- Start
- Oct 29, 202675% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
- End
- Oct 31, 202675% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
The Champions: Bass Fishing's $1.25 Million Final Is Fished on Old Hickory Lake
- World Bass Enterprises' first The Champions tournament brings 60 anglers from the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and MLF's Bass Pro Tour to Old Hickory Lake, with three competition days inside a 28 October - 1 November Champions week in Nashville[1]
- The total purse is $3.25 million; the $1.25 million first prize is billed as the biggest ever paid to the winner of a bass tournament, with $500,000 for second and $300,000 for third[1][4]
- Competition runs 29-31 October: two days of five-fish cumulative weights, a cut to 15, then weights zeroed for a one-day final[2][3]
- The tournament is hosted at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville; media day, opening ceremonies and the Official Expo are at Gaylord Opryland Resort, and a pro-am follows on Percy Priest Lake on 1 November[4]
- Founder and CEO Brian Bird announced the event on 3 February 2026 as a way to crown a world champion by putting the two biggest tours on the same lake[4]
References 479% CONFIDENCE
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]75%worldbassenterprises.comworldbassenterprises.com· Posted Sep 27, 2026· Starts Oct 29, 2026 ✓· Ends Oct 31, 2026 ✓· 30% of score
World Bass Enterprises: 'NASHVILLE | OCT 28 – NOV 1 | 2026 ... 60 anglers · 3 competition days · Old Hickory Lake · $3.25M purse'; MLF: Old Hickory Lake 'will host World Bass Enterprises' The Champions event Oct. 29-31'.
- [2]85%Thrift brings stout end-of-season track record to The Championsmajorleaguefishing.com· Published Sep 22, 2026· 29% of score
MLF, 22 September 2026: Old Hickory Lake 'will host World Bass Enterprises[1]' The Champions event Oct. 29-31'; 62 anglers, 30 from the Bass Pro Tour, compete for the $1.25 million top prize and a $3.25 million total purse, with Champions week events at Gaylord Opryland.
- [3]75%DeFoe keeping all options open for The Champions at Old Hickorymajorleaguefishing.com· Published Sep 14, 2026· 28% of score
Format: the full field fishes two days in a five-fish cumulative format, the top 15 make the cut, weights zero and a one-day shootout decides the $1.25 million top prize.[1]
- [4]80%World Bass Enterprises Unveils "The Champions" Tournament Featuring Top 50 Anglers and Record-Setting $3 Million Purseprnewswire.com· Published Feb 3, 2026· 12% of score
The launch release: a five-day event with three days of competition on Old Hickory Lake at Sanders Ferry Park, Hendersonville, 28 Oct - 1 Nov; $1.25 million to the winner, $500,000 and $300,000 for second and third; media day, opening ceremonies and the expo at Gaylord Opryland; a pro-am on Percy Priest Lake on 1 November.[1]
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