Nick Hatfield Lands Breakout Win at 2025 MLF Heavy Hitters on Smith Mountain Lake
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (May 22, 2025) — Heading into the Championship Round of the B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops, Nick Hatfield didn’t expect to hoist the championship belt. After a slow start and barely squeaking into the Top 10 during the Knockout Round, the Tennessee pro was more focused on snagging the $100,000 Berkley Big Bass prize than chasing the overall win.
But Hatfield shocked the field—and himself—by jumping to the lead just five minutes after lines in, never relinquishing his position. He boated 12 scorable bass totaling 42 pounds, 12 ounces, beating veteran pro Justin Lucas by nearly 14 pounds to claim his first Bass Pro Tour victory and a $100,000 payday. He also earned an additional $10,000 for the biggest bass on Day 2 of qualifying.
“To get a win against that group of guys, it means a lot,” Hatfield said. “It just lets me know that I can compete with them… it really helps your confidence.”
From Underdog to Unstoppable
Hatfield’s journey to the win wasn’t typical. On his first day on Smith Mountain Lake, he landed just five bass for 15-1, placing him nearly 10 pounds below the elimination line.
However, that same day revealed the key to his victory: a flat, main-lake point where both largemouth and smallmouth bass were ambushing spawning blueback herring.
“Day 1, I started pretty much where I ended up winning the tournament,” Hatfield explained. “I caught 15 pounds pretty quick and then bailed on it… and I never caught another one the rest of the day.”
Lesson learned. From then on, Hatfield stuck with the productive point and developed a steady pattern.
Strategic Adjustments Deliver Big Results
During Day 2, Hatfield camped on the spot, hauling in nearly 56 pounds on 17 bass and jumping from 11th to 3rd place. He also earned Berkley Big Bass honors with a 5-6 largemouth.
Though most competitors were fishing steep upper-lake banks, Hatfield committed to his flat point bite, even when it slowed during the Knockout Round, where he weighed 41-13.
Championship Round: A Fast Start and Tactical Flurry
While Hatfield planned to try a new location, he saw his original spot unoccupied during the morning ride-around and couldn’t resist.
That instinct paid off. He caught a 3-15 just five minutes in, followed by a 3-9 and a 4-5. After a quick move to a second location, he stacked 13-10 from four fish in five minutes, surging to 25-7 by mid-morning.
Key to his success was an unexpected bait choice: the SPRO Aruku Shad lipless crankbait.
“I wanted something that I could burn really fast,” Hatfield said. “It had to be moving really fast to get them to react… it was kind of surprising they bit it.”
The Waiting Game
Hatfield added a 3-pounder late in Period 1 and four more in Period 2, building a 13-pound lead. But in Period 3, he never got another bite.
“It was the longest 2½ hours of my life,” he said. “I really couldn’t believe it… this lake is good enough that someone can get right in a hurry.”
Yet no one did. Lucas, also targeting herring-eaters, couldn’t close the gap, and Hatfield’s early blitz proved enough.
Sprague Scores $100,000 Big Bass Bonus
Jeff Sprague only landed two scorable bass, but one was a 6-2 giant caught in Period 2 on a bladed jig with a Lake Fork Pro Craw. That fish earned him the $100,000 Berkley Big Bass Bonus, his second career six-figure big bass win.
“She was beat up and beautiful,” said Sprague, who adjusted his strategy by moving from river banks to quieter coves. “We were just super blessed that it did [happen] today when it counted the most.”
Final Results – Top 10 Finishers at Smith Mountain Lake
| Place | Angler | Hometown | Bass | Weight | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Hatfield | Greeneville, Tenn. | 12 | 42-12 | $100,000 |
| 2 | Justin Lucas | Guntersville, Ala. | 8 | 29-0 | $25,000 |
| 3 | Dustin Connell | Clanton, Ala. | 6 | 22-15 | $20,000 |
| 4 | Cole Floyd | Leesburg, Ohio | 5 | 19-14 | $18,000 |
| 5 | Edwin Evers | Talala, Okla. | 4 | 16-10 | $15,000 |
| 6 | Zack Birge | Blanchard, Okla. | 4 | 14-13 | $14,500 |
| 7 | Matt Stefan | Junction City, Wis. | 3 | 11-3 | $13,500 |
| 8 | Drew Gill | Mount Carmel, Ill. | 3 | 10-10 | $12,500 |
| 9 | Jeff Sprague | Wills Point, Texas | 2 | 9-15 | $11,000 |
| 10 | Michael Neal | Dayton, Tenn. | 2 | 6-5 | $8,000 |
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Group A Day 1: Dave Lefebre & Fred Roumbanis (6-7) – $10,000
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Group B Day 1: Justin Lucas & Britt Myers (5-4) – $10,000
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Group A Day 2: Nick Hatfield (5-6) – $10,000
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Group B Day 2: Cole Floyd (6-2) – $10,000
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Knockout Round: Matt Stefan (5-15) – $30,000
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Championship Round: Jeff Sprague (6-2) – $100,000
About the Event
The six-day Heavy Hitters event hosted by Visit Franklin County, Virginia and Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge featured the top 30 pros from the Bass Pro Tour competing for massive daily big bass bonuses and a $100,000 grand prize.
A total of 49 scorable bass weighing 184 pounds, 1 ounce were caught during Thursday’s Championship Round, including:
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1 six-pounder
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1 five-pounder
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12 four-pounders
TV coverage begins July 19 at 7 a.m. ET on Discovery, with new episodes each Saturday (except during Shark Week) through August 30, plus replays on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
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