Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
It’s the final day of NPFL Stop #3 on Douglas Lake, with anglers blasting off at 6:00 AM from the Dandridge City Boat Ramp. Live Coverage runs from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM EST with Luke Dunkin and FatCat Newton, and weigh-in is set to begin around 2:00 PM — both streaming on TNPFL.com.
The offshore bite slowed on Day Two as changing conditions made it tougher to rely on ledge schools, while the shallow bite remained more consistent. With weights still tight and quality bites at a premium, expect plenty of movement on the leaderboard as anglers adjust on the final day.
After two days of shifting conditions, the leaderboard is stacked, and the event heads into Showdown Saturday with a three-way tie at the top. Day One leader Scott Canterbury, 2024 AOY Kyle Welcher, and veteran Tim Cales all sit at 31 pounds, 9 ounces – it’s setting up to be a dramatic finish.
In fourth, tournament veteran Lendell Martin has 28 pounds, 14 ounces, and Brad Staley sits in fifth with 28 pounds, 8 ounces. Both anglers will join the leaders on Live Coverage this morning.
The top ten also includes Florida’s John Cox (28-0), Tennessee angler Hunter Sales (27-10), Wisconsin’s Caleb Kuphall (27-7), Tennessee’s Tavin Napier (27-7), and Barron Adams from Georgia (27-6).
While the single biggest two-day weight technically sets the standings, Scott Canterbury will blast off first and weigh in last, followed by Welcher and Cales. The first flight in the morning checks in last in the afternoon — giving the leaders time to make key adjustments. Likely, the one who makes the best decision tomorrow walks away with the NPFL Shield and $100,000 first prize.
Catch all the action live at TNPFL.com, and stay tuned for what’s shaping up to be a tight and exciting finish in east Tennessee.
Weather Watch
It’s in the upper 50s this morning with partly cloudy skies expected to turn overcast this afternoon. High of 74°F with light and variable winds. As Welcher mentioned, the wind repositioned fish between Day One and Day Two — and the calm conditions today should be a welcome change.
How to Watch
Tune in daily to watch the action from Dandridge, Tennessee and Douglas Lake – watch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers from the east Tennessee.
Catch the LIVE Coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat at TNPFL.com on days two and three.
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 us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & X.
