Story by Corey Casey | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
I’ve always believed that if you want to find out who you really are as a competitor, you don’t look for the easy road—you look for the toughest room in the building and walk straight into it. That mindset is exactly why I love competing in the NPFL. I’m not here to sugarcoat it or make bold claims that don’t need to be made. I’m not saying the NPFL is the best of the best—yet. But what I will say, without hesitation, is that it is earning respect at a rapid pace, and the level of competition continues to rise every single season.
For me, competition is personal. I thrive on it. I need it. Challenging myself against elite anglers is not something I shy away from—it’s something I seek out. If I’m going to measure my progress, push my limits, and chase my goal of becoming one of the best in this sport, I want to do it against anglers who are operating at the very top of their game.
When you look at the current competition pool, it’s hard not to get fired up. We’re talking about some of the most talented anglers in the sport, many of them right in their prime. Guys like Zack Birge, Patrick Walters, Drew Cook, Brandon Cobb, John Cox, Wes Logan, Brock Mosley, K.J. Queen, Matt Robertson, Shane Lehew, Logan Latuso, and Jacob Powroznik. That’s not just a list of names—that’s a lineup of proven winners, innovators, grinders, and anglers who can beat you anywhere, anytime, with anything.
Fishing against that caliber of talent gives you an honest mirror. There are no excuses. No shortcuts. No hiding. You either elevate your game, or you get left behind. And that’s exactly the environment I want to be in. That’s how you grow. That’s how you learn where you truly stand.
Then you add in some of the biggest names this sport has ever seen—legends who helped shape professional bass fishing into what it is today. Rick Clunn, Greg Hackney, Bill Lowen, Gerald Swindle. Just seeing those names on the roster raises the stakes. It adds weight to every cast and meaning to every check. And I’ll say this plainly: when you beat those guys or even go toe-to-toe with them tournament after tournament, it makes it that much sweeter. That’s respect you earn, not something you’re given.
And it doesn’t stop there. The depth of talent in the NPFL continues to grow with anglers like Canterbury, Cherry, Clausen, Crochet, Gross, Herren, Lane, Lintner, Morgan, Roumbanis, Spohrer, Tharp, and Vinson. That’s a competitive field where nothing is handed out and every finish is hard-earned.
I’ve never been one to run from competition, and I’ve never been one to complain about it either. You’ll never hear me say the NPFL is supposed to be a “working man’s league” as if that somehow excuses the level of competition. No. This is a professional series—plain and simple—and it is gaining elite-level competition faster than any organization out there. That’s not a negative. That’s something to be proud of.
If your goal is to be one of the best, then you have to compete against the best. Period. There’s no other way around it. You don’t improve by hoping the field gets weaker. You improve by rising to meet it.
I’m fired up and ready to roll into 2026 with that mindset fully locked in. Bring on the competition. Bring on the stacked fields. Bring on the pressure. You’ll never hear me complain about fishing against anyone. If Kevin VanDam decided to come out of retirement and fish the NPFL tomorrow, I’d welcome it—respectfully. Because that’s what this is all about.
This is professional bass fishing. Let’s see who’s who.
Corey Casey – Angler Profile
