Yamaha pro Patrick Walters is the 2026 National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) champion, claiming victory at the end of the championship tournament held on Smith Lake Feb. 26- 28 in Cullman, Alabama. The win makes him the first angler in NPFL history to claim the triple crown: a Regular Season shield, an NPFL Angler of the Year shield, and now an NPFL Championship shield.
It took the event's biggest bag on Day Two to reset the tournament for the South Carolina pro, who sat in 29th place following Day One. His three-day total of 44 pounds, 11 ounces was enough to secure a two-pound margin over Alabama pro Kyle Welcher, earning him the NPFL shield and the $100,000 Championship prize.
"First off, what a week," said Walters. "I just went back out today and knew I was going to have to mix things up again. It was wild. I could see the mudline coming, and it pushed those fish right up on the bank. The water was rolling in, and I only had just over an hour of prime time, and things happened fast."
On a week where things changed by the hour, the real winning moments for Patrick Walters came during the tough stretches. Walters made much of his progress fishing shallow docks. That strategy lined up with his approach, and he was able to cover new water while targeting the same style of dock throughout the week. He rotated through a handful of confidence baits, keeping things simple and efficient, but the real key was covering water.
"Without scope, you feel like you need to slow down here to pick things apart and fish an area thoroughly, but that can hurt you too," he added. "I'd find myself fishing too slow, then get back to moving and catch a few more. I think I caught four of the five today on new water. I ran a lot of new water this afternoon. Every fish but one came from new water, and the biggest one came in a good-looking pocket on a piece of wood. That 3.25-pound fish was 100 percent what won the event. This week was all about trusting my gut and not questioning those decisions. What an incredible week out here."
Stop one of the 2026 NPFL League tournament series will take place March 19-21 on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida.
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