Story by Robert Wroblewski | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Well, Stop #4 of the National Professional Fishing League season has come to an end, and this one was a mental test from the moment I arrived. Going into the event, I had absolutely no prior experience on Lake Eufaula. I didn’t have any history to lean on, no waypoints to revisit, just a giant body of water and a three-day window to figure it out.
When you pull up to a lake that stretches over 100,000 acres and you’ve never fished a cast there, it’s humbling. But I came in with an open mind, ready to grind, and determined to break it down the best I could in the time I had. I spent all three days of practice covering water — miles of it — trying to find something I could hang my hat on.
Eventually, I found two key areas. What made them stand out? Clean water. On a lake where 90% of the water was chocolate milk, these creeks had just enough clarity that I could see my bait a few feet down. And for me, that’s everything.
I’ve never had confidence fishing in muddy water. Some guys excel in it, but to me, it feels like throwing darts blindfolded. You might hit, but you can’t depend on it. I need to feel like I’m in control, and that starts with clean water. It allows me to fish the way I like to fish — making precise presentations, reading how fish react, and trusting my instincts.
The reality was, I wasn’t the only one who found those areas. With so little clean water on the lake, those two creeks became community holes pretty fast. But even with the added pressure, I still felt good. That was my best chance to compete.
Before the tournament started, the league changed the minimum length requirement from 14 inches to 12. I knew right away that would make a difference. It made scratching out a limit more manageable. On Day 1, I executed. I brought in 11 pounds, 6 ounces and sat in 31st place. It wasn’t a monster bag, but it was solid and gave me a real chance to stay in check range … or even climb higher with the right Day 2 adjustments.
Then Day 2 hit. And man, it was a different story.
Going into that final day (the tournament was shortened due to weather issues), I was proud to be one of just 25 anglers who had caught a limit on every day of competition this season. That streak ended at Eufaula. I only brought four fish to the scales. And I’m not sure what stung more — breaking that streak or falling short of a finish that I knew I was capable of.
I started the day confident. I was around fish, and I was in the same area as several top anglers. But I started hearing guys running all over, bouncing from spot to spot. No one was staying put. That’s when I knew the bite had changed.
The lake had come up more than a foot overnight. At first, I didn’t think much of it. I figured the fish would adjust and stay close. But they didn’t … or at least not in the way I expected. I waited too long to adjust. I started panicking, running and gunning to every single spot I had a bite in practice. And every one of them was dead. It was like someone turned the switch off.
The truth is, I didn’t adapt. I stayed too locked in on what had worked instead of pivoting to what might work.
Going into this season, I had a chip on my shoulder. I wanted to prove I belong at this level, that I’m more than just a guy who’s got a shot, that I’m someone who can make a name here. My goal is to make the top 40 of the Progressive Angler of the Year points and qualify for the Championship, and now, I’ve got no room left for error. I need two strong finishes — back-to-back — to close this thing out and punch my ticket.
Next up is the St. Lawrence River. This is the one I’ve been waiting for. Northern fishery. Smallmouth. Clean water. Big waves. Current. Finesse. That’s my game. No forward-facing sonar, but I don’t care. I’ve wanted to fish the St. Lawrence for years, and I finally get my chance to show what I’m made of on a world-class smallmouth stage.
I’m ready to leave it all out there. If I stumble again, then maybe I’ve got some things to reevaluate. But I’m not going into this thinking about failure. I’m going in hungry. I want to prove to myself and to everyone watching that I’m capable of fishing at the highest level.
Let’s finish the season strong. Let’s make a statement.
Robert Wroblewski – Angler Profile
