By NPFL Communications Staff

With light wind and shifting water levels across Douglas Lake, anglers were once again forced to adjust on the final day of the third event of the National Professional Fishing League season. The offshore bite never really came back after Day 1, and while shallow patterns remained the deal, water color and stability varied depending on where you were.

When the dust settled, Scott Canterbury, who shared the lead heading into the final round, showed up when it counted. He started the morning fishing floating docks around a marina and connected with a 4-pound, 14-ounce kicker – his biggest of the week – then backed it up with another solid keeper to put him over 8 pounds right out of the gate. From there, he returned to his flooded bushes, where he’d caught fish all week, and made key culls to build his final-day bag of 19 pounds, the biggest of the event.

He kicked things off with 17-6 on Day 1 to take the lead, then added 14-3 on Day 2 – his slowest day of the week. On Saturday, he slammed the door shut to earn his first NPFL win.

Kyle Welcher, the reigning Angler of the Year, came out swinging and put together a solid bag of 16-10, finishing in second place with 48-3. Barron Adams finished in third place with 43-2, adding his biggest limit of the event on the final day.

After holding a share of the lead through two days, tied with Welcher and Tim Cales, Canterbury knew the final day would come down to decision-making. As it turned out, a choice he made in practice – and another first thing Saturday morning – helped seal the deal.

“Where I caught those big fish this morning, I actually had 15 pounds in there on Day 1, but yesterday I only caught one fish,” he said. “The 5-pounder and the (3 1/2-pounder) really got me going this morning and settled me down. I kept it honest each day and was rewarded today.”

The other key decision came several days earlier. With only a day and a half of practice, Canterbury committed to a 3- to 5-mile stretch of the lake and went all in on the bushes and trash mats.

“I spent most of my practice driving around that area and marking places that had 4 to 7 feet of water in the pockets. I was just looking for what looked right,” he said. “Today, I noticed the main stretches I was fishing had the trash mats blown out, away from the bushes. When the mats are there, fish can be anywhere. But when they blow out, those fish slide to the first bush nearby, and today, it was game on.”

Everywhere he stopped on the final day, he got bit. And everywhere he had marked debris mats earlier in the week, he caught fish. He rotated through 20 to 25 spots on Day 3 and had his best day of the tournament when it mattered most.

“I tried to find as many spots in that one area as I could that would let me run around during the event,” he added. “Some ended up being sneaky, and some I knew would get fished. But I knew a few might be mine. I love fishing this way – when I won on Beaver Lake years ago, it was almost exactly the same deal. Today, everywhere I stopped I caught a fish.”

Growing up on the Coosa River, Canterbury learned how to be efficient picking apart shallow cover. As the water rose during practice, it created the perfect conditions. Like Welcher, he left the dock on Day 3 fired up and ready to go fishing.

“One other big thing for me this week was using Fishlife First Aid Fish Treatment and their Livewell Treatment,” he said. “I saved a 4-pounder on the first day, and every time I hooked one that started bleeding, I was able to get it back healthy. It was an incredible week out here on Douglas.”

Canterbury’s one-two punch was flipping with a Khaotic Custom Rod rigged with either a Dirty Jigs Scott Canterbury Flipping Jig or a Matt Herren Flipping Jig, swapping to a Reaction Innovations Beaver when needed. His setup was rounded out with a Spearpoint Flipping Hook and an Epic Tungsten weight.

Fellow Alabama pro Welcher continued to get better as the week went on. After starting in seventh with 15-1, he jumped into a tie for the lead with 16-8 on Day 2, then wrapped up his tournament with a strong 16-10 limit.

He got off to a fast start on Day 3, locking in a solid limit early and settling into a groove. The area he had dialed in all week continued to produce, and while he ran some new water during the event, it was this stretch that held the best quality and became his go-to zone.

“I really don’t know why it got better each day, but I stuck with it because the quality was better than anywhere else I tried to fish,” he said. “I would leave and come back and catch one. The area had everything I liked to fish all in one stretch.”

His main approach – no surprise to anyone – was relying on the Rapala CrushCity Bronco Bug, a bait that’s earned him a lot of money in 2025 and one he trusts more than anything else. He mixed in a frog to try and trigger a few bigger bites, but in the end, all 15 bass he weighed came on the Bronco Bug.

“Each day it was different, and I don’t know why. One day they were inside on the trees, then outside, then in the debris mats, and some along the vegetation,” he said. “That Bronco Bug is really special. The hinge system makes it unique, and that thin section between the body and tail gives it tons of movement on the fall.”

After a long stretch on the road and a slower practice, heading out on Day 3 with a legit shot to win meant a lot – but even more because it let him fish the way he loves.

“I was fired up for the one-day shootout. Whoever got them the best today was going to win; hats off to Scott,” he added. “Fishing shallow cover is something I consider a strength, and to get to fish that way this week was super special.”

Here are the final totals for the Top 10:

1. Scott Canterbury: 50-9
2. Kyle Welcher: 48-3
3. Barron Adams: 43-2
4. Tim Cales: 42-7
5. Brandon Cobb: 42-5
6. Nick Brown: 41-12
7. Brad Staley: 41-11
8. Caleb Kuphall: 41-1
9. Hunter Sales: 40-11
10. Lendell Martin: 40-4