Bass Fishing Superstar Adds Missing Piece to His Long List of Accomplishments, Using Skill and Strategy on Table Rock Lake
When Suzuki Marine USA signed angling superstar Jacob Wheeler to its Suzuki Ultimate Fishing Team in October 2025, everybody at the Tampa, Florida-based company expected great things. It didn’t take long for Wheeler to prove them right, adding REDCREST Champion to his already impressive list of accomplishments, capturing the $300,000 prize and the REDCREST trophy in dominating fashion during the Championship Round of the 2026 REDCREST tournament.
A REDCREST trophy was one of the few pieces of hardware that had eluded Wheeler over his illustrious career— one including 11 Bass Pro Tour wins, a Bassmaster Elite Series win and four Fishing Clash Anger of the Year titles. This was his sixth time fishing in Major League Fishing’s championship event, but despite four respectable Top 6 finishes previously, Wheeler hadn’t yet reached the top of the MLF mountain.
This all changed Sunday, April 19 on Table Rock Lake, Missouri. With a new Suzuki Stealth Line 250V6 powering his iKonX21 bass boat, Wheeler started strong on Day 1, used Day 2 to stay above the cutline while forming his Day 3 strategy, and then dominated the championship field of 10, ending the final round more than 13 pounds ahead of the next closest finisher.
This win was a master class in both angling skill and strategy. Wheeler scored an impressive 52 pounds, 2 ounces on Day 1, putting him in third place and 14 pounds above the cutline. He was so confident in his plan that after reaching 75 combined pounds for Days 1-2, he removed the hooks from his lures and used the rest of the day to scout the fish and build his strategy for the next day’s championship push. All 10 qualifiers start even on Day 3, and this is where Wheeler’s strategy really paid off. His first bass of the day (a solid 4-pounder) gave Wheeler the lead just 15 minutes in, and he never relinquished the top spot. Within the first hour, Wheeler’s total reached 20 pounds, 7 ounces for eight bass. He ended the day with 21 scoreable bass for 51 pounds, 11 ounces and a convincing trip to the winner’s stand.
On the Championship Stage, an emotional Wheeler dedicated the victory to his father, who passed away from cancer just a few days before REDCREST 2025. “This is why we’re so proud to be associated with Jacob,” said Suzuki Marine Vice President Sales & Marketing Brandon Cerka. “He is a great angler, a great family man, and an excellent ambassador for Suzuki Marine. We may not sponsor a large number of professional anglers, but I like to think we sponsor the best. It was a thrill to be there with our Suzuki Marine staff to cheer on Jacob and supports the rest of our Suzuki Ultimate Fishing Team at REDCREST.”
Suzuki’s Stealth Line outboards, with their exclusive all matte-black finish with matching Black Chrome graphics, have quickly gathered attention from the bass fishing crowd. And while Suzuki outboards may not yet dominate the transoms of tournament bass rigs, they are becoming the top choice of elite anglers coast-to-coast. For example, eight of the 35 anglers who qualified for REDCREST 2026 were powered by Suzuki outboards. “At Suzuki, we focus on reliability, durability, and consistency — many of the same traits that helped Jacob rise to the top against the best professional anglers in the world. Our representation at the upper levels of professional bass fishing speaks not only to our products, but to the caliber of anglers associated with Suzuki Marine,” added Cerka.
About Suzuki Marine
Suzuki is a leading manufacturer of 4-stroke outboard motors ranging from the ultra-portable 2.5 horsepower to the flagship DF350 V-6 with contra-rotating dual propellers. Over the years, Suzuki outboards have won nine Innovation Awards from the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) for motors as small as 25 horsepower, demonstrating Suzuki’s commitment to making the best technology available to the widest possible audience. Over the past few years, Suzuki Marine USA opened a U.S. Marine Technical Center in Panama City, Florida and moved to a new corporate headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to be closer to the heart of the U.S. boating industry and boating capital of the country. Through its CLEAN OCEAN PROJECT, regional cleanup and habitat restoration efforts around the world, and company-wide plastic waste reduction efforts, Suzuki has demonstrated a commitment to protecting coastal and marine habitat at home and around the world.
Contact:
Susan Shidler
Suzuki Marine
P: 813-687-7200
E: marine.marketing@suz.com
Ron Ballanti
Strike Zone Communications
P: 818-349-4608
E: ron@strike-zone.net
