Improved weather brought calmer conditions on Day 2 of the National Professional Fishing League event at Douglas Lake, but the offshore bite took a hit. Dirtier water in key areas made it tough for anglers to lean on ledge schools, while the shallow bite – though not lights-out – proved to be the more consistent option.
The tournament heads into the final round with a three-way tie at the top. Reigning Angler of the Year Kyle Welcher, Day-1 leader Scott Canterbury and veteran Tim Cales all sit at 31 pounds, 9 ounces after two days of competition. The trio will lead the pack at takeoff and be the final three to check in, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
Canterbury kicked things off with 17-6 on Day 1 and followed it up with 14-3 to stay in the mix. The Alabama pro stuck with the shallow bite, picking apart brush and mixing in new water to keep momentum on his side. Cales, steady as ever, backed up his 15-15 on Day 1 with 15-10 on Day 2 to stay right there at the top.
Welcher made the biggest move of the day, jumping from 7th into a share of the lead with a strong 16-8 bag, building on his 15-1 from Day 1. All three anglers will launch side by side Saturday with everything on the line.
A total of 107 anglers have weighed in five-fish limits each day, and Cales still holds big-bass honors with his 5-2 largemouth from Day 1.
If not for a late-afternoon mishap losing a quality fish, Canterbury might have had the solo lead going into Saturday.
“I stayed shallow today and tried to capitalize on the tail end of the shad spawn, but that just isn’t happening out here right now,” said Canterbury. “My program is pretty simple; I am covering as much water as I can with Scott Canterbury Dirty Jigs and rotating through a bunch of different plastics. The key is to keep moving, without moving too fast.”
The Alabama pro caught a few early on a spinnerbait, but noted that bite, once strong during practice, has faded with the full moon phase ending. On Day 2, he ran a lot of new water and plans to do the same on Saturday.
“You know, this tournament is going to come down to making the right decision tomorrow,” he added. “We’ve got some weather changes coming and I’ll have to adapt on the fly. Whoever makes the right call is going to win this thing.”
Practice was anything but consistent for Welcher, but once the event started, things began to fall into place. On Day 1, he got into better quality fish and used a run-and-gun approach to start figuring things out. Despite a scattered practice, both tournament days were much more productive.
“Practice was pretty random, honestly – I never really got into anything that made me feel solid,” said Welcher. “But once the tournament started, I started figuring out where they were and how they were setting up. That allowed me to slow down a bit and fish more effectively.”
On Day 2, he adjusted to a shift in fish positioning and covered new water as the wind changed direction.
“I’m excited for tomorrow, and if the wind lays down, I think it’ll help the bite.”
Getting on the shallow bite early in practice, Cales has executed his chunk-and-wind pattern flawlessly through two days of competition. Like much of the field, Cales hasn’t relied on flipping, instead picking apart shoreline brush and docks across several stretches of the lake.
“The place I started had no pressure this morning, but after that I was sharing some water with other anglers,” he said. “I really don’t know if I’m doing anything different to catch better quality or if it’s just a right place, right time kind of thing.”
After culling up to his Day-2 weight, Cales pulled the plug and left his water alone. Going into the final day, he plans to lean on the same stretches that got him to this point while mixing in some areas from practice he hasn’t yet touched.
“I’m going about as far as anyone wants to run right now at some point in the day, but my fish are scattered. I’m hopeful there are still some left and that the areas I’ve saved will produce."
Here's how the Top 10 stacks up after Day 2:
1. (tie) Scott Canterbury – 31-9
1. (tie) Tim Cales – 31-9
1. (tie) Kyle Welcher – 31-9
4. Lendell Martin – 28-14
5. Brad Staley – 28-8
6. John Cox – 28-0
7. Hunter Sales – 27-10
8. Caleb Kuphall – 27-7
9. Tavin Napier – 27-7
10. Barron Adams – 27-6
