7-24-26 NPFL NEWS: BIRGE TAKES CONTROL ON DAY ONE
Zack Birge opened the MillerTech NPFL Stop Five on the St. Lawrence River with a statement.
The Oklahoma pro brought 25 pounds, 5 ounces of smallmouth to the scales Thursday, building a 2-pound, 9-ounce advantage over Virginia’s Jacob Powroznik. Mike Quinlin sits third with 21-8 after landing the tournament’s early big bass, a 6-pound smallmouth.
Birge made the potentially risky decision to lock through the Iroquois Dam and fish away from much of the field. The move paid off quickly, as he caught four quality smallmouth before 10 a.m. and later upgraded with a 5-pounder.
Getting back through the lock became part of the story. Alex Davis reportedly warned Birge about possible lock issues, allowing both anglers to return before the situation created additional problems.
Behind the leader, the standings are packed tightly. Powroznik holds second with 22-12, while Quinlin, KJ Queen, Derek Lehtonen and a large group of anglers remain within striking distance.
NPFL Day One Top Five
- Zack Birge — 25-5
- Jacob Powroznik — 22-12
- Mike Quinlin — 21-8
- KJ Queen — 21-7
- Derek Lehtonen — 21-7
Queen’s position is especially important. He entered the event leading the Work Sharp NPFL Angler of the Year race and remains firmly in contention after another strong opening round.
The full field of approximately 115 anglers is competing for a $100,000 first-place prize. Every angler fishes all three days, making consistency just as important as producing one giant bag.
The big question entering Day Two is whether Birge can repeat his long-run strategy. Weather, fishing pressure and access through the locks could completely reshape the tournament before Saturday’s final weigh-in.
MLF PRO CIRCUIT FINALE HITS LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Major League Fishing’s Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit begins its final regular-season event today on Lake Champlain.
The tournament carries major championship and Angler of the Year implications. The northern fishery should give anglers the option of targeting offshore smallmouth, shallow largemouth or attempting to combine both species.
Lake Champlain rewards mobility, but long runs can quickly become dangerous when the wind builds. Expect forward-facing sonar, dropshots, finesse swimbaits and smallmouth-focused presentations to dominate portions of the leaderboard.
Banks Shaw enters the event with another opportunity to add to an already massive season. After winning multiple events in 2026, Shaw remains one of the biggest stories in professional fishing.
BASS PRO TOUR PREPARES FOR LAKE ERIE FINALE
The Bass Pro Tour will close its regular season August 6–9 on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio.
The event will determine the final points positions and create a high-pressure finish for anglers sitting near the championship and qualification bubbles. Lake Erie is capable of producing enormous smallmouth totals, but wind and changing conditions could make execution more important than finding fish.
The tournament will also mark the final tour-level event of Alton Jones’ career, adding another major storyline to the season finale.
BASSMASTER TURNS TOWARD LAKE CHAMPLAIN
The Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series returns August 13–16 for the SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain.
Like the Pro Circuit field fishing there this week, Elite Series anglers will face the decision between targeting northern smallmouth, staying closer to largemouth water or building a mixed-species program.
With the Elite season moving toward its conclusion, every missed bite could influence the Angler of the Year race, Bassmaster Classic qualification and Elite Series requalification.
THE URCHIN CRAZE IS NOT SLOWING DOWN
One of the clearest tackle trends following ICAST 2026 is the continued explosion of soft-plastic urchin-style baits.
The category has spread throughout professional and recreational bass fishing because the baits can be rigged several ways and presented to suspended, pressured and forward-facing-sonar fish.
Wired2Fish recently described the urchin-style category as one of the hottest movements in bass fishing since the Alabama rig, Senko and ChatterBait changed the sport.
Expect even more companies to enter the category as new ICAST products reach tackle shops during the coming months.
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY
The NPFL tournament on the St. Lawrence River is the main event.
Birge has the lead, but one difficult trip through the locks or one missed school of smallmouth could erase his advantage. Powroznik, Quinlin, Queen and Lehtonen are all positioned to make a run.
At the same time, the Pro Circuit finale on Lake Champlain begins another major northern smallmouth showdown.
Two tournaments. Two legendary fisheries. And a full day of heavyweight smallmouth fishing across New York and Vermont.
All Bass. No Bull.
