Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Showdown Saturday is here at the Epic Baits 2026 NPFL Championship on Lewis-Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. The field took off from Smith Lake Park at 6:00 a.m. CST, with weigh-in set to begin at 3:15 p.m. CST back at Smith Lake Park or online at TNFPL.com. The 2026 Champion will be crowned this afternoon.
Live coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat Newton runs from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CST, featuring the top five anglers in the tournament with live cameras.
The weather shift from Day One to Day Two was dramatic. Wind, rain, and cloudy skies gave way to bluebird conditions. The bite changed. It got tough for some of the leaders and opened the door for others to make a big move. The biggest mover — with the event’s largest bag so far — was one of the most accomplished winners in NPFL history, Patrick Walters.
Walters struggled to find size on Day One, but he was biding his time until conditions lined up. And they did. Walters landed three bass in the 5-pound range and rounded out his limit with solid fish. His pattern centers around fishing shoreline cover and structure with a mix of baits, capitalizing on the key bites when they came. His 22-9 limit moved him from well outside the top 10 to the man to beat.
According to Ken Duke, anyone in the top five after two days and within five pounds of the leader has a mathematical shot at the title — and seven anglers fall within that five-pound window. Day One leader Corey Casey sits in second with 29-10, Hank Cherry is third with 29-7, Kyle Welcher is fourth with 29-6, and Jason Williamson rounds out the top five with 28-9, just 3-11 back.
Top Ten Anglers:
Patrick Walters 32-4
Corey Casey 29-10
Hank Cherry 29-7
Kyle Welcher 29-6
Jason Williamson 28-9
Derek Lehtonen 28-4
John Cox 27-8
Barron Adams 27-1
Jason Meninger 27-0
David Williams 26-13
Weather Watch
Sunny skies greet the field this morning on Lewis Smith Lake, with takeoff temperatures in the mid-40s climbing steadily throughout the day. Expect a high near 75°F under bright, high sun. Winds will be light and variable. With bluebird skies all day, shade lines will be key.
How to Watch
Tune in daily to watch the final day action from Smith Lake and the beautiful City of Cullman. Check out the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers for the NPFL Championship.
Catch the LIVE Coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat at TNPFL.com will run all three days, starting today through Saturday.
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!
And be sure to follow the NPFL on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & X.
