Story by Ken Duke | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
The 2025 NPFL Championship is barely in the books, but things have been happening so fast that we haven’t had a chance to tell you who will be fishing in next year’s Championship … or where it will be … or when.
All in good time on the where and when. Be on the lookout for news releases and announcements right here for that information.
But we can tell you who’s qualified since that was finalized at the last regular season tournament on Logan Martin Lake and in the dramatic final round of the 2025 Championship that ended on Sunday, October 5.
Here’s the field for 2026 and how they earned their berth:
Barron Adams, Blue Ridge, GA — 14th in AOY
Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, SC — 39th in AOY
Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, FL — 31st in AOY
Nick Brown, Lindale, TX — 36th in AOY
Jason Burroughs, Hodges, SC — 6th in AOY
Scott Canterbury, Odenville, AL — winner of Stop 3 on Lake Douglas and Stop 6 on Logan Martin Lake; 4th in AOY
Corey Casey, Moncks Corner, SC — 18th in AOY
Hank Cherry, Lincolnton, NC — 12th in AOY
Jason Christie, Welling, OK —winner of Stop 1 at Santee Cooper; 11th in AOY
Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, SC — 5th in AOY
Drew Cook, Cairo, GA — winner of Stop 5 on the St. Lawrence River; 10th in AOY
John Cox, Debary, FL — 9th in AOY
Harmon Davis, Marlow, OK — 28th in AOY
Kyle Glasgow, Guin, AL — 21st in AOY
Todd Goade, White Pine, TN — 29th in AOY
Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, GA — 17th in AOY
Greg Hackney, Gonzales, LA — winner of Stop 2 on Lake Norman; 3rd in AOY
Scott Hamrick, Denver, NC — defending champion
Matt Herren, Ashville, AL — 19th in AOY
Caleb Kuphall, Mukwonago, WI — 7th in AOY
Shane LeHew, Catawba, NC — 22nd in AOY
Derek Lehtonen, Woodruff, SC — 23rd in AOY
Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, NC — 24th in AOY
Wes Logan, Springville, AL — 30th in AOY
Bill Lowen, Brookville, IN — 15th in AOY
Chad Marler, Jasper, TX —winner of Stop 4 on Lake Eufaula
Jason Meninger, Yulee, FL — 25th in AOY
Brandon Perkins, Counce, TN — 40th in AOY
K.J. Queen, Catawba, NC — 8th in AOY
Kevin Rogers, Pleasant Hill, MO — 33rd in AOY
J.T. Russell, Crane Hill, AL — 26th in AOY
Hunter Sales, Blaine, TN — 16th in AOY
Scott Suggs, Alexander, AR — 38th in AOY
Gerald Swindle, Guntersville, AL — 13th in AOY
J Todd Tucker, Moultrie, GA — 20th in AOY
Andrew Upshaw, Hemphill, TX — 37th in AOY
Patrick Walters, Eutawville, SC — 2025 Progressive Angler of the Year
Kyle Welcher, Valley, AL — 2nd in AOY
David Williams, Newton, NC — 27th in AOY
Jason Williamson, Aiken, SC — 34th in AOY
Jesse Wise, Erwin, NC — 35th in AOY
Robert Wroblewski, Knoxville, TN — 32nd in AOY
That’s seven Alabamans, North Carolinians and South Carolinians, four Georgians and Tennesseans, three Floridians and Texans, two Oklahomans, and one each from Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
The field includes both previous winners of the NPFL Championship (Perkins and Hamrick) and three NPFL Anglers of the Year (Goade, Welcher and Walters).
The oldest angler in the field is Herren at 62. The youngest is Bloom at 24.
The 2026 Championship will be the first NPFL event in history without Louis Fernandes or Timmy Reams in the field. Both fell just short in the AOY standings and neither won an event in 2025. They fished all 32 previous League events.
Who are the favorites to win the 2026 Championship? That’s hard to say without the where and when. Luckily, those details are coming soon.
And remember that the 2026 Championship will not allow the use of live-imaging (“forward-facing”) sonar. The 2025 Championship was the last event which allowed its use because those anglers qualified under 2024 rules. No future NPFL events will allow that technology.
