Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Wisconsin pro Gary Adkins claimed his second NPFL victory at Saginaw Bay with a three-day total weight of 56 pounds, 12 ounces. He started strong with 23 pounds, 3 ounces on day one, struggled on day two with high winds, bringing in 16 pounds, 2 ounces, but came back strong on the final day with 17 pounds, 7 ounces to secure the win with just a 1-ounce margin of victory.
Since his victory in 2022, where he went on to win the Progressive Angler of the Year award, Adkins has been in a “slump.” His 28th-place AOY finish in 2023 may not seem bad to most, but Adkins was disappointed.
“Last year was different for me; I was not focused on fishing like I should have been,” he said. “I had a busy year with work and was not in tune with my gear, and it showed. I would go to an event, fish, and then drop the boat and not see it until the next event; that was tough. To be able to have my family’s support and get back in the right mindset this year was huge.”
Starting the event in 30th place in AOY, this victory will certainly move him up in the standings. With the win-and-you’re-in format, Adkins can relax and focus on the next few events without worrying about points.
Throughout practice, Adkins noticed that the bigger fish were setting up in deeper areas, while many of the “medium-sized” smallmouth were shallower. On day one, he saw things change and made an adjustment that put him on track for the event.
“I caught my two biggest fish on day one shallow,” he added. “I saw they vanished from the deeper spots and went to the shallow points and shoals and found them. I caught my biggest fish this morning on the same bait, a spinnerbait, and knew I needed to spend the rest of the day looking at shallow areas.”
By noon, he only had one 5-pounder and a small keeper to show for it. A quick move to some shallow humps he located in practice, and it was game on.
“I pulled up and saw some fish, but not as many as I was hoping,” he said. “They were sitting on top in about 5 feet, and I could make a cast right on top of them with that dropshot. I knew there were enough fish there to get a decent limit, and it worked out for me today, just barely.”
Adkins only had six keeper bites all day, but he remained focused on his plan to commit to the smallmouth bite and try for the win. Heavy winds affected many other anglers from fishing for smallmouth, but Adkins, growing up on Lake Michigan, was not going to fold.
“Fishing for smallmouth is my favorite thing to do, and the big water does not bother me one bit,” he said. “In practice, it was calm, and there were boats everywhere. When the wind blew, I think a lot of guys started running out and then turned around; I hardly saw anyone around, and today, I only saw one boat. I took my time and got out there, and it paid off – I was going to live or die fishing for smallmouth. I had a phenomenal week and cannot wait to celebrate this one with my family.”
Zack Birge
With a three-day total weight of 56 pounds, 11 ounces, Oklahoma pro Zack Birge finished in 2nd place at the NPFL Saginaw Bay. He began the tournament strong, bringing in 22 pounds, 12 ounces on day one, followed up with 18 pounds, 1 ounce on day two, and despite a tougher day three, he managed to catch 15 pounds, 15 ounces, ultimately falling just one ounce short of first place.
Aside from a couple of small culls while fishing for largemouth late in the day, Birge concentrated on smallmouth and focused on a small shoal at the mouth of Saginaw Bay.
“That spot is only about 3 miles out into the lake, but it’s over 50 miles from take-off,” said Birge. “All three days I did the same thing, and I simply ran out of fish.”
Using Lowrance ActiveTarget2, Birge relied on a dropshot, making pinpoint casts to fish he could see roaming the reef. Despite the close finish, Birge is focused on earning points to compensate for missing the first event of the season. This finish will unofficially move him up from 53rd place where he began the event.
“I have to focus on points in these last events to secure a spot in the Championship for next year,” he added. “I’ve never been to the St. Johns River and have limited experience on the Ozarks, but if I have another opportunity to win like I did this week, I’ll go for it. It was a great week; Saginaw Bay is brutal, but awesome.”
Jason Williamson
Jason Williamson claimed third place at the NPFL Saginaw Bay with a solid three-day total of 56 pounds, 11 ounces. He started the tournament with 21 pounds, 1 ounce on day one, slowed down on day two with 16 pounds, 14 ounces, and finished strong on Showdown Saturday with 18 pounds, 12 ounces, including a 6-pound kicker smallmouth.
Like the other top anglers, the South Carolina pro targeted offshore shell bars with a strong concentration of baitfish—goby and alewife—focusing on fish he could see on his electronics. Using the new Zoom Tiny Speed Craw, he targeted fish as they moved in to feed.
“It was pretty straightforward for me,” he said. “I found an active bar that had a ton of life. It wasn’t even that far from the bank but had 18 to 20 feet of water and was the perfect spot for those smallmouth to hang as they transitioned from shallow to deep.”
Williamson began the event in 24th place in the Progressive AOY standings, and with this finish, he should move up, helping to secure his Championship berth.
Other Awards
The NPFL Big Fish award goes to Kevin Martin for his day one lunker weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces. Martin finished the event in sixth place, capping off a stellar performance.
With his ninth-place finish at Saginaw Bay, BaitWrx pro Brock Bila earns the NPFL Bass Cat Boats incentive and takes home an additional $5,000 for his three-day total weight of 51 pounds, 6 ounces.
Top Ten Anglers
Gary Adkins 56-12
Zack Birge 56-11
Jason Williamson 56-11
Trent Palmer 56-8
Kevin Martin 55-13
John Cox 55-5
Jesse Wise 54-6
Barron Adams 52-9
Brock Bila 51-6
Louis Fernandes 51-5
