Champions Tournament Heads to Final Day With $1.25 Million on the Line

The top 15 anglers at the inaugural World Bass Enterprises The Champions Tournament will fish one last day on Old Hickory Lake near Nashville, Tennessee. The event has the biggest purse in bass fishing history at $3.25 million, and the winner will earn $1.25 million.

The format and the money

Sixty of the world’s best bass anglers, plus two average Joes, fished the first two days. The field was cut to 15 after Day 2, and weights are reset to zero for the final round. The other top four finishers will also win cash, ranging from $100k to $500k.

The first part of the event also included a team contest between MLF anglers (Team Stripes) and BASS anglers (Team Stars). Team Stars won The Champions Cup and bragging rights.

Robertson’s tailrace smallmouth

Kentucky’s Matt Robertson took the early lead on Day 1 with about 20 pounds of smallmouth bass from the tailraces of the Cumberland River below Old Hickory Dam. Second place was Fisher Anya at 15 pounds, 7 ounces. The sources spell that angler’s name Anya and Anaya, so check the official results.

On Day 2 Robertson caught three quality fish quickly, then stopped. Having already secured a place in the final, he chose to protect his spot instead of risking more pressure on the fish. His bass have averaged around 3¾ pounds over two days, and five more of that size could very likely win it for him. First place would triple his career earnings.

A friendly rivalry

Ron Nelson is one of only three anglers to have fished below the dam. He and Robertson have shared a small area, and Nelson has avoided the water where Robertson caught his fish. Robertson even encouraged Nelson to keep fishing until he had a limit. Nelson has mostly used a Ned rig, while Robertson has used a small swimbait on a jighead. Both let the bait drift on semi-slack line around rocks and into eddies. Smallmouth must be at least 18 inches to be kept in Tennessee.

What is working on the main lake

On the main lake, Fisher Anya built his Day 1 bag with a jerkbait and forward-facing sonar. Chris Johnston and Justin Lucas tied for the biggest bass of Day 1, each at 5 pounds, 3 ounces; Johnston’s came on a buzzbait. Vibrating jigs have been popular too, with Takahiro Omori and Zach Birge relying on them. Lipless crankbaits, shallow-running crankbaits, spinnerbaits, urchins and drop shots have also seen action. Big bites have been hard to find, and fall fishing on this reservoir is known to be tough.

Risks on the final day

Tailrace smallmouth can shut down at any time, and the area has been pressured for two days. Anglers fishing the river must also pass through a lock, and barge traffic could delay them past the weigh-in. Field & Stream recalls that Gary Klein was locked out on the Ohio River, which cost him the 1987 Bassmaster Classic. A bag of 15 pounds or more, which the lake has already produced this week, could be enough to win.

Robertson never caught a keeper below the dam in practice, only 16- and 17-inch non-keepers, so the pressure on those fish could catch up with the river anglers. Whatever happens, someone will become a bass fishing millionaire within hours.

Sources: Field & Stream, Major League Fishing