Matt Robertson overcame a gauntlet of obstacles this past week to win the inaugural WBE The Champions tournament and take home $1.25 million—the biggest prize in professional bass fishing history. He bested 61 other anglers, outmaneuvering and out-fishing them in what turned into a chess-vs.-checkers matchup. Early on, Robertson chose to fish below Old Hickory Dam, and he stuck with that game plan for the duration of the tournament. He caught only two non-keepers below the dam during practice, but knew enough to gamble his entire tournament on that small stretch of water. On the final day, the gutsy call paid off again with a 20-pound, 2-ounce bag, enough to take home the top slot and $1.25 million.
One of Robertson’s biggest challenges throughout the tournament was navigating the lock connecting Old Hickory Lake and the Cumberland River. Even Robertson said he was shocked he could lock down and back all three days without issue. Normally, filling the lock with water to raise a boat to the same level as Old Hickory takes about 30 minutes. Locking down goes a little quicker. All in all, it could take about an hour for the lock to complete one full rotation. And that’s just with a small boat or two. With a barge, it could take much longer. Surprisingly, Robertson locked up and down all six times throughout the event, maximizing his fishing time at his premier spot.
Below the dam, Robertson targeted smallmouth, which must be 18 inches to keep, compared to the 12-inch spotted bass and 14-inch largemouth regulations. In three days of fishing, not a single spot or largemouth was caught below the dam. If you were going to get a bite there, it would be a smallmouth. That meant it had to be a dang good one to keep—and Robertson took advantage of his opportunities. His Day 1 bag (20 pounds even) and Day 3 Bag (20 pounds, 2 ounces) were the two biggest bags of the tournament by far.
The current below Old Hickory Dam was the magic sauce. It positioned the fish on cover and got them to bite. Robertson was fortunate to have moving water below the dam each day, which isn’t always a given. The current shifted dramatically day to day as different turbines fired at different times, but Robertson adjusted and still caught big bronzebacks.
For the armchair quarterback, it probably looked like a no-brainer to fish below the dam this week. But there was a lot to consider, and a half dozen things could have easily gone wrong and ruined Robertson’s run. But the Kentucky native defied the odds, avoided the catastrophes, and came out on top. He adjusted when the current shifted; he waited patiently to lock; he was efficient when he got bit. All of that added up to a handful of quality fish whose tails fell on the right side of the line. The end result was Robertson collecting the biggest purse in bass fishing history. And he did it in dramatic fashion.
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