Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
It’s Finale Friday at Stop #5 of the 2025 NPFL season in Massena, New York, and leading the charge on Championship Day is Drew Cook with a two-day total of 52-10. Hosted by the Town of Massena, Day Two was just as exciting as Day One, with the field catching them.
To make the top ten after two days of fishing, anglers needed 46-3. The check range has averaged out to around 20 pounds per day, and on Day Two, 40 anglers weighed in 20 pounds. On Day One, over 50 anglers cracked the 20-pound mark. Things are tight, and moving up into the check range on the final day is going to require a bigger-than-average bag.
Behind Drew Cook, Patrick Walters is working hard to keep pace but slipped slightly on Day Two with only 22-8, a solid bag of smallmouth, but enough for Cook to extend his lead. Walters sits over 3 pounds back with a total weight of 49-8. AOY leader by only 4 points, unofficially after Day Two, Kyle Welcher is not letting up. Opting to make the big run to the lake, Welcher is doing what he needs to both win the tournament and maintain his lead before the final stop at Logan Martin Lake in September.
Behind Welcher, Jesse Wise (48-10) and Justin Atkins (48-7) round out the top 5. Dustin Williamson made a big jump into tenth place with his 24-2 bag on Day Two. Both Drew Cook and Jesse Wise are tied for big fish with 6-10 smallmouths, both caught on Day Two.
With the top anglers making big runs and the weather for the first two days being the nicest of the year so far, expect big weights to close out the tournament this afternoon. The daily takeoff this morning begins at 7:00 AM, with the final weigh-in kicking off at 3:00 PM from the Massena Boat Launch. Live coverage streams today from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST, hosted by Luke Dunkin and FatCat.
Progressive AOY Update
Coming into this week, the reigning Progressive AOY from 2024 was leading a tight 5-point race. After two days on the water, Kyle Welcher is still atop the board, but his lead has shrunk to 4 points over Patrick Walters. Walters and Welcher are sitting in 2nd and 3rd place in this event, and things could change on Finale Friday.
Drew Cook, who has led wire-to-wire, faces a bigger challenge ahead given the top of the leaderboard. Despite his strong performance this week, he has only moved from 8th to 5th, still over 70 points behind Welcher. The bigger story is his chance on Finale Friday to earn his first NPFL Shield.
Brandon Cobb and Greg Hackney have settled into 3rd and 4th place after two days of competition.
Top Ten After Day Two:
Drew Cook 52-10
Patrick Walters 49-8
Kyle Welcher 49-0
Jesse Wise 48-10
Justin Adkins 48-7
Andrew Upshaw 47-13
Shane LeHew 47-10
Corey Casey 46-8
Cole Harris 46-8
Dustin Williamson 46-3
Weather Watch
A mild start to Finale Friday with 70-degree temps at launch and light southwest winds under 2 MPH. As the day progresses, temperatures will climb into the mid-80s, with winds shifting westerly to around 6 MPH by noon. Another beautiful day for the anglers on the St. Lawrence River.
How to Watch
Tune in daily to watch the action from Massena, New York and the beautiful St. Lawrence River. Catch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers from upstate New York
Catch the LIVE Coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat at TNPFL.com on days two and three.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Fishing Chaos Catch Track with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins, here!
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