Story by Brad Fuller | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
If you want to understand where professional bass fishing is headed, don’t start with the latest gear or who’s trending online. Start with the fire in a competitor’s eyes when everything is on the line.
I saw it at Santee Cooper in Jason Christie. And I saw it again at Lake Norman in Greg Hackney.
Two of the best to ever do it. They don’t need to prove anything. But the look in their eyes said it all—locked in, focused, fully connected to the moment. That’s what we’re all chasing.
Connection. To the fish. To the water. To the fight. But really, it runs even deeper than that.
Whether you’re chasing bass, deer, or turkeys, it’s all about the pursuit. It’s about waking up before the world does. It’s about being locked in, present, and aware of something greater than yourself. That tug on the line … the sound of a gobble at first light … the crunch of leaves just beyond your sightline—it’s all the same. It’s connection. To the wild. To the unknown. And to the part of you that still longs for the chase.
That’s what this sport is built on. And at the NPFL, that’s the heartbeat we fight to preserve.
We believe in progress—but not at the cost of the soul.
We’re not here to turn this into something it’s not.
We’re here to elevate it, to protect it, and to ensure that every angler who climbs onto our stage did it the hard way—through preparation, sacrifice, and performance.
At the center of it all is the Shield.
That Shield isn’t just a piece of hardware. It represents everything we believe in.
It stands for purpose. For accountability.
For the idea that how you win matters just as much as the win itself.
This League wasn’t built for gimmicks or highlight reels. It was built for competitors. For men and women who want to test themselves, push their limits, and chase something real—not just in fishing, but in life.
So yeah—we’ve got work to do. And we’re not claiming to have it all figured out. But I’ll ride with this team every day of the week.
Because the anglers we have, the staff we’ve built, and the partners who believe in this thing—we’re not just in this for the flash.
We’re in it for the fire. And we’re just getting started.
