Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
At the halfway point of Day One, the big ones are biting, and the leaderboard is already stacked with 20-pound bags. Andrew Ready leads the pack with an unofficial 23-pound limit, followed by Shane Lineberger (22-14) and Justin Atkins (22-4). It’s the NPFL’s first trip to New York, and this smallmouth shootout is living up to the hype.
Most of the top names are believed to have made the long haul toward Lake Ontario, betting on fewer bites but better ones. With calm water early, several got down clean and are just now settling into their best windows. Lineberger, who stayed closer to Massena, jumped out to an early lead and is still hanging strong near the top.
Just behind the lead trio, Brandon Cobb (20-6), Joey Bloom (19-15), and JTodd Tucker (19-14) are keeping it close. Mike Quinlin, Buck Mallory, and Kyle Welcher are stacked right around the 19-pound mark, and Louis Fernandes and Darrell Davis round out the top 11 with matching 18-12 limits. There’s a lot of weight on the board—and still a lot of time left.
On the water photographers are reporting slick and humid conditions with light wind—perfect for covering water. Anglers are slinging paddletail swimbaits and bladed jigs, chasing roamers in current seams and around isolated rock. Big smallmouth are getting caught across the system, and with weights expected to be packed tight. It’ll come down to consistent upgrades this afternoon.
The afternoon push is still coming, with those near Lake Ontario making their way back up the river to check in. We’ll see who climbs the FISHING CHAOS CATCH TRACK leaderboard before weigh-in kicks off at 3PM.
Live coverage is rolling all day tomorrow and on Finale Friday, wrapping up a three-day New York slugfest.
Current Top 10 (Unofficial):
Andrew Ready 23-0
Shane Lineberger 22-14
Justin Adkins 22-4
Brandon Cobb 20-6
Joey Bloom 19-15
JTodd Tucker 19-14
Mike Quinlin 19-12
Buck Mallory 19-11
Kyle Welcher 19-4
Louis Fernandes 18-12
Darrell Davis 18-12
Catch the Weigh-In
The weigh-in begins at 3:00 PM EST on TNPFL.com. Don’t miss it!
Follow along on the Fishing Chaos Catch Track for real-time unofficial updates from the water.
Check out the Morning Story and Launch Photo Gallery, here!
