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The National Professional Fishing League crowned the first champion of its 2024 season on Feb. 3 as the year’s first competition ended and the first of a three-year partnership with the cities of Oxford and Lincoln had a successful beginning.

Anglers spent a full week here with two days of practice runs, a day of outreach to seniors and students, and three days of competition on Logan Martin Lake.

Will Harkins of Blairsville, Georgia, hooked the first-place prize of $100,000 after bringing in 15 fish for a total of 47.9 pounds during the three-day competition.

Anglers began their mornings launching from Lincoln’s Landing and ended their days weighing in at A League of Our Own field at the Oxford Civic Center, with all the action and ceremonies being live-streamed to a worldwide audience by the NPFL.

As viewers were able to watch the anglers cast their rods, they also heard many of them, as well as commentators based in the studio, praise the choice of Oxford and Lincoln as one of the stops for the league.

“This is a great, great town here,” proclaimed NPFL host “Big Ed” McCulloch as he brought Mayor Alton Craft to the stage as the final day drew to a close. “We have definitely built a love and relationship with this town and will be back. We appreciate the hospitality. You rolled out the red carpet, and we really appreciate it.”