March 13, 2025
Last week’s pro tour events demonstrated drastic differences between the leagues. Soon, everyone will have a favorite, at least for a while.
While Drew Gill held off Jacob Wheeler on the BPT, Jason Christie was dominating the NPFL, despite a field stacked with regulars from other tours.
In the meantime, Japan’s Yui Aoki put on an overseas clinic on Kentucky Lake at the Bassmaster Open, demanding attention. Each event, in fact, featured must-see highlights.
First to Christie. Thirty-plus on a spinnerbait? Twice? Come on!
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This event couldn’t have gone better for the National Professional Fishing League (NPFL). After boldly banning forward-facing sonar (FFS) while the other tours caved, the NPFL certainly wanted a shallow-water slugfest to show off the goods. They got it, and then some.
Santee Copper never disappoints and seems to be getting better each year. The size of these waterbodies allows for fishing pressure to spread out. In addition, heavy cover throughout makes for great bass habitat that equates to successful spawns and strong year-classes. I’m sure I ‘m not alone in wishing Santee Cooper was just down the street.
Christie put on a shallow-water master class. His approach was premeditated, again going as old-school as possible with a single-bladed spinnerbait. I’m not sure I even own one.
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The strikes were ferocious, though many never made the broadcast. Herein lies the great hang-up of the NPFL: coverage. While Bassmaster is most seasoned and MLF the best, the NPFL broadcast still needs some tweaking. Let’s hope the league devotes time and resources toward that as the season goes along. There are only so many boat-flipped 6-pounders I’m willing to miss.
Back to MLF, and a nail-biter that couldn’t have been scripted any better. After four days of fishing, the final minute decided the winner between the sport’s hottest newcomer and its undisputed current king. Gill got lucky, as he was unable to catch a fish for the majority of the final period, yet miraculously held off a charging Wheeler. Both were scraping by the end, relying on light line and wimpy worms to get any strikes at all. It was no Santee Slugfest, for sure, but demonstrated the complexities of tournament fishing.
Which was a better tournament among the first two? I guess that depends what you’re looking for. I know what I’m looking fo r…
Yui Aoki rounded out the week with a compelling win. I felt like I’d watched this before. Turns out, I had.
Long-time fans might remember Norio Tanabe’s win on Kentukcy Lake in 1993, when he took down superstar Rick Clunn in one of the most unique events in history. Influenced by massive winds on Day 1, the bass bit like crazy. Tanabe landed a smallmouth and largemouth both in excess of 6 pounds, while Clunn bagged a stringer over 30.
Tanabe went on to win the event using weighted jerk baits, a technique relatively unheard of at the time.
Like Tanabe, Aoki caught a mixed bag of smallmouth and largemouth through perfected technique. A Japanese swimbait, larger than the version tried by most others, combined with a finesse-heavy jighead minnow campaign created exacting presentations.
On the final day, Aoki leaned hard on the minnow, fishing it slower than most anglers are capable. FFS was the ticket, combined with an unflappable demeanor that wouldn't let him get in a hurry, despite losing a big fish early and dropping one overboard later. A true pro performance.
And a great week for tournament bass fishing; everything you’d ever want, regardless of your wants.
Can we keep up the campaign? Will old-school anglers be able to hold their own amongst the onslaught of gamers?
The most fun is finding out.
(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times. )
