February 03, 2024
For Will Harkins, redemption never tasted so good. After a heartbreaker in 2023, finishing 2nd at Lake Eufaula due to tiebreakers, he sealed the deal on his first National Professional Fishing League victory at Alabama's Logan Martin Lake with a three-day total of 47 pounds, 9 ounces.
Harkins started the event in second place with 16-9 on Day 1 and moved into the lead on Day 2 with 16-13 . Starting strong on Day 3 with two early keepers, Harkins culled his way to a final-day weight of 14-3 to take the win.
Coming into the event, the Georgia pro knew he would need to fish each morning with an open mind and learn where the fish would be positioned with changing conditions. As the last angler to weigh in, needing only 9 pounds, his margin of victory was 4-04 over NPFL newcomer Brock Bila.
“It has been the same for me all week,” said Harkins. “I caught fish on the Strike King 1.5 and the jig, but the fish were set up each day on the same types of banks.”
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On the final day, the early limit to begin the morning took the pressure off, but he had felt like the door was wide open for someone to steal the win yet again.
“I caught six early and then between 1 and 4 p.m. I caught six more,” he added. “There was a mid-day lull and I was nervous coming to weigh-in. I knew I gave someone an opportunity, not getting to the 16-pound range myself, to catch a big bag, but when I got closer to weighing in, I knew I had a shot.”
With the monkey off his back early in the season, the Georgia angler plans to change nothing for the rest of the campaign.
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“I do not have to worry about getting close and not slamming the door shut,” he laughed.
Bila caught bags weighing 12-11, 17-11 and 12-15 to finish with 43-5. Also executing a one-two punch, he targeted both suspended fish on the main lake and largemouth in the backs of pockets.
“The main key was clean water and bai fish relative to the spot,” he said. “That is literally it. I fished clean this week except for today and lost one decent fish this morning and another big one this afternoon after the live coverage ended.”
On Day 2, he located a group of fish in shallow, muddy water, but nothing was there on the final day. Despite that disappointment, he was thrilled with a second-place finish on a tough body of water.
“For these caliber anglers, I fully expected to get my butt whipped on until I settled in, but man, that did not happen,” he added. “I was a little worried coming in but the confidence level is sky high going into Hartwell.”
With a three-day total of 42-14, Jesse Millsaps finished third. His top bag was the 16-9 he weighed on the final day.
Millsaps employed a Berkley Frittside5 crankbait and a bladed jig on key stretches all three days. As the water changed, his colors changed to stay ahead of the bigger bass.
“I focused on main lake areas with chunk rock and access to deeper water,” he said. “When it was clear water, I fished a white bladed jig around the docks and the Frittside5 on the rocks. When it got dirty, I had to switch to red colors.”
The remainder of the Top 10 consisted of Louis Fernandes (42-1), Buddy Gross (41-2), Jason Burroughs (41-1), Kyle Welcher (40-15), Todd Goade (40-3), Joseph Webster (39-11) and J Todd Tucker (39-9).
