South Carolina pro seals the deal on Showdown Saturday at Smith Lake, capturing the Championship trophy and $100,000 payday.

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.

“First off, what a week,” he said. “I just went back out today and knew I was going to have to mix things up again. I tried to catch them where I caught the big bag yesterday, but it was a dead zone. I had to keep moving and just fish until I learned what was going on.”

The magical Day Two might have seemed random, but it was anything but. Walters located the “prime-looking” bank in practice and even kept it honest on Day One with no success. But when Thursday night rains flowed into Smith Lake on Day Two, the fish repositioned.

“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,” he said. “I got them cranking a bit and pitching a Pulse Fish jig around and caught that big bag there. But as quick as it happened, it stopped.”

He spent part of the final day checking that area but quickly realized he would have to keep moving to hold on for the win. Aside from another pocket that “just looked so good,” most of his final-day limit came from new water.

“I had one place I fished all three days, and I could have easily scrapped it,” he said. “I pulled in there today — I hadn’t caught a fish on a wacky rig all week — but I fired one up to a piece of wood and caught my biggest fish today, about a 3.25. That was really what won this event. I truly had to adapt every day. The good thing about Smith is there are fish everywhere, but not all of them are willing to bite.”

Walters made much of his hay fishing shallow docks. For whatever reason, that 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 and not overthinking it. One detail he stayed committed to was constantly reapplying BaitFuel to keep his presentations smelling right and giving fish every reason to hold on just a little longer.

“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 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.”

 Welcher Falls Just Short

Alabama angler Kyle Welcher entered the event knowing the tournament was going to be nothing like practice. With changing conditions and weather playing a major role, he understood early that the week would be about adjusting on the fly. He did just that, opening in third place with 15-6 on Day One and backing it up with 14-0 on Day Two to stay firmly in contention.

On the final day, Welcher put together another solid limit but lacked the big bite needed to overcome Patrick Walters’ massive Day Two surge. He did what he so often does — stay steady, make smart adjustments, and keep himself in contention. His three-day total was enough for a runner-up finish, capping off a strong week in his home state.

Welcher mixed it up, rotating between a jig, crankbait, bladed jig, and various Rapala plastics to cover water and target different pieces of structure as conditions shifted and fish repositioned.

“It was one of those weeks where you just had to adjust every day,” Welcher said. “I felt like I did a good job staying around the right fish, but I just couldn’t get a bigger bite today. Still, it was a good event.”

Top Ten Anglers:

Patrick Walters 44-11

Kyle Welcher 42-11

John Cox 40-8

Todd Auten 40-3

Hank Cherry 40-2

Derek Lehtonen 39-7

Jason Williamson 39-6

Bill Lowen 39-2

Shane Lehew 38-0

Kevin Rogers 37-8