The Bassmaster Elite Series pro hauled in a five-fish limit weighing an impressive 20 pounds Thursday to take the lead after Day 1 of The Champions, a historic tournament pitting 30 Bassmaster anglers against 30 Major League Fishing pros for a record $3.25 million purse and a whopping $1.25 million first-place prize.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTKICK OUTDOORSAnd on a lake that's been downright stingy for much of the field, Robertson made it look almost easy.Matt Robertson prepares to launch on Day 1 of The Champions tournament on Old Hickory Lake.(World Bass Enterprises)"It was a pretty good day.
A little rough, but once we got to where we wanted to go, it happened pretty quick," Robertson told OutKick OutDoors after Thursday's weigh-in."Caught two real quick, and then I started wanting to run around, but I just made myself sit there and grind it out.And yeah, we caught us a little bag today."A little bag, indeed.Robertson's 20-pound haul put him 4 pounds, 9 ounces ahead of second-place Fisher Anaya, who finished Thursday with 15 pounds, 7 ounces.
MLF's Michael Neal sits third at 13-09, followed by Bob Downey (13-07) and Bryant Smith (13-03).Anaya, meanwhile, had to work for his five-fish limit."Oh, it was tough, but it was fun," the Bassmaster rookie told OutKick OutDoors."We caught three big ones, got two babies, but I think it's enough to kind of settle me in for tomorrow, so I ain't got to catch much."But as the anglers hit the water again Friday morning, Thursday's leaderboard offers no guarantees.One of the biggest wild cards heading into Day 2 is the tournament's restriction on forward-facing sonar, commonly known as LiveScope.Anglers can use the technology on either Thursday or Friday, but not both.
That means competitors who relied on their electronics to locate fish on Day 1 must go without them Friday, while those who saved their sonar day could have an advantage.BASS FISHING'S BIGGEST STARS BATTLE FOR RECORD $1.25 MILLION PAYDAY IN HISTORIC NAS...