Avena and Wheeler rally on Normandy Lake as the Heritage Cup championship field is set

The Knockout Round of Major League Fishing's Toyota Heritage Cup moved to Normandy Lake near Manchester, Tennessee, and ended Thursday with another comeback by Team MillerTech. Adrian Avena and Jacob Wheeler went the first 2 hours and 45 minutes without a scorable bass. They went from last to first in Period 3 and finished with 27 bass for 39 pounds, 14 ounces.

The turnaround came when baitfish tightened into schools and dropped deeper as the sun rose. The pair found bass feeding on that bait 20 to 25 feet down in two drains. Using forward-facing sonar, they hooked fish on a jighead minnow and then dropped a jigging spoon on the rest of the group. Their catch included all three black bass species: largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass.

Brent Ehrler and Justin Lucas of Team Ferguson led for much of the day and took the second spot with 20 bass for 29-2. Nick LeBrun and Todd Faircloth (Team B&W Trailer Hitches) were eliminated at 13 bass for 20-6.

In Wednesday's first Knockout Match, Michael Neal and Wesley Strader of Team Lucas Oil won with 13 bass for 23-9. Bobby and Chris Lane of Team Star brite also advanced with 9 bass for 17-15, and Bobby's 4-11 was the event's biggest bass so far. Team Lowrance's Omori and Rojas went out with 16-12. The four remaining teams fish the Championship Round on Friday, Oct. 23, on a new fishery.

Photo: Adrian Avena and Jacob Wheeler, Team MillerTech. Credit: Tyler Brinks, via Major League Fishing.

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

Source: Major League Fishing — Avena, Wheeler rally to win final Heritage Cup Knockout Match; Championship Round field set (Oct. 22, 2026) and Team Lucas Oil's Neal and Strader advance to Championship Round (Oct. 21, 2026).