Connell and Wheeler Win Elimination Round Match 1 at Patriot Cup

OXFORD, Ala. (Oct. 22, 2025) – Alabama pro Dustin Connell and Tennessee’s Jacob Wheeler proved once again why they’re one of the most formidable duos in professional bass fishing, cruising to a wire-to-wire victory Wednesday on Lake Wedowee in the opening Elimination Round of the Folds of Honor Patriot Cup.

Competing on the Tallapoosa River impoundment for the first time, Connell and Wheeler combined to catch 42 scorable bass weighing 64 pounds, 8 ounces – easily the day’s best total – and advanced Team O’Reilly Auto Parts directly to the Knockout Round.

“It really came down to adjusting,” Wheeler said. “We fished different head sizes with that VMC Tungsten Jighead – anywhere from an ⅛-ounce with a 1/0 hook up to ¾ ounce – depending on the depth and wind. That flexibility was a huge key.”

Connell, who lives just over an hour from Oxford and has built much of his career success on Alabama waters, said this was his first time ever fishing Wedowee.

“I’d never been here before, but it felt like home,” Connell said. “It’s a typical Alabama lake – clear water, spotted bass, deep structure – so it didn’t take long to get comfortable.

“I caught all my fish on the CrushCity Mooch Minnow, mostly the 3½-inch and 2½-inch sizes,” Connell continued. “This time of year they’re keyed on small shad, and that bait matched them perfectly.”

The O’Reilly Auto Parts team’s 64-pound haul easily outdistanced the field, with Wheeler also landing the day’s largest bass, a 2-pound, 15-ounce spotted bass.
“It was one of those days where everything clicked,” Wheeler said. “The fish were grouped up, we made the right adjustments, and Dustin did what he always does in Alabama – he caught ’em.”

Kentucky’s Bradley Roy and Alabama’s Greg Vinson secured the second qualifying spot with 27 scorable bass totaling 38 pounds, 13 ounces. Using Vinson’s Tallapoosa River experience and Lowrance ActiveTarget forward-facing sonar, the pair tracked spotted bass throughout the day to end the day comfortably above the cut line.

“Greg’s local knowledge was huge,” Roy said. “We mixed in some largemouth, but those spotted bass kept us in it.”

Vinson added, “We finally dialed in the right depth zone on ActiveTarget and it just clicked. It feels good to move on here in my home state.”

Team Star brite’s Mark Davis and Marshall Hughes mounted a late rally offshore with a Carolina rig and drop-shot, but it was too little, too late, and the duo finished third with 32-14. Team BUBBA’s Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery started strong on shallow buzzbait and spinnerbait patterns before the bite faded, ending the day with 27-4.

The top two teams from Elimination Round Match 1 at the Folds of Honor Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches that now advance to the Knockout Round are:

1st:        Team O’Reilly Auto Parts, 42 bass, 64-8
                Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 22 bass, 33-15
                Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 20 bass, 30-9
2nd:       Team Fishing Clash, 27 bass, 38-13
                Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 16 bass, 23-9
                Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 11 bass, 15-4

Eliminated from competition are:

3rd:       Team Star brite, 22 bass, 32-14
                Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 13 bass, 19-4
                Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, nine bass, 13-10
4th:        Team BUBBA, 21 bass, 27-4
                Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., six bass, 7-8
                Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 15 bass, 19-12

Overall, there were 112 bass weighing 163 pounds, 7 ounces caught by the four teams in Elimination Round Match 1 on Lake Wedowee. Team O’Reilly Auto Parts pro Jacob Wheeler caught the Big Bass of the day – a 2-pound, 15-ounce spotted bass. 

The four teams that will compete Wednesday in Elimination Round Match 2 at the Folds of Honor Patriot Cup are:

Team 7Brew Coffee:
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.

Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Alton Jones Sr., Lorena, Texas

Team Kubota:
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.

Team Lucas Oil:
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.

The Folds of Honor Patriot Cup takes place over six days in Oxford, Alabama. The competition water for each day is top secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 9:15 a.m.