BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- The National Professional Fishing League is slated to return to Massena September 16-18 next year, bringing with it some of the biggest names in professional bass angling. 

This will be the third consecutive year the league will visit the North Country. 

Massena sport fishing director Don Meissner recently announced the league's decision to return, saying it was a monumental occasion for the community. 

"It isn't just about fishing. It isn't just about Massena. When the NPFL comes to Massena, the entire county benefits. Not everyone stays in Massena when the league comes up because they may not have enough space with so many anglers coming," Meissner recently told town board members. 

He continued, saying the revenue is an economic boost but also provides a national platform to showcase Massena and county. 

NPFL President Brad Fuller also weighed in after announcing the 2027 schedule. 

“Creating a tournament schedule is a challenging task,” said NPFL President Brad Fuller. “Ultimately, our goal is to put our anglers on quality fisheries in outstanding communities and to produce compelling and competitive events for our fans. We’re confident that this schedule does that, and we’re excited about the upcoming season.”

Meissner said the NPFL has a strong history of supporting local charities, nonprofits and civic organizations, along with small businesses. 

"They eat in our restaurants, stay in our hotels and campgrounds. One thing they have done in the past is have a working day when anglers are not on the water but instead in the local community working to support a project," Meissner said. 

Though that plan is in the works, Meissner said no specifics had been announced yet following discussion with NPFL leadership. 

Meissner praised the NPFL for their professionalism at each event, saying Fuller and staff “run a tight ship that brings an amazing product to Massena.” 

“We truly are lucky to have them come to Massena and showcase what the best bass anglers in the world can do,” he said. 

The 2027 schedule will feature six regular season events, along with the fourth annual NPFL Championship. 

Four of the six locations are regular haunts for the NPFL, with two new locations joining the tour.

"In 2025, the NPFL’s stop at the St. Lawrence River out of Massena, New York rewrote the League record book, establishing new top marks for total weight, heaviest average bass, and heaviest average daily catch. In 2026, the NPFL anglers did it again! Those two tournaments were in July. Next year’s event on the world’s greatest smallmouth fishery will be in September. Conditions and fishing patterns will be different, but the bass will still be big and plentiful. For the third year in a row, the St. Lawrence seems a likely candidate to produce the heaviest catches of the year," NPFL officials wrote of Massena.

The NPFL has carved out a significant following in recent years with a schedule that allows anglers to compete in multiple leagues, with the large percentage of anglers coming from the Bassmaster Elite Series. Others compete with Major League Fishing in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and the top division of MLF, the Bass Pro Tour.

Major League Fishing 2026 Angler of the Year Zack Birge won the 2026 NPFL event on the St. Lawrence, leading wire-to-wire to win the $100,000 prize.