When it comes to professional bass anglers at the top of their game, Jacob Wheeler’s name immediately comes to mind. He’s the reigning 2022 Major League Fishing (MLF) Angler of the Year; he also won the title in 2021. He has nine career professional wins and total earnings of nearly $3.2M.

As proof that even the most-accomplished anglers can have a Homer Simpson “D’oh!” moment in the boat, check out the 20-second Facebook video below.

Wheeler has just caught a bass and after unhooking it, has it weighed by his boat marshal. (Bass aren’t brought to a weigh-in ceremony in MLF Bass Pro events; fish are weighed in the boat on a certified scale and then released.)

Wheeler’s largemouth bass is about a 2.5-pounder, and he leans over the boat to gently release it back into Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake. But as you’ll see, that’s where the situation takes an unexpected turn.

What happens?

Wheeler has been casting a jerkbait featuring VMC Redline trebles. The hooks are “sticky sharp.” The lure is dangling in the water, and the released bass unknowingly runs into it, pulling Wheeler’s rod and reel into the lake so quickly that he can’t save it.

He was asked on social media: “How many rods does a pro lose per year in lakes?”

“Maybe one per year,” he replied, “Very rare.”

Wheeler went on to finish eighth in the event, earning $21K.

P.S. Be sure to "click to enter fullscreen" and turn up the volume for best viewing.