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Back to Back 30-Pound Limits Secures Victory for Yavorsky
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| Arron Yavorsky put on a clinic in a heavyweight showdown at Santee. Photo by Rob Matsuura. |
Tackle Warehouse Press Release
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — The final day of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech finally started on time and went a lot better for most of the field. Stop 2 Presented by Star brite at Santee Cooper was pegged as one to watch, and today showed why, as 13 pros caught more than 25 pounds.
Leading after the first day, Aaron Yavorsky kept right on chugging, adding an even 32 pounds to his 35-4 to total up 67-4 and earn the win in style. Finishing second, Matteo Turano backed up his first day with 28-10 to also cross the 60-pound barrier with 60-3, and Cal Lane tallied up 59-7 on nine bass to finish third.
For the win, the 19-year-old Yavorsky takes home $100,000 and a REDCREST qualification. He also moves into the lead for 7Brew Angler of the Year – narrowly ahead of Brody Campbell. Pro Circuit action resumes in late March on the Tennessee River for Stop 3 Presented by Suzuki Marine on Wheeler Lake.
In terms of two-day cumulative weights on the Pro Circuit, Yavorsky’s winning total is actually the fifth-highest all-time. And the young pro has now qualified for both the Bassmaster Classic and REDCREST before his 20th birthday.
Those accomplishments aside, he fished very well this week, but he didn’t do anything crazy to win – a minnow on offshore targets is a pretty solid game plan in the prespawn.
“I did some research; I heard Marion is a little sketchy to run, so I went to Moultrie,” he said. “I fished the wind-protected side the first day and fished some grass, didn’t do good, and then found some brush and stumps that had fish. I caught a 6-pounder on my first one, and that was interesting. Day 2 was slick calm, and I got to ride around the whole lake – there really wasn’t much stuff, but I found a couple places that had some giants. I didn’t really know the potential, but I would throw and see a bunch of big ones chasing my bait.”
Throwing a 7-inch 6th Sense Shindo Shad on a 4.4-gram head with an 8-pound leader and a 7-foot Fitzgerald Fishing spinning rod was the ticket for Yavorsky. With it, he attacked brush and stumps in and on the edges of ditches in 15 to 20 feet.
“Day 1, I pulled up to one pile and they were just stacked – I caught 35 [pounds] in like 30 minutes,” he said. “In practice, that same pile, I threw my bait over it and like 30 big ones came out. I tried catching them, and they wouldn’t eat – I think it was a timing thing.”
TOP 10 BELOW
South Carolina pro seals the deal on Showdown Saturday at Smith Lake, capturing the Championship trophy and $100,000 payday.
Hunting for dirty water, Walters' big Day 2 ensures championship win!
Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
By Justin Brouillard
National Professional Fishing League Press Release
It took the event’s biggest bag by far on Day Two to reset his tournament after sitting in 29th place following Day One, but South Carolina pro Patrick Walters was able to right the ship and claim the NPFL Triple Crown. Walters is now the first angler in NPFL history to possess a Regular Season shield, an NPFL AOY shield, and now an NPFL Championship shield after winning the 2026 Epic Baits NPFL Championship on Smith Lake.
His three-day total of 44-11 was enough to secure a two-pound margin over Alabama pro Kyle Welcher. Walters admittedly slipped on Day One, bringing just 9-11 to the scales and leaving himself frustrated. But with rain overnight and fresh water flowing into Smith Lake on Day Two, Walters capitalized on newly formed mudlines with a crankbait and a jig, putting an astonishing 22-9 in the boat and launching his comeback.
When the dust settled on Showdown Saturday, things were closer than expected as Walters worked to protect his lead. His 12-7 on the final day was enough to earn the NPFL shield and the $100,000 Championship prize.
Welcher, no stranger to NPFL success, previously earned the 2024 NPFL AOY title and finished second in the 2025 season, just one point behind Walters. His 42-11 total secured the runner-up spot.
Florida’s John Cox rallied over the final two days to finish third with 40-8. Todd Auten moved into fourth with 40-3, while North Carolina pro Hank Cherry rounded out the top five with 40-2.
JT Russell’s Day One 5-5 kicker earned him Big Bass honors for the event.
Walters Trusts His Gut
On a week where things changed by the hour, the real winning moments for Patrick Walters came during the tough stretches. Coming in, he knew conditions would not be the same as they were in practice, but he constantly fished through the lulls and kept himself around the right areas to catch fish that were willing to bite.
TOP 10 BELOW
