Can Hank Cherry kick off his 2026 NPFL season the identical manner he did the 2026 Bassmaster Elites?
LINCOLNTON, SC (February 25, 2026) – The 2026 Nationwide Skilled Fishing League Championship begins tomorrow on Northern Alabama’s Lewis-Smith Lake, the place the highest 42 angler’s from the League’s 2025 marketing campaign are set to compete for $250,000.
Hank Cherry, winner of the primary 2026 Bassmaster Elite occasion at Lake Guntersville simply three weeks in the past, is a type of anglers. Cherry completed twelfth within the 2025 NPFL AOY factors race to qualify for The League Championship.
“I form of like that place,” Cherry says of the deep, ultra-clear Smith Lake. “I’ve been trying ahead to getting again to a different good noticed bass fishery.”
The back-to-back 2020 and 2021 Bassmaster Basic champion acquired a number of consideration for his latest win at Lake Guntersville, the place he threw a 1/8-ounce curlytail grub in nontypical climate circumstances to finest the Elite discipline. Loads has been mentioned and written in regards to the bait, however not about the way in which Cherry was fishing it.
“I used to be throwing the 1/8-ounce and three/16-ounce jig-and-grub combos on ten-pound Zhing fluorocarbon and the high-speed 8.1:1 SEVIIN GS Casting reel,” says Cherry, who credit the GS’s gearing and excessive casting adjustability as integral to his successful presentation.
“The spool tensioner, magnetic brake, and centrifugal brake on that reel present three factors of adjustability, so determining the best way to throw that gentle bait on the GS actually wasn’t too tough,” Cherry says. “It’s an especially easy and free reel to start with due to the premium-quality Japanese bearings on the spool shaft. And there’s a lot micro-adjustability on the spool tensioner as effectively… much more than I’ve seen and it truly clicks whenever you modify it which supplies you a extremely sturdy thought of the place you’re at.”
Cherry says individuals could also be shocked at the place he had the reel’s centrifugal brake set. “I truly had the centrifugal brake beneath the aspect plate set on 3, which is among the greater settings,” Cherry reviews. “From there, I simply let off on the magnetic brake and that spool rigidity as a lot as I may. It was simple to seek out the candy spot the place I may simply whip that factor so far as I may with no overrun. I’m studying that specific reel simply actually works effectively for that method. Identical with squarebills, jerkbaits and different gentle lures… and I can simply sluggish it down once I have to toss stuff heavy.”
Cherry says pace was the opposite issue. “The GS is available in three speeds, and I wanted the quick one (8.1:1) with that grub presentation,” he says. “I might swim the grub, pause it, and let it fall, then decide up the slack. That’s the place I wanted the pace, as a result of 9 occasions out of ten, they’d chunk it on that cease or that little fall. After I felt that little tick on the autumn, I wanted to have the ability to take the road up quick and simply form of lay into the rod with out knocking slack into the road with any form of violent rod or deal with jerks. It was slick.”
The decision on whether or not Cherry’s grub will play at this weekend’s NPFL Championship isn’t in, however bass followers ought to anticipate Cherry to be within the hunt on Smith Lake for different causes. Put merely, Cherry has fought by way of the accidents which have held him again from being his finest over the previous few years.
“I needed to have my elbow repaired two years in the past. I had torn ligaments, in order that took a while to get wholesome,” he says. “Then final yr I had carpal tunnel with some arthritis in each fingers. I had one surgical procedure in late October and one other in December. I simply needed to work on them and get them stronger thus far to have the ability to fish. They had been very tender. Anyone that’s had that form of surgical procedure… it’s not likely that invasive, but it surely’s very, very tedious. There’s a number of bizarre ache and a number of scar tissue that it’s a must to bust by way of to have the ability to use your fingers. However quick ahead to the place I’m at now… I might say my left hand is at 90% and my proper hand is about 75%. Each of them are twice pretty much as good as they had been final yr, and I’m persevering with to work onerous in rehab so that they’ll proceed to enhance.”
Cherry opens up on the psychological impacts of such bodily limitations and challenges. “Simply, with every part that transpired, simply understanding that I couldn’t do my job successfully… as onerous because it was bodily, it was equally onerous on the psychological stage,” he says. To must constantly battle by way of ache… similar to another athlete, typically you simply get slightly upset when you possibly can’t do the belongings you completely have to do. I’m glad the surgical procedures are behind me and I’ve clearly needed to change issues slightly bit, on the highway and at residence. However I’m again and I’m grateful. I’ve been within the health club a bunch, too, which has helped. I’m off and working and looking out ahead to successful as many Bassmaster Elite and NPFL occasions as I can.”
After this weekend’s NPFL Championship, Cherry will probably be on the Bassmaster Basic for a day, spending time with followers on Friday March 13. “Then we’re off to the Harris Chain in Florida for the NPFL Cease One, which I’m trying ahead to,” Cherry says. “I’m very keen on that place. That’ll be so much flipping and perhaps some web site fishing. From there we go to a different Bassmaster Elite occasion, which is on the Tom Bigby waterway in Columbus, Mississippi. It’ll be getting again to my roots, river fishing. So, the following a number of occasions must be actually enjoyable. They’re all just about no forward-facing sonar, and I’m simply seeking to hopefully get one other win or two someplace alongside the way in which. I’m extremely grateful to be feeling wholesome once more, and for all of the assist I’ve acquired from my followers and my sponsors.”
Comply with Hank by way of his web site, Fb, and Instagram pages.
Comply with all of the motion at this weekend’s NPFL Championship at thenationalprofessionalfishingleague.com.
About SEVIIN ReelsWherever and nonetheless you fish, the reel in your hand ought to assist create higher experiences. Born from St. Croix Rod’s seven a long time of design and manufacturing experience, industry-leading customer support, and unbroken personal possession by the Schluter household relationship again to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to assist anglers conquer each species on every bit of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels solely, designing and advertising merchandise that enhance the angling expertise, whatever the rods anglers select. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days per week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed solely by our passionate want to ship probably the most dependable reels on the water. The St. Croix Household of Manufacturers consists of St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and RodGeeks.
