Story by Andrew Upshaw | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
It’s been a while since I’ve been in a boat—longer than I ever expected. The last time I launched was at Logan Martin for our final event of the season. Since then, life has looked a lot different. I’ve spent most of my time with my family: following my son through football and now basketball, and more importantly, being by my mom’s side as she battles a serious illness. That part of my life has taken priority these last couple of months, and honestly, that’s exactly where my focus needed to be.
People think that professional fishermen fish every day. The truth is, the business side of this sport is just as demanding—sometimes more. And when life hits you with a few heavy setbacks, like it has for me lately, your priorities shift fast. The motivation to grind on the business side—sponsor calls, proposals, replacements when a partner leaves—gets a lot harder to find.
This year, I’ve had more sponsors leave than come in. That’s not a pity story; it’s simply the reality of our industry right now. Like every season I’ve ever fished, sponsors will come and go, but this offseason has felt like a little more “go” than “come.” Mix that with everything happening in my family, and it’s been one of the tougher stretches of my career.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, NPFL announced the Championship schedule for the 2026 season. Funny enough, that announcement came while I was sitting in a hospital room with my mom. I saw “Smith Lake” and got excited—one of my favorite places to fish—but I didn’t look at the date twice. My head just wasn’t in that space.
It wasn’t until yesterday morning that I finally noticed the date again when NPFL shared a post. And it hit me: February 2026… that’s only a couple months away.
My first thought was, “Well … crap.”
My second thought was, “I’m already a week behind.”
But here’s the real part—everybody in this sport is dealing with something. Every angler, every one of us you see on stage or on livestream, has real-life battles going on behind the scenes. We’re competitors, but we’re people first. And life doesn’t pause just because we’ve got a season coming.
I’m not saying the last few weeks have been bad. They’ve just been different—hard, heavy, and full of change. And through all of it, I’ve realized how grateful I am for the people around me. My editor. My social media team. My family and friends who’ve stepped up in ways that mean more than they know. In the middle of chaos, support matters more than anything.
Now, with the Championship suddenly right around the corner, the switch has flipped again. It’s time to get ready. Time to get my mind right. Time to get back into the boat and do what I love.
It might have taken me a minute to realize how close we are, but I’m here now. And I’m ready.
Andrew Upshaw – Angler Profile
