Nashville is reeling in one of the biggest paydays in professional bass fishing this fall, as The Champions – a five-day world championship – drops anchor Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, 2026, on Old Hickory Lake at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville. Organizers are putting $3.25 million in prize money on the table and say the winner will walk away with roughly $1.25 million, which they are billing as the largest single payout in bass fishing history. The tournament will mix three days of elite on-the-water competition with a multi-day fan festival, live music, and a large-scale expo.
The field will be stacked. The Champions is set to bring together the top 25 anglers from the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and the top 25 from Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour for head-to-head battles, with media day and expo activations planned at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. As reported by WSMV, the tournament format features three competition days wrapped in family programming and live entertainment tied to weigh-ins at Sanders Ferry Park.
World Bass Enterprises has tapped local partners Go West Creative and Cumberland Hospitality Group to run production and on-water logistics, with Excel Sports Management in the executive producer role. In coverage from The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, WBE founder Brian Bird said, “We’re excited to partner with local experts Go West Creative and CHG…[they] will make ‘The Champions’ a truly world-class and unforgettable event.”…