Record-Breaking Victory at Santee Cooper Lakes
Coming into the Strike King NPFL Stop One at Santee Cooper Lakes, expectations suggested that a total of 75 pounds would be enough to secure victory. However, Lakes Marion and Moultrie had other plans, producing massive bass throughout the event. Oklahoma’s Jason Christie defied the odds, setting a new NPFL three-day weight record of 82 pounds, 12 ounces, surging from sixth place after Day Two to claim his first NPFL Shield and a $100,000 prize.
A Nail-Biting Finish
As the top ten competitors lined up for weigh-in, Caleb Kuphall briefly took the lead, setting a new three-day weight record. However, his reign was short-lived. Christie’s final-day bag came in at an astonishing 32 pounds, 5 ounces, securing his place in the hot seat. Meanwhile, Day Two leader Corey Casey faced his toughest outing, managing just 15 pounds, 5 ounces. Despite tying Kuphall in total weight, Casey finished second due to the tiebreaker rule.
Several trophy-sized bass were landed over the weekend, with Harmon Davis claiming Big Bass honors for his 10-pound, 9-ounce lunker caught on Day One. Twenty-three anglers broke the 20-pound mark on Championship Sunday, including North Carolina’s Josh Hooks, who climbed to 40th place with his best bag of the week, securing the final paycheck.
Christie’s Incredible Comeback
Two “dirty thirty” bags were all Jason Christie needed to erase a slow Day Two and charge to victory. Sticking to his strengths, the Oklahoma pro relied on a BOOYAH Covert Spinnerbait to dominate Santee Cooper. He kicked off the tournament with 31 pounds, 6 ounces on Day One, followed by 19 pounds, 1 ounce on Day Two, before surging back with a massive 32-pound, 5-ounce bag on Championship Sunday—the biggest limit of the event.
Throughout the tournament, Christie targeted cypress trees in Lake Marion’s “Brickyard” area. He focused on isolated trees in 2 to 5 feet of water, searching for cooler temperatures to keep the bass in a pre-spawn pattern.
“Throughout practice and during the tournament, I looked for the coolest water in the area because I didn’t want my fish to leave and try to spawn,” Christie explained. “Some parts of the lake were further along, but where I was fishing, the cooler water kept them in position.”
Fishing just north of Eutaw Springs, Christie slow-rolled a ½-ounce BOOYAH Covert Single Colorado Blade spinnerbait, alternating between chartreuse/white/blue and chartreuse/white color patterns.
“I opted to fish the NPFL this season because I wanted to fish more,” Christie said on stage. “When I’m back home in Oklahoma, I don’t fish a whole lot, so this keeps me focused and hungry. Anytime you can get a victory, it’s special. You never know when it’s going to be the last one.”
Corey Casey’s Hard-Fought Second-Place Finish
After improving his weight each day, local angler Corey Casey ran into trouble on Championship Sunday. He started strong with 27 pounds, 3 ounces on Day One, then made a strategic adjustment to land 30 pounds, 4 ounces on Day Two. However, on the final day, changing conditions forced him to scramble, and he could only manage 15 pounds, 9 ounces, dropping him to second place.
On Day Two, strong winds forced Casey to leave his primary area and move to a protected deep weed point. He was surprised to find quality fish staging to spawn, quickly assembling a 30-pound bag.
“I wanted to jump around and hit a few places where I could actually fish,” said Casey. “The first spot I got to had them. It was a one-cast spot, and that cast was producing 30 pounds—I definitely didn’t expect that.”
However, Casey knew that returning to the same spot on Day Three was a gamble. His gut feeling proved correct, as he landed no keepers and had to adapt. Working his way back down the lake, he jumped between spots, slowly assembling a small limit. In a final burst of action, he landed his entire Day Three bag in short order.
“I salvaged the day,” Casey added. “Honestly, it’s nice to lose by almost ten pounds rather than making it close. Even if Christie hadn’t caught a big one late, he still would have edged me out. It was a phenomenal week, and to start the season like this at home is incredible.”
For Casey, competing at this level on his home waters is both a personal achievement and a testament to his experience as a full-time guide on Santee Cooper.
“I’m a guide on Santee Cooper—Corey Casey Guide Service—and this is my second year doing it,” he concluded. “I also have to thank my local sponsors: Arrow Fencing LLC, Atlantis Heating & Air, Diamond Decorative Coatings, Kennedy’s Grading, Excavation & Materials, New Haven Construction LLC, Phantom Outdoors – Tournament Grade Fishing Apparel, Riverland Services – Tree and Land Management, and Rodney Wrenn – Custom Wood Framed Metal Buildings.”
Top ten:
Jason Christie 82-12
Corey Casey 73-0
Caleb Kuphall 73-0
Bill Lowen 71-12
Hank Cherry 71-3
Patrick Walters 71-0
Keith Bardolf 68-12
Greg Hackney 67-13
Buck Mallory 67-12
Buddy Gross 67-4
ABOUT NPFL
The National Professional Fishing League NPFL was designed to bring simplicity back to professional bass fishing. One lake, 120 anglers, and three days of fishing with the heaviest combined three-day weight winning. The full field will compete all three days with one in three anglers getting paid at each event. The goal of the NPFL is to put the anglers first and build a trail that gets back to what the founders of bass fishing intended it to be.
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