Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Right from the action at Stop Six on Logan Martin Lake, the NPFL heads straight to its season finale: the NPFL Championship, hosted by the City of Anderson, SC, at Lake Hartwell. The Championship runs October 3–5, 2025, with daily launches and weigh-ins at Green Pond Landing. This no-entry-fee event brings together the Top 42 Progressive Anglers of the Year, season champions, and the returning champion from the 2024 season to battle for a $100,000 first-place prize and a $250,000 total championship purse.
The Championship at Lake Hartwell marks the third time the league visits this iconic reservoir, solidifying its relationship with Visit Anderson. Previous events have produced big bags and memorable moments: Drew Six won in April 2022 with a three-day total of 51‑5, and in May 2024, Mike Corbishley topped Stop Two with 44‑1.
Part of the Savannah River system, Lake Hartwell spans over 56,000 acres with more than 960 miles of shoreline, featuring everything from rocky points and creek channels to submerged timber and riprap. Its structure-rich layout makes it a fall bass angler’s playground, with both spotted and largemouth bass in play.
The 2025 Championship carries some of the highest stakes of the season with only 42 anglers qualifying for this no-entry-fee finale. With cooler water temperatures, active fall bass, and a historic playing field, Hartwell is set to produce dramatic weigh-ins and crowning moments.
Anglers Take
Like Logan Martin last week, Hartwell is in limbo between summer and fall. Brandon Cobb, who wrapped up a top-five finish in the 2025 Progressive Angler of the Year standings, won’t be competing this week as qualifiers are from 2024, leaving him on the sidelines to watch the action.
“Hartwell is unique because it’s going to fish like two lakes in one, especially this time of year,” Cobb said. “You have the typical brim/shad fish shallow, as well as the creeks, and then another population in the main lake feeding on herring.”
Cobb emphasizes that these offshore fish – both largemouth and spotted bass – are feeding on herring, not actively chasing them. However, they will bite well when the bait is present. He believes the event is wide open and could be won on either pattern – shallow or offshore.
“There will be bigger bags caught shallow overall, but for three consecutive days, it’s very tough. If the NPFL wasn’t allowing forward-facing sonar (FFS) during this Championship this week, things would be a lot different,” he said. “With 2024 rules in play where FFS is allowed, the offshore anglers will be more consistent than the shallow bite, which I think will be the key.”
Cobb says without FFS, he would focus on shallow water. He notes the biggest bass and biggest bags will likely come from the shallows, but anglers fishing shallow will need to mix strategies over three days and fish a mix of different things if they plan on making the top ten.
Hartwell native Sean Alvarez agrees that a two-pronged approach is key. “FFS will be a factor for a lot of guys this week, but there will also be a solid largemouth bite. Most of the field will fish offshore, but someone will unlock the shallow bite. In practice, I’d locate both—find where to fish shallow, then target schools in the main lake.”
Alvarez also noted that targeting pairs or small groups of spotted bass in deeper water will yield bigger fish. “Smaller groups are harder to catch but the fish weigh more. Larger schools exist, but the fish are generally smaller,” he said.
Despite the weather, and with fall “a couple weeks away,” according to Cobb, Hartwell has been fishing well. Both shallow and deeper, the field is going to catch fish. He says that generally in the fall, there is a magic two-week period on Hartwell where the water turns and pushes the herring up in the water column. Because of that, they are much easier to catch – and the selection of baits is easier to narrow down.
“We are close, but it hasn’t quite been cool enough leading up,” Cobb said. “Some fish will be up, and the cooler weather is coming, so it may happen. Baits like the staple—a Zoom Fluke—are a must. I also would have a pencil popper, like an Ark Sidewinder, handy when they come up schooling and you need to make a long cast. For the shallow bite, I would have a buzzbait with a Zoom Horny Toad, a jig to swim and flip around, and a finesse bait—it used to be the Zoom Fluke Stick, but now the new, unreleased Thick Trick is my go-to.”
The wildcard on Hartwell are the unique, off-the-wall baits. Cobb says those guys who have them, and know they work, will be hard to beat. With the spotted bass seeing constant pressure, and unique baits making their way into anglers’ boats, that could make the difference.
“Someone who knows the lake, and knows that those baits work, will have some unique stuff tied on and will do well,” said Cobb. “Someone like Patrick Walters, with his knowledge of this lake, and who fishes enough to have fished with different things, will unlock the bigger spotted bass.”
Alvarez agrees, noting history on Hartwell playing a factor. His angler to watch is Will Harkins.
“Harkins knows the lake and is very talented with FFS,” said Alvarez. “He fished very well this season without FFS on the NPFL, but he can use it here this week. I think he is going to be one to watch. If I was going to fish shallow, my wildcard bait would be a squarebill, and I would find dirtier water and fish the backs of creeks and around docks.”
It will remain to be seen who fishes where—shallow or offshore—and who prevails. With all that said, Cobb guesses the FFS guys will pull ahead.
“I think 80% of the field will fish offshore, and 20% shallow,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a few guys made the top ten fishing exclusively on the bank, but more anglers will weigh in the “scope” fish. It will be a fun event, and I can’t wait to watch it play out.”
How to Watch
Tune in daily from to watch the action from Lake Hartwell – watch the LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers fishing each day in South Carolina.
Catch the LIVE Coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat at TNPFL.com all three days.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Chaos Fishing Catch Track with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins.
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