Matt Robertson Wins Record $1.25 Million at Old Hickory Lake Event

Matt Robertson of Kuttawa, Kentucky, won $1.25 million on Saturday by taking the first World Bass Enterprises (WBE) tournament called The Champions, held on Old Hickory Lake near Hendersonville, Tennessee. WBE describes the check as the largest first-place payout in the history of bass fishing.

How the final day played out

Robertson brought five bass to the scales in the championship round, weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces. That was far ahead of the rest of the final field. Pake South finished second with four bass totaling 13 pounds, 7 ounces and earned $500,000. Wesley Strader was third with 11 pounds, 2 ounces and took home $300,000. His event started with a 20-pound limit on Day 1.

Top five in the championship round

• 1. Matt Robertson, 20 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,250,000
• 2. Pake South, 13 pounds, 7 ounces, $500,000
• 3. Wesley Strader, 11 pounds, 2 ounces, $300,000
• 4. Trey McKinney, 11 pounds, $200,000
• 5. Michael Neal, 10 pounds, 10 ounces, $100,000

These weights count only the championship round, not the earlier days of competition.

Format and field

The event carried a $3.25 million purse. It brought together 60 professional anglers and two entrants billed as “Average Joe” competitors. Three days of fishing cut the field to 15 anglers for Saturday’s final. The Champions also included a team element, The Champions Cup, which Team Stars won. Team Stars put 10 anglers into the final, compared with five for Team Stripes.

Why it matters for anglers

Prize money at this level is a headline in itself, but the result also shows how much a single day can swing a tournament. Robertson’s five fish outweighed the second-place bag by more than six pounds, even though South’s bag was one fish lighter. For readers who follow competitive bass fishing, the event is a sign that a new organization is willing to pay at a scale not seen before. For weekend anglers, the practical takeaway is simpler: the numbers come from a tournament release, and they describe a professional contest, not what an ordinary day on the water looks like.

What we still do not know

The source is WBE’s own official tournament release, and the amounts and the “largest payout” claim come from the organizer. The release does not say which lures or techniques Robertson used, or whether The Champions will return next year. Readers who want standings and further tournament details can look to the World Bass Enterprises website.

Source: Anglers Channel