The biggest names in professional bass fishing have descended on Middle Tennessee for the inaugural The Champions tournament, where a record $3.25 million purse is up for grabs on Old Hickory Lake.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTKICK OUTDOORSBut this isn't just about the money.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.The Champions will award trophies for both the overall winner and the winning team.(Amber Harding Snyder)For the first time ever, 30 of the top anglers from the Bassmaster Elite Series will go head-to-head with 30 of Major League Fishing's (MLF) Bass Pro Tour stars in a tournament designed to settle one of the sport's biggest debates: Who's really the best?And according to MLF superstar Jacob Wheeler, winning this one would mean more than just about anything else he's accomplished in his decorated career."It would have to be number one," Wheeler told OutKick OutDoors during Wednesday's Media Day in Nashville."This is like in football, you have an AFC championship and an NFC championship, and basically we never compete against the other league, right?" he explained.
"So now for us to come together and compete under one roof, one tournament here in Nashville ...it would have the most meaning.""The money's one thing, and that's great, but it's the meaning of being the best for that year."The competition begins Thursday at 7:30 a.m.
CT, with the anglers divided into Team Stars (Bassmaster) and Team Stripes (MLF).They'll compete for team bragging rights over the first two days, with the top 15 individual anglers advancing to Saturday's championship round.
Weights will reset for the final day, when one angler will walk away with the biggest first-place payout in bass fishing history.The Champions offers the largest purse in bass fishing history.(Amber Harding Snyder)And just to ...