Avena and Wheeler run away with the Toyota Heritage Cup Championship Round on Tims Ford

Major League Fishing's Toyota Heritage Cup wrapped up on Oct. 23 on Tims Ford Lake near Manchester, Tennessee. Team MillerTech, Adrian Avena of Marmora, New Jersey, and Jacob Wheeler of Birchwood, Tennessee, won the Championship Round in a rout. The pair combined for 23 bass weighing 41 pounds, 5 ounces, and finished 24 pounds, 12 ounces clear of the next team.

Avena carried the bigger share with 14 bass for 25-7, and Wheeler added 9 for 15-14. MLF says the team fished the western part of the lake near the dam, after the Knockout Round had been held on nearby Normandy Lake. They threw vibrating jigs along shade lines, with Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow and Freeloader soft-plastic trailers.

Team Lucas Oil, Neal and Strader, placed second with 8 bass for 16-9. Team Ferguson, Ehrler and Lucas, was third with 6 for 12-12, and Team Star brite, brothers Bobby and Chris Lane, was fourth with 6 for 10-7. Justin Lucas caught the event's big bass, a 3-pound, 1-ounce smallmouth.

The title is Wheeler's third straight MLF Team Series win, each with a different partner. The Heritage Cup was the second of four Starlink Team Series events this season. MLF says the event will air on Outdoor Channel in February 2027.

Photo: Adrian Avena and Jacob Wheeler with the Heritage Cup trophy on Tims Ford Lake. Credit: Major League Fishing (T. Brinks).

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Major League Fishing — Adrian Avena and Jacob Wheeler cruise to Championship Round victory on Tims Ford Lake at Toyota Heritage Cup (Oct. 23, 2026).