Top Anglers Expected at $3.2M Bass Championship

The Champions, a new bass-fishing tournament hosted by World Bass Enterprises, will bring leading anglers from the Bassmaster Elite Series and Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour to Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville from Oct. 29–31. The event is billed as the first competition to bring the two circuits head-to-head and offers a record $3.2 million purse, including a $1.25 million first-place prize. Organizers are pairing the fishing with a fall festival, live music, an outdoor expo and other activities, and say they hope to make the event annual. They anticipate tens of thousands of visitors and estimate the tournament and associated events could generate $60 million to $70 million in regional economic impact.