Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Stop four of the NPFL season is nearly complete, with only Showdown Saturday standing between the anglers and the coveted NPFL Shield and the $100,000 top prize. As expected, the leaderboard shook up on day two as changing weather conditions challenged some top contenders. However, for others, day two was an opportunity to climb the ranks and position themselves for a final-day push.
One angler who didn’t falter—at least by weight—was day two leader Kevin Martin. Despite only six bites, he maximized his opportunities, bringing 18 pounds, 11 ounces to the scales, giving him a two-day total of 42 pounds and a 1 pound, 4 ounce lead over Zack Birge.
Martin prepared for various wind conditions and knew that he could adjust his strategy as needed. However, days one and two presented the toughest conditions, yet he managed to stay strong and put himself in a prime position to battle for his first NPFL victory. With today’s wind direction shift, he’s eager to get back on the water.
Oklahoma angler Zack Birge also stayed consistent on day two, bringing in 18 pounds, 1 ounce. Despite struggling to see and catch many fish, Birge scraped together enough smallmouth before making a late cull with largemouth, back near take-off, securing his spot just over a pound ahead of 2022 champion Gary Adkins.
Adkins, with 39 pounds, 5 ounces, sits in third place. Like the others, his area was affected by the weather, and he managed to piece together 16 pounds, 2 ounces to stay in the hunt. Aiming to become a two-time Saginaw Bay champion, Adkins knows he’ll need a strong performance today to have a shot.
Rounding out the top five, Brock Bila in fourth and Jason Williamson in fifth salvaged their days, relying on strong day-one weights of over 20 pounds to anchor their week. Bila, the highest-placing NPFL Bass Cat Boats angler so far, is in line for additional incentives if he maintains his position.
AOY Update
Despite dropping a little on day two into 13th place, Alabama pro Kyle Welcher remains atop the Progressive AOY standings with only one day remaining. Similarly, Georgia pro Drew Cook fell to 17th, but still holds his second-place spot in the AOY race, trailing Welcher by 10 points. Read more about the AOY in Ken Duke’s In The Books: Saginaw Bay Day 1.
Top Ten Anglers:
Kevin Martin 42-0
Zack Birge 40-12
Gary Adkins 39-5
Jason Williamson 37-15
Brock Bila 37-2
Trent Palmer 35-11
Josh Hooks 35-4
Matt Looney 35-2
Jesse Wise 35-0
John Cox 34-14
Weather Watch
The sun will shine in Bay City today and 60-degree temps will increase to the mid-80s throughout the day. The wind will continue to blow, but is expected to be West at 10 to 15 MPH.
How to Watch
Tune for final day action from Bay City, Michigan, and Saginaw Bay with Live Coverage here and on the FREE PHYX TV App today from 9 to 2pm EST.
Follow along and watch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, Weigh Live Tracker, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers on Saginaw Bay.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Weigh Live Tracker with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins, here!
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