Stars Beat Stripes at the Inaugural WEB Championship Tournament on Old Hickory Lake

 

The Stripes, the top 25 anglers from the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series beat the top 25 from Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour for head-to-head competition.

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Matt Roberston Wins World Bass Enterprises The Champions 2026 on Old Hickory Lake!

Congratulations to Matt Robertson on winning the WEB Champions Tournament on Old Hickory Lake in dominant fashion. His approach was fishing the tailwater below the dam for smallmouth. Current changes, an 18-inch minimum for smallmouth and Championship Saturday's zeroing of weights didn't damper Matt's ability to shine. He produced 20-02lbs on Saturday to win the riches payout in professional fishing ever. 

Pake South, claimed second and Wesley Strader third. For more tournament information link over here. 

 

World Bass Enterprises The Champions 2026 on Old Hickory Lake Day 1: Matt Roberston Scores 20lbs!

BASS Elite Angler Matt Robertson only one to secure 20lb limit!

Luigi De Rose, IBASSIN.com

Nashville, Tenn. USA, 

World Bass Enterprises spent the last year creating the most lucrative payout in professional bass fishing of all time. This event will help answers the question most bass fans wonder, “Which tour has the best anglers: Bassmaster Elites or MLF Bass Pro?

This tournament marks the first time since 2016 that top finishers from the AOY standings of the two leading trails are facing off in a unification style event. An added feature is that two “average Joe” anglers have been invited through a lottery to fish against their heroes.

Four days at Old Hickory Lake with $3.25 million on the line, won't come easy. Late autumn has the fishing challenging. Another limitation is the 18 inch minimum length for smallmouth adding another level of difficulty to the event as Old Hickory does have a decent population of smallmouth but most are smaller than the legal length. 

The 62-man field will be reduced to 15 after Friday and the weights will be zeroed for the final round on Saturday when the remaining anglers will fish for the richest purse in the history of the sport.

LEADERBOARD BELOW

The Champions five-day world championship starts October 28th!

 

Nashville is set to host one of the richest events in professional bass fishing this fall. The Champions, a five-day world championship, will take place October 28 through November 1, 2026, on Old Hickory Lake at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville. Organizers have put up $3.25 million in total prize money, with the winner expected to take home roughly $1.25 million — billed as the largest single payout in the sport's history. The event pairs three days of elite competition with a multi-day fan festival, live music, and a large-scale expo.

The field will be loaded. The Champions brings 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 competition, with media day and expo activities planned at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. The format centers on three competition days at Sanders Ferry Park, wrapped in family programming and live entertainment tied to the daily weigh-ins.

Ethan Fields Wins 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend presented by Bass Pro Shops

With a three-day total of 73 pounds, 3 ounces, Ethan Fields wins the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend presented by Bass Pro Shops! 

(Photo: BASS)

David A Brown, BASS Press Release

MANY, La. — Ethan Fields came to the dock convinced he had blown it. An hour later, he was holding the first-place trophy at the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend Reservoir presented by Bass Pro Shops. 

Following two consistent days with limits of 28 pounds, 2 ounces and 27-4, which put him in fourth place, then first, the pro from Carlyle, Ill., entered Championship Friday with a 3-6 lead. 

After two days of showing off its impressive quality and quantity, Day 3 saw Toledo Bend feeling the full effects of a lake turnover that started with a pre-event cold front. With the fish clearly having a bad hair day, Fields managed only 17-13, but that was enough to tally a winning total of 73-3, that edged Buddy Benson of Dahlonega, Ga., by 2-7.

For his efforts, Fields won the $71,317 top prize. He also received an invitation to fish the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, March 19-21 at Lake Hartwell.

“I was confident that I didn’t have it; 17 pounds on this lake — there’s no way,” Fields said of his unexpected win. “My family left at 4 in the morning and drove down. This is so special. I can’t believe it.

“With these guys in the Top 10, I thought there was no way I could keep up with them. I don’t know what to say, this is so incredible.”

2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend presented by Bass Pro Shops Day 2: Ethan Fields Takes Lead!

With a two-day total of 55 pounds, 6 ounces, Ethan Fields moves into the Day 2 lead at the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend presented by Bass Pro Shops! 

David A. Brown

BASS Press Release

MANY, La. — On a day that seemed to defy consistency, Ethan Fields stayed on pace and moved atop the Day 2 leaderboard in the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend Reservoir presented by Bass Pro Shops.

While many of the first day’s top performers struggled to reconnect with their first-round quality, the pro from Carlyle, Ill., backed up his opening limit of 28 pounds, 2 ounces with a Day 2 sack that went 27-4. With a two-day total of 55-6, Fields rose from fourth place to the top spot.

“I felt so calm today, which is kinda weird, because I was thinking about how I needed to back up yesterday,” Fields said. “This morning, I felt a little jittery but once I got to my area, I was calm and steady.”

Heading into Championship Friday with a lead of 3-6 over Riley Harris, Fields said his second day actually delivered a steadier flow than his first.

“Yesterday, it was a really slow morning and the afternoon was when it really turned on,” Fields said. “Today, I’d say it was a bite every hour, so I kinda pieced it together one by one. I never had any big flurries.”

Fields has done all of his work in a creek at the lake’s lower end. Clearly, his area fits the criteria for big bass making their fall transition and chasing bait schools.

“The first day of practice, I had 25 pounds in that creek; I didn’t go there the second day, but I went back to check it the last day of practice and had 32,” Fields said. “I had 28 yesterday and 27 today, so it’s a good spot.

2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend presented by Bass Pro Shops Day 1: Luke Palmer Leads!

Luke Palmer takes the Day 1 lead at the 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend presented by Bass Pro Shops with a whopping 32 pounds, 14 ounces! 

David A. Brown

BASS Press Release

MANY, La. — Luke Palmer admitted he did not carry much optimism onto Toledo Bend Reservoir and his morning’s disappointing start deepened the despair. Thankfully, Palmer’s perseverance was rewarded with a massive limit of 32 pounds, 14 ounces that leads Day 1 of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend Reservoir presented by Bass Pro Shops.

Clearly demonstrating why it’s consistently ranked among the nation’s top lakes, this Sabine River impoundment kicked out 29 limits over 20 pounds, 10 of which broke 25, including a trio of “Dirty 30s.” Heading into Day 2 with a 2-4 lead over Riley Harris, Palmer said he’s elated with the contrast between his practice and the tournament.

“My practice was horrendous; I was almost ready to pack up and head back home,” said the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Coalgate, Okla. “You never know with fishing. It changes every day and I just made the right moves today.

“I had some offshore stuff and they showed up. It was fun.”

Noting that his day’s final tally belied a round of early frustration, Palmer said his fortune changed at just the right moment.

“It was a struggle,” he said of his morning’s start. “It looks good on paper, but I lost my first three fish this morning and I was very frustrated.

“I caught a 7-pounder not too long after that and got the ball rolling. That was my first fish and I was just tickled to death to have her in the box. Everything I did today just went right.”

Palmer did his work in the lake’s lower end. He was mostly looking for bass that were following bait schools and he found good numbers of quality fish spread throughout his target zone.

“After that 7, I caught some 3-pounders with it, then I’d go a little farther and I caught a 6, then I went a little farther, and I caught another 6,” he said. “It was very random, but there’s a lot of fish there.

“There might not be (anything) there tomorrow. It’s one of those iffy things, but I have a few areas where I think I can at least go scrounge out a limit if I need to just to make the Top 10.”

Daiwa's XBRAID FULLDRAG X9 Expands!

 Premier 9-carrier architecture of XBRAID FULLDRAG X9 transitions from a specialized, metered braid to the ultimate all-purpose line

Last year, Japan’s legendary 9-strand line technology hit the market and immediately altered the high-end braid category. Built by craftsmen with a lineage tracing back to 1945, this advanced architecture gives serious anglers a weapon that stubbornly refuses to flatten under the most extreme loads.

While the original five-color metered version was a masterclass in depth tracking for deep jigging, trolling, and long-lining, the response from the angling community was immediate: We need FULLDRAG X9 for every style of fishing.

That demand has now been answered with the introduction of a requested, low-visibility solid: XBRAID FULLDRAG X9 in Marsh Green.

This new offering transitions the industry's most advanced 9-carrier configuration from a specialized deep-water and big-game tool into a premier crossover braid. This solid profile delivers maximum performance to every fishery. Bass anglers can punch heavy mats and skip docks with confidence. Inshore specialists can grind redfish out of shallow grass flats. Northwoods musky hunters get the absolute line integrity they demand. 

The planet's most advanced round-profile braid is now built for every scenario.

The Structural Reality Of Standard Braids

The average braided line is subjected to intense physics forces on the water. Under repeated heavy casting or the sustained pressure of a hard fight with big fish, standard configurations can flatten over time.

When a braid loses its round profile, it fundamentally changes how the line behaves. The line can fail to lay as smoothly or evenly on the reel spool, creating weak spots that encourage fraying. Friction increases dramatically as the flattened surface area rubs against rod guides and blanks during a cast. This increased friction ultimately restricts casting distance, robs the angler of accuracy, and creates excessive, scratchy noise through the guides. 

ZMan's Finesse Chatterbait

 Z-Man® Unveils Premium, Micro-Sized Bladed Jig 

Several years of testing with renowned Bait Finesse System (BFS) enthusiast Jimmy Ly helped refine the bait’s final form, but the focus of the design is simple: deliver reliable ChatterBait action in a smaller, more responsive package that excels with panfish, trout, bass, and other BFS and ultralight‑tackle targets.

"I began working on this project with Z-Man when I sat down with them at ICAST in 2023," said Ly. "The following fall, they sent me some new prototypes to test. We went through several iterations and changes and eventually landed on this model."

Micro Size, Major Performance The Micro Finesse ChatterBait bladed jig is built around a custom needlepoint black‑nickel hook that delivers the strength and sharpness most micro‑sized baits lack. A stamped stainless‑steel bait keeper with two sharp keeper points makes rigging simple, even with ElaZtech superplastics, and grips trailers firmly so they stay put through repeated strikes and multiple fish catches. Its compact stainless‑steel ChatterBlade® connects directly to the head and engages the moment the retrieve begins, producing immediate vibration without the need to pop the rod or accelerate the reel. The result is a small‑profile bladed jig that thumps hard, responds quickly, and appeals to everything from bluegill and crappie to stocked trout and pond bass. "It doesn't foul up on the retrieve, it begins working the second you start retrieving it, and most importantly, it gets bites," said Ly. "Anything under the sun, really. Trout, all sunfish species, bass, perch. Whatever you'd like to catch, this lure will do it."