MLF Announces Wheeler Lake as Stop 3 on 2026 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals
NEWS RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
CHARITY MUEHLENWEG
SENIOR MANAGER, PR & COMMUNICATIONS
p: 405.694.1025
e: charitym@majorleaguefishing.com
MLF Announces Wheeler Lake as
Stop 3 on 2026 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals
DECATUR, Ala. (July 14, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals schedule, last week, and local fishing fans – and anglers – are excited to see that Wheeler Lake is in the game.
Decatur, Alabama, and Wheeler Lake will play host to Stop 3 of the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals season, March 19-21. Hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism, the event will spotlight professional anglers competing over three days for a top award of up to $115,000 and valuable points to qualify for the no-entry-fee Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship and qualification into the prestigious Bass Pro Tour.
“Decatur Morgan County Tourism is excited to welcome Major League Fishing (MLF) back to the River City in 2026!” said Don Dukemineer, Director of Sports Development for Decatur Morgan County Tourism. “We are a fishing destination and can’t wait for another unbelievable event in partnership with MLF when we host a Tackle Warehouse Invitational next spring. Through our ongoing partnership with MLF, we will experience the excitement of watching the competitors battle it out on Wheeler Lake, while also showcasing all of the capabilities our community offers to visitors who travel to our region.”
Every day of competition will stream live on MLFNOW! at MajorLeagueFishing.com and through the MLF app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) and Rumble. All six Invitationals and the championship will also be televised nationally.
Invitations for the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals will be issued to qualifying anglers this fall.
“No other circuit prepares professional anglers for the next step in their career like the Invitationals,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “That makes the Invitationals popular among veteran and up-and-coming pros alike, and this season fans responded to our format, which restricts the use of forward facing and 360-degree sonar to half the qualifying days, with record MLFNOW! viewership at every stop. We’re looking forward to carrying that momentum into the 2026 season as we visit some outstanding fisheries.”
2026 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Schedule:
Feb. 6-8 Stop 1 at the Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Discover Lake County Florida
Feb. 26-28 Stop 2 at Santee Cooper Lakes Clarendon County, S.C.
Hosted by Destination Clarendon
March 19-21 Stop 3 at Wheeler Lake Decatur, Ala.
Hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism
May 8-10 Stop 4 at Douglas Lake Jefferson County, Tenn.
Hosted by Visit Jefferson County, TN
June 5-7 Stop 5 at Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Okla.
Hosted by Vision Eufaula
July 24-26 Stop 6 at Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau
Sept. 18-20 Invitationals Championship at Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Kissimmee, Fla.
Hosted by Experience Kissimmee
Proud sponsors of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing Co., B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Bubba, Deep Dive, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, WIX Filters and YETI.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
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