DECATUR, Ala.– Yamaha pro angler Banks Shaw took first place in the third Major League Fishing® (MLF) Pro Circuit tournament of 2026 on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala. The Harrison, Tenn. pro totaled an even 62 pounds of bass to overcome the second-place finisher by 11 ounces, earning him the $100,000 top prize. This is Shaw's second MLF win of the year and his ninth top-10 finish since the start of 2025. With the win, he moved into the lead for Angler of the Year.
Weights on Wheeler Lake were exceptional for this event, but it rarely came easy and the event was all about adjustments. Catching his limits quickly each of the last two days, Shaw, no longer a rookie, made hard things look easy during the challenging tournament.
"It's definitely a tricky fishery," he said. "They're super scattered out right now, and I had to locate new fish throughout the entire tournament. I spent all my practice on the Decatur Flats, and I thought I could have 20 pounds pretty easily fishing on the flats. (Day 1) I spent about 2 hours out there and only had one 3 1/2-pounder. I scratched it right away and caught like two more in my forward-facing period the first day. Then I stumbled on a drop-shot bite, fishing current breaks and barge ties."
Of the youth movement, Shaw is probably the best combination of forward-facing sonar prowess, and skill when the screens are off. On Day 1, his three biggest fish came after he'd shut his sonar off, and he weighed one fish each of the final two days that he caught without 'Scope.
"I knew I had to get on a forward-facing bite of some sort, so I ran down to some stuff I found for the Toyota Series Championship a few years ago – it's all structure and pea gravel banks," he said. "I pulled up on my best place in the Toyota Series Championship and caught a 4-pounder first-thing and then blasted 20 pounds pretty quick."
Shaw replicated his Day 2 success on the final day, but added in a largemouth wrinkle.
"Today I did the same thing – I pulled up on the area I caught them yesterday and caught a 4 1/2 and a 3 3/4, and then I left there and went to one creek where I knew there was a good population of largemouth," he explained. "I knew I needed one of those heads, I hadn't caught a 5-pounder all week, and in the last 5 minutes of forward-facing I caught a 5 1/4 and that's what did it."
The next MLF event for 2026 is Pro Circuit Stop 4 at Douglas Lake, set for May 8-10 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.
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