Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Starting the day in second place, Ohio pro Kevin Martin surged to the top on day two, taking the lead into Showdown Saturday with a total weight of 42 pounds. After weighing in 23 pounds, 5 ounces on day one with only a handful of bites, he added 18 pounds, 11 ounces on day two with only six bites.
“It was basically the pressure on the area and the wind,” he said. “I can fish my spots in almost any wind condition, but the last two days were the worst. I had to cover more water today than I anticipated, and I expected to get more bites than I ended up getting.”
Casting at over 50 bass throughout the day, Martin rotated between shallow, deep, and mid-depth areas, relying primarily on a dropshot rig with a Berkley MaxScent Flatworm. Despite putting his bait in front of several bass, they weren’t reacting as expected.
“Usually, you can get it near them, and they follow it to the bottom and eat it,” he added. “Today was way different; they wouldn’t even react. Tomorrow, the wind should be more west, which will help me. I did have to burn some water today, but I think I can run it all again tomorrow and catch as many as I can.”
Zack Birge
With a two-day total weight of 40 pounds, 12 ounces, Oklahoma pro Zack Birge has moved into second place at stop number four of the NPFL season on Saginaw Bay. Birge started strong on day one with 22 pounds, 12 ounces, and added 18 pounds, 1 ounce on day two.
His smallmouth approach, focusing on mid-range depths, has proven effective, putting him in strong contention as he heads into Showdown Saturday, just 1 pound, 4 ounces back. Despite the challenging conditions, Birge is prepared for the forecasted wind tomorrow and remains focused on making a final push for his first NPFL victory.
“It was definitely tougher today for me, and not easy by any means,” said Birge. “I was able to get there this morning, but I didn’t see many bites or fish. The key was getting lucky and catching a few better fish; coming back this afternoon was rough.”
While his main area is over 50 miles away, Birge did spend some time in practice looking for largemouth, and a late largemouth cull this afternoon back near the takeoff gave him another 5 ounces. If things don’t go well tomorrow, Birge plans to pull the plug and head to the bank to salvage the day.
“I caught a ton of largemouth in practice, but I don’t think I can catch 17 or 18 pounds doing it,” he added. “Tomorrow morning will be the best chance to get out offshore where I’m fishing, and I’ll see how it goes. If needed, I’ll scratch it and go catch some largemouth.”
While not wanting to give up too many specifics, Birge, like the others, is fishing “typical smallmouth things,” keying in on the “right stuff” within his 8- to 20-foot-deep area.
“If I can see the fish or the structure, and get one to show itself, I’ve been able to get a bite if I can get the lure in there, but that hasn’t been easy,” he concluded.
The big move of the day was made by Dustin Smith, who jumped into 15th place with the day’s largest bag of 18 pounds, 14 ounces. The NPFL Bass Cat Boats award is set to be decided in the final moments, with Brock Bila in fifth place with 37 pounds, 2 ounces, and Matt Looney in eighth place with 35 pounds, 2 ounces.
Top Ten Anglers
Kevin Martin 42-1
Zack Birge 40-12
Gary Adkins 39-5
Jason Williamson 37-15
Brock Bila 37-2
Trent Palmer 35-11
Josh Hooks 35-4
Matt Looney 35-2
Jesse Wise 35-0
John Cox 34-14
