From NPFL press release
A Tennessee angler just took home $100,000 as he set a new National Professional Fishing League record with a three-day total weight of 71 pounds, 8 ounces.
After a dominant start to the tournament on day one with 29 pounds, 9 ounces, Brandon Perkins sealed the deal on Amistad, becoming the first-ever NPFL Championship winner. Carrying a 12-pound lead into the final day, Perkins caught five bass weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces on Showdown Saturday, adding to his day two weight of 21 pounds, 12 ounces. With a three-day total of 71 pounds, 8 ounces, he secured the inaugural NPFL Championship title on Lake Amistad with a stellar three days of fishing.
Perkins’s margin of victory was 15 pounds, 9 ounces.
Anglers are excited after this record-setting haul, and the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Border Bass Battle is this weekend. For more information, click here.
“I knew the wind was going to be bad later in the week so I found places I would be able to fish without being affected too bad,” he said. “During practice, I was able to catch a ton of bass on FFS, but they were all small. I was going down a bluff bank and saw a big blob. I threw that Scope Stik out there and caught one almost 8 pounds. That fish got me dialed on bluff walls and that is how I fished this week.”
With his winning weight, Perkins now owns the NPFL record for a three-day total weight of 71 pounds, 8 ounces.
However, Perkins wasn’t the only angler with a great weekend.
Adding 19 pounds, 5 ounces on Showdown Saturday, including a 10-pound, 9-ounce lunker largemouth, Jesse Wise finished the Epic Baits NPFL Championship event in second place with a three-day total weight of 55 pounds, 15 ounces. He began his tournament with 18 pounds, 2 ounces, and added 17 pounds, 14 ounces on day two before making his move on the final day.
Like many anglers this week, Wise located the stretch of Lake Amistad that had grass and developed a pattern he was confident he could ride throughout the tournament.
“The hot topic in the industry is ‘scoping’ them but this place at this time of year is not the time for that,” he said. “I tried it in practice but only had a few bites and quickly got that out of my mind. On day two, I located the grass and knew I had found a place I would spend some time.”
On day three of practice on Tuesday, Wise dialed in Lake Amistad even more and figured out a one-two punch that involved flipping, something he loves to do.
“On the final day of practice I learned the big ones were coming and I was excited for the tournament to start,” he added. “Any piece of wood with more than four feet of water on it held fish and I knew we were going to catch them. I woke up on Thursday morning and I could feel it in the air; those spring derbys when you just know things are lining up to be fun.”
Starting on day one in third place with 21 pounds, 15 ounces, Patrick Walters added 17 pounds, 6 ounces on day two, and 13 pounds, 9 ounces on day three to finish in third place spot with a total weight of 52 pounds, 14 ounces.
Darrel Robertson finished the Epic Baits NPFL Championship in the 4th spot with a three-day total weight of 48 pounds, 7 ounces.
With a three-day total of 45 pounds, 10 ounces, Randy Sullivan finished in fifth place in the inaugural EPIC Baits NPFL Championship on Lake Amistad. Rest of the best:
Jason Wilson 44-11
John Cox 44-6
Kevin Martin 43-15
Barron Adams 42-8
Louis Fernandes 42-4
To see the complete press release, click here .
