Drew Cook Wins 2025 NPFL St. Lawrence River!

Cook delivered a commanding wire-to-wire performance, taking the lead early and never letting go.

NPFL Press Release

 It took three days and nearly 700 miles of running, but Drew Cook conquered the mighty St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, going wire to wire to earn his first NPFL victory and a cool $100,000.

With three calm and sunny days—something rare this spring and summer in New York—the NPFL arrived in Massena at the perfect time, and the anglers capitalized on it. Many chose to make the long run to the mouth of the lake, with some venturing into Ontario, setting new records in the process.

Running nearly the furthest and fishing a different area each day to stay on fresh fish, Drew Cook’s three-day total of 77-6 gave him a 2-11 margin of victory. In second place, Kyle Welcher fought to maintain his Progressive Angler of the Year lead. He spent the first two days in third place before moving up to second today, extending his lead from 5 to 7 points, unofficially, over Patrick Walters, who dropped to fourth. Andrew Upshaw capped off his event with his biggest bag on the final day, finishing in third.

South Carolina angler Patrick Walters finished in fourth with 71-13 and Alabama pro Justin Atkins finished fifth with 71-3.

Both Drew Cook and Jesse Wise shared the big bass honors, each landing a massive 6-pound, 10-ounce smallmouth on day two.

Cook Goes Wire-to-Wire

Committing to Lake Ontario and the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, Georgia pro Drew Cook earned his first NPFL victory with a three-day total of 77-6. He took the Day 1 lead with 27-2, the biggest bag of the tournament, and when most struggled to catch big bags on Day 2, he added 25-8 and extended his lead.

On the final day, Cook returned to the big lake and fished another new area, but it took a bit of time to get going. Once he settled around lunchtime, he got into a “newish” area and started catching fish.

“Today was a grind,” he said. “I had a few good fish, but I had to really keep moving to find bigger ones than the high 3s, low 4-pounders I was around. I fished different areas each day, but today I fished a new area I hadn’t been to yet, and caught three of my weigh fish from it.”

2025 NPFL St. Lawrence River Day 2: Drew Cook Leads with 27-07lbs!

Cook Expands NPFL Lead at St. Lawrence River, Welcher Maintains Narrow AOY Lead.

NPFL Press Release

With launch in Massena, New York, the top anglers continue to make the long run toward Lake Ontario, battling big smallmouth cruising the shallow sand flats.

Leading the charge for two consecutive days, Georgia pro Drew Cook has extended his lead at Stop Five of the 2025 NPFL Season at the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York to 3 pounds, 2 ounces.

South Carolina angler Patrick Walters, who started in second place, remains there with 22-8 on a tougher Day Two, keeping him in contention. Alabama pro Kyle Welcher stayed consistent with 24-3 on Day Two, maintaining third place and, more importantly, holding onto his lead in the Progressive Angler of the Year race. All three anglers are making significant runs and have relied on mild weather conditions to catch better-than-average-sized bass.

Robert Wroblewski led the big bass race on Day One with a 6-7 lunker, but Drew Cook took over the big bass honors with a 6-10 smallmouth today.

Cook Cruising in New York

With a two-day total of 52-10, Drew Cook is one day away from earning his first NPFL victory. He started on Day One with a solid 27-2 limit and followed it up on Day Two with 25-8, anchored by a 6-10 big bass. His consistent performance has him 3 pounds, 2 ounces ahead of second-place Patrick Walters.

Like the other top anglers, Cook is focusing his efforts around the mouth of Lake Ontario, and several spots further up the river, rotating through flats where smallmouth are both spawning and roaming. As the tournament goes on and anglers spread out, the pressure is making things tougher.

TOP 10 BELOW

2025 NPFL St. Lawrence River Day 1: Drew Cook Leads with 27-07lbs!

Drew Cook jumps out on top after day one on the St. Lawrence River.

Drew Cook makes long run to Lake Ontario (Photo: NPFL)

NPFL Press Release

Long runs and giant smallmouth – that’s the story of Day One and, frankly, the entire event. Launching in Massena, New York, about 95 miles from Lake Ontario, the early summer conditions are perfect for catching big bass. Drew Cook leads the pack with a 27-2 bag, anchored by a 6-pound smallmouth.

In second place by just 2 ounces, South Carolina angler Patrick Walters weighed in 27-0 and capitalized on a strong start this morning. Kyle Welcher sits in third place with 24-13, while Andrew Ready and Andrew Upshaw are tied for fourth with 24-8.

Robert Wroblewski leads big bass with a 6-7 lunker. Progressive AOY leader Kyle Welcher is in third place with 24-13 on Day One. Greg Hackney, who started the event in second place for AOY, is in 13th, keeping the top anglers tight in contention. Coming into the event, Cook was in 8th place and is now looking to climb the leaderboard with a strong performance this week.

Cook Crushes Day One

Fully committed to fishing “near the mouth” of Lake Ontario, Drew Cook decent run and bounced between several spots, catching better-than-average smallmouth at each. With no forward-facing sonar in the NPFL, he kept things simple—targeting hard structure and keeping a bait around fish.

“It took me a little while to get to my fish, but I stopped and hit a couple of places on the way,” he said. “I’m not doing anything special—just fishing typical smallmouth stuff and targeting areas where they’re setting up.”

He caught his leading limit in about three hours and feels confident heading into Day Two, with similar conditions in the forecast.

“The hardest part is getting there, getting back, and being efficient with my time,” he said. “Yesterday, the forecast showed clouds and rain, but now it looks like tomorrow might be similar to today—and I’m good with that.”

Walters Off to Strong Start

Making a strong start, South Carolina angler Patrick Walters kicked off his day in the river, quickly putting a couple of keepers in the well. Staying true to his style, he bounced between multiple spots around the river mouth, landing big smallmouth along the way.

TOP 10 BELOW

ICAST 2025: Mad Scientist Tackle New Nuclear Ned

 Mad Scientist Tackle coats Ned Head Jig with brilliant UV coatings to achieve maximum radiance

Bass fishing hasn’t been the same since legendary tackle-tinkerer and notorious fishing journal-keeper, Ned Kehde, introduced the world to the “Ned Rig.” Originally a truncated plastic worm affixed to Gopher jig head, the bait has evolved over the years and there are now myriad soft plastic shapes being fished on variations of that original jighead.

Yes, hats off to the overall Midwest Finesse Fishing movement for this fish-catching alternative to big baits and power fishing. Hats off to Z-Man, too, for providing the Ned Rig with a buoyant plastic body, which is prerequisite to achieving that upright Neddyness when stationed on the bottom.  

The second baseline for Ned effectiveness is employing a perfectly architected finesse jighead. The shape of its head needs to accommodate landing at different angles without rolling over – basically, a mushroom configuration. Moreover, a bonafide Ned jig must sport a fine and hazardously sharp hook with a reliable baitholder.  

Sure, reputable Ned-style jigheads are widely available, but Mad Scientist Tackle has upped the ante with specially-coated jigs that are seen in any water clarity and by fish from afar. The company’s distinctive APEX Vision coatings replicate the reflection real minnows and other critters emit, a game-changer on pressured waters and for whoppers that have seen it all.

Happy 4th of July!

 

Wishing all our American fans a wonderful 4th of July!!

Ott DeFoe Wins Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company Championship Round

DeFoe takes down Stage 6 at Potomac for fifth Bass Pro Tour win 

Ott DeFoe topped the field on the Potomac River with 78 pounds, 11 ounces on 32 scorable bass. Photo by Phoenix Moore

By Tyler Brinks

Bass Pro Tour 

MARBURY, Md. – After a week that saw Ott DeFoe near the top of SCORETRACKER® every day he was on the water, the Tennessee pro finally shot to the top when it mattered most, taking down the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company Championship Round for his fourth Bass Pro Tour regular-season win and fifth BPT win overall.

With a dominant final-day performance, DeFoe stacked up 32 bass for 78 pounds, 11 ounces to beat his closest pursuer in Ron Nelson by nearly 27 pounds. Nelson finished as the runner-up, his best finish on the Bass Pro Tour since joining the ranks last season.

DeFoe is one of the winningest anglers in Bass Pro Tour history, behind only Jacob Wheeler and Dustin Connell, but this marks his first individual win since Heavy Hitters in 2022. It’s his fourth regular-season BPT win, the first since 2021 on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes. He did it in typical DeFoe fashion, too, escaping the bulk of the 66-angler field and fishing far up a creek in the Potomac River backwaters.

Here’s how the Top 10 pros finished the Championship Round:

1. Ott DeFoe – 78 – 11 (32)                

2. Ron Nelson – 51 – 13 (23)            

3. Bradley Roy – 44 – 11 (20)           

4. Cole Floyd – 43 – 11 (21)               

5. Zack Birge – 41 – 09 (20)

6. Adrian Avena – 40 – 12 (20)        

7. James Elam – 36 – 07 (18)           

8. Keith Poche – 35 – 07 (15)

9. Spencer Shuffield – 31 – 01 (15)               

10. Keith Carson – 30 – 01 (14)       

Complete results

DeFoe gets shallow and skinny for the win

Kicking off the event, DeFoe found himself in second place behind Keith Poche after catching 70-2 during the first day of qualifying, most of it early in the day in what would end being his winning area, the extreme backwaters of Neabsco Creek.

O'Canada! National Fishing Week, June 28 to July 7, 2024,

 

The Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation (CNSF) is reminding Canadians that finding adventure can be as easy as walking to the park or taking a short drive to the lakeshore.

National Fishing Week, June 29 to July 7, 2024, is an annual event designed to encourage Canadians to experience the benefits of recreational fishing.

Fishing is an easy and affordable way to connect with nature and with each other. “Here in Canada, there is no shortage of water or opportunities to experience nature,” says Mike Melnik, Managing Director of the CNSF. “Most Canadians don’t have to travel very far to cast a line. Where I live in Ontario, I can walk just a few minutes in any direction and find a place to fish, and I know that’s the same in so many parts of Canada. And because fishing is relatively affordable during this time of high inflation, it means anyone can participate with little investment.”

Why Coloured Braided Line is a Must!

 

A lot of pro bass anglers love coloured braided line. Most weekend anglers don't feel comfortable using red, yellow or white lines as they worry it will cost them fish. Check out this video as we explain the benefits of using coloured braided line for everything from deep-water smallmouth to shallow, heavy cover largemouth. Check out our playlists! Don't forget to subscribe to IBASSIN.com

Z-Man® Unleashes BFS-Enabled Bladed Jig

 

Ladson, SC (June 19, 2025) – The thrill of coaxing big fish on stealth tackle and little bitty baits is real. Ponder 6-pound bass on 6-pound test; dueling with pressured packs of fish and hooking up every time. How about vibing with a new micro bladed jig tied your favorite bait finesse (BFS) rod? Addictive, right? If you’re into BFS style fishing—and you absolutely should be—Z-Man® has some good news . . .

“The bait finesse community has been begging for this for a long time, and now, Z-Man® has given us the ChatterBait® MicroMax™, a pro-grade bladed jig optimized for BFS tackle and super selective bass, monster crappie and other species,” notes Jimmy Ly, a leading BFS authority and star of YouTube’s Rawrfishing. 

Tuned to the frequency and subtle idiosyncrasies of BFS and other light tackle techniques, the new Z-Man MicroMax ChatterBait is the first high-level bladed jig created to crush big fish in power finesse mode. 

Echoing the classic ChatterBait sound and action on a higher-frequency scale, the MicroMax features Z-Man’s direct blade-to-jighead connection and trademarked stainless, hex-shaped ChatterBlade®— undeniable forces that continue to propel the ChatterBait’s dominance. Anglers will also appreciate the MicroMax’s erratic hunting action in a more compact package.