"Dad, You Don't Have to Win Today. Just Win Tomorrow."

Five of the final ten anglers reflect on two days of qualifying competition that disappears in the morning.

The most sage advice Jacob Wheeler received was from his seven-year-old daughter. | Craig Mazurek

Eleven-time Bass Pro Tour winning angler Jacob Wheeler has enough confidence in his fish catching abilities to know how to handle Championship Sunday pressure. But at the end of Day 2 of REDCREST 2026, the best advice he received didn’t come from a mentor, a sponsor or a fellow competitor.

It came from his seven-year-old daughter.

Wheeler, who qualified in ninth place said, "My little girl told me — Dad, you don't have to win today. Just make sure you win tomorrow.” He laughed when asked where she might have picked that up. “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

Watch the anglers here:

The kid knows what she’s talking about, of course. Under REDCREST's rules, the final ten anglers’ scores reset to zero before Sunday's final round. Zack Birge, who created an 11-pound lead over second place Drew Gill, wakes up tomorrow morning tied with the other nine anglers.

But does that position at the end of the two days of qualifying have any effect on the angler’s psychological state, for better or worse?

Spencer Shuffield says confidence is key. | Craig Mazurek

Third place Spencer Shuffield had one word for what separates the final field heading into Sunday. "Confidence," he said. "That's the number one deal. And I gained a lot of that today.” HE had good reason to feel that way as he made the biggest forward move of the day—eclipsing his 34-pound Day 1 with 52-15 on Day 2.

Dustin Connell thinks he has a legitimate chance to make it three REDCREST titles in a row. | Craig Mazurek

Three-time REDCREST champion Dustin Connell, who moved up a few positions on Day 2 to eighth place, offered his perspective. "Today and yesterday did matter, but not for tomorrow," he said. "The goal is just to make the Top 10, whether you're in tenth or first. I think I have a legitimate chance."

Brent Ehrler describes himself as unlikely to be holding the trophy at the end of the day, but he assured me he's going to try for it. | Craig Mazurek

Brent Ehrler, who was technically tied with Brody Robison, slid into the Top 10 thanks to a tiebreaker decided by the biggest fish. Ehrler philosophized that the way an angler arrived at the Top 10 defines the confidence he carries into Sunday. If an angler’s fishing gets worse as the first two days unfold, “your confidence isn’t great going in,” Ehrler said. "But don't get me wrong — I'm going to try for it."

Zack Birge topped the field in qualifying and said "Tomorrow it could be pretty magical." | Craig Mazurek

And then there's Zack Birge, who leads the qualifying rounds. While technically he caught a couple more pounds on Day 1 than on Day 2, he spent the second day fishing water he'd never fished before — and found fish anyway. "Especially with what I did today, fishing a lot of new water and still being able to get bit and doing the same stuff," he said. "It does a lot for my confidence. Tomorrow it could be pretty magical."

The leaderboard resets Sunday morning. Ten anglers, tied at zero, and one day left of REDCREST 2026 on Table Rock Lake.

Ask Wheeler's daughter how she thinks this is going to play out.