Alabama’s Laker Howell has taken the lead on Day 2 of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops with a total of 46 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
Oct. 3, 2025
Howell moves atop Bassmaster EQ at Wheeler Lake
DECATUR, Ala. — Literally and figuratively, Laker Howell was on top of his game and that truth carried him to the Day 2 lead of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops.
The first round saw the Guntersville, Ala., pro catch 21 pounds, 6 ounces and place second to Matt Adams, who also hails from Guntersville. Today, Howell overcame a 2 1/2-pound deficit by catching 25-4 — the event’s heaviest bag. He heads into Championship Saturday with a two-day total of 46-10 and a 4-ounce lead over Adams.
“Oh my goodness, I gotta thank the Lord for that bag,” Howell said. “Golly, 46-10 for two days is crazy on Wheeler.
“It was the most insane day. That was all on topwater. If you like topwater fishing, you would have loved to have been a fly on the wall. Tomorrow on Bassmaster Live is going to be fun, because I left them biting.”
Howell, who won the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN in mid-August, stuck with his Day-1 strategy and caught all of his fish on a bone colored Livingston Lures Walking Boss topwater.
“I threw other baits just to try, but I never got another bite on anything but that,” Howell said.
Howell said his lure’s design provided multiple strategic features.
“It has two No. 4 hooks and the back hook is a No. 2, so you can hook the fish better,” he said. “When they get that back hook, you don’t want them to come off.
“When you walk that bait, it’s weighted in a way that you can snap it really good, so when the wind blows, it really doesn’t affect my bite.”
Howell said he’s retrieving his bait with a specific speed/cadence that seems to be stimulating the bites. Essential to this appeal, he said, is Livingston’s patented Electronic Baitfish Sound, which employs a Smart Chip technology to emit actual baitfish recordings.
“A lot of times today, when I would slow the bait down and barely move it, they’d blow up and miss it, but with that sound, I wouldn’t move the bait and they’d come back and get it,” Howell said. “My biggest fish — a 6-pounder — came completely out of the water.”
Howell kept the details of his target area under wraps, but he said he’s fishing a current-dependent area about 2 miles from the tournament site.
“I’m sitting in one spot for 8 hours; I don’t move,” Howell said. “It’s one cast.”
Notably, Howell’s father, Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series angler Randy Howell won his first major event at Wheeler Lake. During that 1998 event, the elder Howell was 24 — the same age as his son.
“I watched the video of my dad’s (Wheeler Lake) win this week on YouTube and now, I have a shot at it,” Howell said. “I’m gonna have a blast tomorrow, if the fish are still there. If they leave, we’ll see what happens. It’s all in God’s hands.”
Adams, who opened with a Day-1 limit of 23-14, added a second-round bag of 22-8 and slipped to second with 46-6. He also replicated his Day 1 game plan, which involved making a 45-minute run upriver to the Guntersville Dam tailrace.
Targeting a particular current break, Adams caught his fish on a Sixth Sense 300 DD deep diving crankbait and a jighead minnow. Upon arrival, he experienced rally that delivered most of his weight. Adams would make a couple of culls later in the morning before giving his fish a rest, in hopes of leaving enough for Day 3.
“I laid off of them four hours early,” Adams said. “I just ran around for 4 hours and checked other stuff.”
Adams lamented a couple of lost opportunities that likely bumped him out of the lead.
“I didn’t fish very clean today; I broke off a really big fish — a 6-pound-plus smallmouth and lost another one that was inexcusable on my part,” he said.
Yui Aoki of Minamitsurugun, Japan placed eighth on Day 1 with 17-8 and rose to third with a Day 2 limit that went 20-10. His two-day total is 38-2.
“It was an amazing day,” Aoki said. “I’m happy to have made the Top 10 and I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Aoki, who won the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley presented by SEVIIN in early March, caught his fish on a soft plastic jerkbait. He said most of his bites came in the afternoon, when the bigger fish in his area became more active.
Howell is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-0.
Matt Messer of Warfield, Ky., leads the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers standings with 175 points. Aaron Jagdfeld of Rochester Hills, Mich., is in second with 174, followed by, Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., with 170, Fisher Anaya of Eva, Ala., with 166, and Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., with 164.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Ingalls Harbor. The weigh-in will be held at Ingalls Harbor at 3 p.m.
Coverage of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops can be found on Bassmaster.com each day. Live coverage of Championship Saturday will be streamed on Bassmaster.com as well as the Roku Sports Channel from 7-10 a.m. ET and 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
This event is being hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.
2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops 10/2-10/4
Wheeler Lake, Decatur AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 10 46-10 95
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 25-04
2. Matt Adams Guntersville, AL 10 46-06 94
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 22-08
3. Yui Aoki Minamitsurugun JAPAN 10 38-02 93
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 20-10
4. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 35-15 92
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 18-04
5. Colby Dark West Monroe, LA 10 34-14 91
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 22-00
6. Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 10 34-04 90
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 14-13
7. Ryan Salzman Huntsville, AL 10 34-01 89
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 15-08
8. Pake South Winnsboro, TX 10 33-15 88
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 18-05
9. Fisher Anaya Eva, AL 10 33-01 87
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 18-03
10. Nic Rand Paw Paw, MI 10 32-05 86
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 11-10
11. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 10 31-11 85 $6,114.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 14-09
12. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 10 31-09 84 $6,114.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 15-04
13. Brock Reinkemeyer Warsaw, MO 10 31-09 83 $6,114.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 16-04
14. Tristan McCormick Bon Aqua, TN 10 31-06 82 $6,114.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 16-05
15. Bailey Gay Union, KY 10 30-12 81 $6,114.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 15-11
16. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 10 30-08 80 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 17-02
17. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 10 30-03 79 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 10-11
18. Jace Lindsay Beckville, TX 10 29-02 78 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 15-05
19. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 10 29-02 77 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-00
20. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 29-01 76 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 16-01
21. Tanner Hadden Appling, GA 10 28-11 75 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 16-10
22. Erik Brztowski Lemont, IL 10 28-06 74 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 14-01
23. Austin Cranford Moore, OK 10 28-03 73 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 16-08
24. Buddy Benson Dahlonega, GA 10 27-15 72 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 15-03
25. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 10 27-13 71 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 14-11
26. Tai Au Glendale, AZ 10 27-09 70 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 12-07
27. Clint Knight Russellville, KY 10 27-06 69 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 15-13
28. Riley Nielsen Salt Lake City, UT 10 27-06 68 $3,668.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 12-04
29. Caleb Hudson Lincolnton, GA 10 27-04 67 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 15-04
30. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 10 27-03 66 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 11-06
31. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 10 27-01 65 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 11-07
32. Tommy Wood Peregian Springs AUSTRA 10 26-13 64 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 13-09
33. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 10 26-11 63 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 13-02
34. Jack York Emory, TX 10 26-10 62 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 13-13
35. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 10 26-01 61 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 14-07
36. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 10 26-01 60 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 14-04
37. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 10 26-01 0 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 13-11
38. Michael Neal Dayton, TN 10 25-13 59 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 12-01
39. Tyler Campbell Martin, GA 10 25-06 58 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 15-11
40. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 25-04 57 $3,057.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 09-04
41. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 25-04 0
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 14-08
42. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 10 24-15 56
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 09-12
43. Brad Jelinek Lincoln, MO 10 24-13 55
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 09-13
44. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 9 24-04 54
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 4 10-09
45. Matt Baker Glenwood, AR 10 24-03 53
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 13-00
46. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 10 24-02 52
Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 5 16-00
47. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 10 23-15 51
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-15
48. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 9 23-14 50
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 5 15-03
49. Jaden Parrish Liberty, TX 10 23-14 49
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-09
49. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 10 23-14 49
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-09
51. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 10 23-10 47
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 13-07
52. Connor Jacob Peoria, IL 10 23-02 46
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 11-03
53. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 8 22-14 45
Day 1: 3 04-04 Day 2: 5 18-10
54. Bailey Bleser Burlington, WI 10 22-05 44
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 11-06
55. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 10 22-04 43
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 11-12
56. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 8 22-00 42
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 5 15-08
57. Joe Wieberg Freeburg, MO 10 22-00 41
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 09-09
58. Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 10 21-13 40
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 09-13
59. Chris Blanchette Chapin, SC 10 21-12 39
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 10-01
60. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 10 21-11 38
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 12-09
61. John Duvall Madison, GA 10 21-02 37
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 09-09
62. Bryson Osteen Live Oak, FL 10 20-14 36
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 11-01
63. Michael Corbishley Raleigh, NC 8 20-13 35
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 3 08-01
64. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 10 20-08 34
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 11-10
65. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 10 20-06 33
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 10-10
66. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 9 20-00 32
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 4 07-07
67. Lane Olson Forest Grove, OR 10 19-14 31
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 10-11
68. Parker Guy Ocilla, GA 10 19-05 30
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 10-04
69. Evan Cox-VanVliet Loveland, CO 8 19-04 29
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 4 08-12
70. Bryan Partak Marseilles, IL 10 18-14 28
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 07-11
71. River Lee Diboll, TX 10 18-12 27
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 09-09
72. Blaine Bunney Claremore, OK 9 18-11 26
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 4 06-07
73. Alec Morrison Peru, NY 10 18-10 25
Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 11-09
74. Ethan Fields Carlyle, IL 8 18-01 24
Day 1: 3 04-09 Day 2: 5 13-08
75. Dillon Harrell New Caney, TX 10 18-00 23
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 09-08
76. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 10 17-11 22
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 08-02
77. Cameron Mattison Benton, LA 8 17-09 21
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 5 11-06
78. Hayden Gaddis Dandridge, TN 10 17-08 20
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 08-12
79. Christian Nash Allons, TN 9 17-07 19
Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 5 10-07
80. James Chandler Liberty, TX 9 17-06 18
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 4 06-11
81. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 9 16-11 17
Day 1: 4 05-05 Day 2: 5 11-06
82. Brian Post Janesville, WI 8 16-10 16
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 5 11-09
83. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 7 15-10 15
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 5 11-13
84. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 7 15-04 14
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 4 09-03
85. Dylan Akins Flowery Branch, GA 9 14-11 13
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 4 06-01
86. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 7 14-01 12
Day 1: 2 02-05 Day 2: 5 11-12
87. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 7 14-00 11
Day 1: 2 06-02 Day 2: 5 07-14
88. Wyatt Marler Oldfield, MO 8 12-10 10
Day 1: 3 04-12 Day 2: 5 07-14
89. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 6 11-10 9
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 5 09-12
90. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 6 11-04 8
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 3 06-00
91. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 3 09-06 7
Day 1: 3 09-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
92. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 6 09-05 6
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 1 01-04
93. Casey Smith Victor, NY 5 08-00 5
Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
94. Andrew Behnke Fond Du Lac, WI 4 08-00 4
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 3 06-01
95. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 5 06-04 3
Day 1: 5 06-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 77 436 1087-14
2 81 443 1156-13
———————————-
158 879 2244-11