Story by Ken Duke | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Every tournament has its storylines. Some come about unexpectedly. We’ll keep you posted on those as they arise.
Others you can see coming, and that’s what I want to cover here—five stories that will happen at NPFL Stop 3 on Douglas Lake in Tennessee, May 22-24.
I can’t be exactly sure when each of these stories will go down, but here’s a rough timetable … and what to watch for. If you’re a fan of the sport and the league, they deserve your attention.
1. Consecutive Limits
Going into the tournament, Drew Cook has brought a 5-bass limit to the scales on 22 consecutive competition days—one short of the league record of 23 that’s jointly held by Todd Goade and Jesse Millsaps. If Cook limits on Day 1, he ties the record. If he limits again on Day 2, he owns the record outright.
Since joining the NPFL last year, the only day that Cook has not brought a limit to the scales was the first day of the first tournament he fished. It was at Logan Martin Lake in Alabama, and Cook had just four keepers on Day 1. Since then, he’s been nothing short of remarkable.
A limit is certainly not guaranteed on Douglas. Catch rates have been less than stellar in recent years, but Cook is a force. I’m betting that he has the record all to himself when the NPFL leaves Tennessee, and it’s one of those records that lasts and lasts. Think of it like Joe DiMaggio’s consecutive game hitting streak. That one’s been around since 1941 … and Cook will likely continue adding to his total as the season continues.
2. Half a Ton of Bass
Timmy Reams has been an NPFL standout since the league began in 2021. He’s caught more bass for more cumulative weight than any other angler. His current cumulative weight is 973 pounds, 6 ounces. He needs 26-10 to become the first angler in NPFL history to surpass 1,000 pounds.
As noted, the fishing on Douglas is likely to be tough. It’s doubtful that anyone will weigh in 26 pounds or more in a single day. But if Reams gets off to a good start it’s certainly foreseeable that he eclipses half a ton on Day 2. If things are really tough, it could take all three days to get there. Either way, put your money on Reams reaching 1,000 pounds at Douglas. The next closest angler is Louis Fernandes, but the Bass Warrior is 80 pounds away—too far for three days and just 15 bass at Douglas Lake.
3. 30K
While Drew Cook is working to tie and break the consecutive limits mark, and Timmy Reams is surpassing the 1,000-pound milestone, the entire league is working toward a different number. In five years and 27 tournaments, NPFL competitors have weighed in 29,263 bass. They need 737 more to reach 30,000.
Even if every angler in the field weighs in a limit on Day 1, they won’t reach 30K … but decent fishing next week should get them there on Day 2. I’ll be curious which angler has the bag that does it.
4. Half a Million Bucks
On Day 3—the final day of the event—another milestone could be reached, and a trio of NPFL standouts could take another step toward breaking one of the league’s most impressive records.
First the milestone.
The NPFL’s all-time leading money winner is Patrick Walters with $497,500 in prize money. He’s one payday from surpassing half a million dollars! And—of course—he’s a solid bet to do it at Douglas Lake.
Walters has been inconsistent on Douglas Lake at Bassmaster Opens. In 2017 and 2021, he finished well out of the money—53rd and 72nd, respectively. But in 2018 he was second … so he’s more than capable of putting together a great tournament here. I’d lay excellent odds that he passes the half-million-dollar mark next week at Douglas Lake.
But if Walters doesn’t do it, there’s another angler in the field who could get there, and that’s three-time NPFL winner Brandon Perkins, who just happens to be a Tennessee resident. Problem is, Perkins’s career winnings total is “just” $404,450, so he would have to win to get to $500K. Nothing less would do.
5. In the Money All the Time!
And speaking of prize money, three anglers are on consecutive in-the-money streaks that are getting close to the all-time NPFL record. Drew Cook and 2024 Progressive Angler of the Year Kyle Welcher have fished eight NPFL tournaments and have been in the money every time. That’s remarkable … and perhaps unsustainable given the level of talent currently in the league.
Perhaps more remarkable is Zack Birge’s seven consecutive in-the-money finishes. Just like Cook and Welcher, he’s earned prize money in every NPFL event he’s fished, but at Santee Cooper earlier this year he missed all three days of practice and the first day of competition yet still finished 35th and got paid! I’d have thought that was impossible, but Birge is a rare talent.
The league record for consecutive in-the-money finishes is 11 by 2023 AOY Todd Goade. He may have company by the end of the year … but it won’t be easy. The NPFL field is strong.
