Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
When the stakes are high, Kyle Welcher knows how to deliver. Averaging an impressive 8th place finish across six NPFL events in 2024, Welcher’s season was a masterclass in consistency and adaptability. From the opening event at Logan Martin, he was a strong contender, consistently leading or staying close to the top of the AOY race.
Welcher’s open-minded approach proved invaluable throughout the season, leading to a clutch performance at the final event on Lake Murray. Trailing Drew Cook heading into the finale, Welcher held steady under pressure. Despite weighing in fewer total pounds than Cook for the season, his fourth-place finish at Lake Murray secured him the Progressive Angler of the Year title by a narrow 8-point margin.
Welchers MVB: Tackle Warehouse Most Valuable Bait
It’s tough to pinpoint one single bait for the year, but Kyle Welcher didn’t hesitate when reflecting on the variety of techniques that fueled his Progressive NPFL Angler of the Year victory and his entire fishing season.
“That’s a tough one. My favorite bait is definitely the Shad Rap,” Welcher said. “I caught some key fish on it at Logan Martin and Lake Murray. It’s such a cool, old-school, flat-sided crankbait—I love it. But if we’re talking about the MVB in terms of sheer fish-catching, it has to be the Rapala Mooch Minnow.”
Welcher’s go-to setup for most scenarios includes a 7’ medium-action spinning rodpaired with the fastest spinning reel he can find, typically a size 3000. He spools it with 16-pound Sunline Braid and uses either a 10- or 12-pound Sunline Shooter leader.
“I fish a 12-pound leader more than anything,” he explained. “That started because I was catching too many stripers, and it took too long to fight them to the boat. Years ago, everyone used smaller lines, but with Livescope, we’ve realized it doesn’t matter as much anymore.”
While Welcher’s 2025 schedule is packed, his 2024 season with the NPFL is one he won’t soon forget. With more time on the water, fishing new lakes and at different times of the year, he’s eager to defend his AOY title.
“The biggest thing for me is that there are only so many lakes in the country where big tournaments are held,” he said. “I’ve probably been to maybe 25 of them total, and the more time I can spend competing in high-level events on those lakes, the better it makes me. The NPFL is a great league—it’s competitive, and my goal every year is to win AOY, regardless of the tournament.”
Looking back on Lake Murray, which turned into a shortened event due to weather safety concerns, Welcher knew that with everything on the line, he had a chance to control the outcome.
“Even at Saginaw, where I came in leading, there’s only so much you can control overall for AOY,” he said. “But by the end of the season, when there’s more on the line, there’s more pressure. Between Drew and me, it was almost a 50-50 shot that one of us would win. I just happened to find the right recipe and do well. That’s the spot in the season where I could control it more.”
NEXT UP: PART 2: LAKE-BY-LAKE OF WELCHER’S 2024 AOY SEASON
