Story by Ken Duke | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Yesterday we published my story on the GOAT of the NPFL in which I listed the five anglers I believe have the strongest argument for being the best the league has produced … so far. Admittedly, the league has only been around for four years, but whether it’s been around for four or forty or four hundred, there is still a best and worst and all the usual stuff sports fans like to argue about. I wish I could have presented my case for the GOAT after 40 years of the NPFL, but that will only come after the 2060 season, and I don’t expect to be around for that … though I’d like to be.
After the story posted, I saw a few of the Facebook comments about it and read them with interest. I like feedback and debate, especially if someone has a meaningful argument.
Four things on that. First, an emoji is not an argument … not even in our era of low communication standards. Second, I’m willing to admit to being wrong if you prove me wrong, and I welcome your “A game” for that, but want nothing less. Third, just because I did not list an angler in my top five does not mean I intend to insult him. There is nothing disrespectful about not making the list. Finally, if you want to add someone to the top five, tell me who comes off the list. Is it Fernandes, Goade, Perkins, Reams, or Walters? Choose carefully.
Two names popped up in the comments as being candidates for NPFL GOATness, and you should know that I considered them before writing that story and selecting my top five. After spending months studying the history of the NPFL and putting together what I believe is the most comprehensive record book of any of the top three leagues, I am intimately familiar with the records of the 239 anglers who have fished the NPFL.
The two names (again, alphabetically) were Gary Adkins and Taylor Watkins, both of whom have impressive track records with the league. In fact, if my list had been of the top seven anglers in NPFL history, they likely would have been on it.
Gary Adkins is one of the great gentlemen of our game. He was the 2022 Progressive Angler of the Year and has won two NPFL events. He ranks third on the NPFL all-time money list. He is the oldest angler ever to win an NPFL tournament (and the second oldest). In his AOY season he posted 15 consecutive limit catches. He caught the third biggest smallmouth in league history.
But even with those accolades I did not rank him in the top five because (a) his two wins were on the same body of water—Saginaw Bay, (b) he won by one ounce (2024) and four ounces (2022), respectively, and (c) in his 18 NPFL events, he has “only” three top 10 finishes, but has finished outside the top 40 six times.
Does Gary Adkins have a strong record? Yes, he does. Would I crown him the King of Saginaw Bay? Yes, I would. Is he the GOAT of the NPFL? I don’t think so. And if you doubt me, compare him to the five anglers I listed yesterday.
Taylor Watkins had an excellent argument for being the NPFL GOAT … after the first two seasons. In that time, he won three tournaments, finished fifth (2021) and second (2022) in the AOY race, posted four top 10 finishes in 12 tournaments, and caught the heaviest daily bag four times out of the 34 days he competed.
Is it impressive? Of course it is. It makes me want to see what he might have done if he had stayed with the NPFL longer. But even as short as his NPFL career is, I’d rank him top 10 on the GOAT list.
Should he be number one? Of course not. The NPFL has only had 25 tournaments (including the 2024 Championship), and Watkins fished fewer than half of those (12). Yes, he won three, but one of them was reduced to a single day because of weather and only one other time was he in the top 14. He finished in the top 10 an impressive 33% of the time, but 23 other anglers have done that. It’s hardly an exclusive club.
Was Watkins great? Yes, but for a very short period of time—too short to be given serious GOAT consideration. Patrick Walters—who has fished only 16 NPFL events—also has a short league résumé, but it’s undeniably stronger.
If you think I only gave GOAT consideration to the anglers who are signed up to fish the league in 2025, you do not know me and you are simply mistaken. I do not play games like that, and although I have fun with articles and analysis like this, I also take it very seriously.
For what it’s worth, I also gave serious consideration to Keith Carson, John Soukup, Will Harkins, and others when creating my GOAT list.
I’ll stand by the five anglers included in yesterday’s article. They are my short list as we head into the 2025 season. By the end of the year, I’ll reevaluate. So will you.
Until then, if you disagree, I’m open to hearing your argument … but you need to have more than just a name or an emoji. Give me your “A game.”
