Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
The final day of a shortened event on South Carolina’s Lake Murray has arrived, and conditions are shifting back to normal. After a front moved through, canceling Wednesday’s scheduled start, anglers now face the challenge to get it done in just two days.
Yesterday’s competition proved tougher than expected, but big bass were biting, and both the tournament and the Progressive Angler of the Year (AOY) races began taking shape. Today, the top anglers will battle it out for the $100,000 first-place prize, while Kyle Welcher and Drew Cook vie for the 2024 NPFL Progressive AOY Golden Shield.
South Carolina angler Dustin Williamson leads after day one with 19 pounds, 13 ounces, narrowly ahead of Missouri angler Brock Bila by just 4 ounces. Williamson’s success not only gave him the lead but also moved him well within the NPFL Championship cut (top 40 anglers), after barely making it in before the event.
While Williamson and Bila fish similar patterns, they appear to be avoiding overlap in their areas. Both are leveraging forward-facing sonar to target active fish and employing methods familiar from their home waters—Williamson on Clarks Hill Reservoir and Bila on the Ozarks.
The leaderboard is tight, with Ron Farrow sitting third, using his local knowledge of Lake Murray to focus on shallow water. His 6-pound kicker was key to his bag. Kyle Welcher, in fourth, has made the biggest news so far by leapfrogging Drew Cook in the AOY race with a 19-pound, 3-ounce bag. Cook, who sits in the top 20, has his work cut out for him to reclaim the lead.
Bailey Gay sits in fifth with 18 pounds, 12 ounces, and Hunter Sales rounds out the top ten with 17 pounds, 4 ounces.
Catch the Live Weigh-In from the Dreher Island State Park this afternoon!
Weather Watch
Today’s weather in Newberry, SC, is clear and sunny, with some cloud cover expected later. Highs will reach around 51°F, though it feels closer to 30°F this morning. Light northwest winds (3-5 mph) give anglers good conditions to move between spots.
How to Watch
Tune in today to watch the final day action from Lake Murray. Follow along and watch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog and photo galleries throughout the event.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time, unofficial leaderboard on the Weigh Live Tracker with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water, and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins!
And be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
The NPFL Stop 6 on Lake Murray is hosted by the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board (CCLMC). The event will launch and weigh in at the Dreher Island State Park – fans are encouraged to attend.
