thompson Tractor Company, Pirnah02, Alabama State Parks, Halo Fishing, Snag Proof, NetBait, Bait Fuel, Alfa Insurance Thomas ALFA MAN Shelton, TH Marine Supplies, Power Pole, Pro Guide Batteries, Yamaha, SCUM FROG, E3 Sports Apparel, FishAlabama.org, Sweet Home Alabama, and Alabama Mountain
The Alabama Bass Trail is a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association.
©2026 Alabama Bass Trail | All Rights Reserved | Site by McComm
