World Bass Enterprises is hosting a 4day tournament this fall with the top 25 from both MLF and BASS to complete for a 1.25 million dollar payout for the winner. What are your thoughts? Is this exactly what pro fishing needs? Is it unnecessary glitz and glamour? Personally I think this is a great thing and I would like to see more of this!

More details: https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/WBE-Champions-2326.html

should be a fun watch. Looks like a best 5 fish with a cut to 15 anglers after the second day. Not sure the full rules (FFS and whatnot) but putting the best of the best all together is never a bad thing.

I'm curious who is paying for it. That's a lot of sponsorship dollars going into the purse but I don't see a sponsors list.

This is certainly interesting. I like that its being held on a lake that isn't super popular and over fished by professionals like this. They will have to find their own spots and think on their toes.

Anybody wanna take bets on where Jacob wheeler finishes? I'll give ya good odds! 😂😂😂

These are always total flops for me

It’s like the AFL vs. the NFL in the 60’s.

It’s a PGA -vs- LIV event (which will never happen)

I’m for it, could be an exciting (as exciting as bass fishing can be) event. One and a quarter mil for the winner is a lot of incentive!

@IYAOYAS what odds you giving? I might have to take some of your action 😉

Should be a fun tournament to be involved in. Who wouldn’t want to fish in a tournament with a payout like that..

Should be super fun to watch. Best of the best facing each other.

We put in for tickets! Might just need a nice camping trip about then.

Given the way things are going, the prize money should be in an escrow account.

I think it is going to be a great event. It should be a great watch. It is going to be televised in its' entirety on MLF, Bassmaster, and the WBE site on YouTube, as well as select parts shown on FS1 and maybe ESPN. It will be held on a "river system" lake, but I can't remember the name of the lake right now. The money IS already set in an escrow account from what I have read. To me it is a dream contest...the best against the best from both major organizations. I was doing some dreaming about what I would like to see for the final showdown....and I came up with this: I would love to see a final where Ott DeFoe (excellent river rat type fisherman who excels with a crankbait/jerkbait, a Texas Rig, a Carolina Rig, and other "old school" presentations) in a shoot out against Keith Pocuche doing his "off the grid" style fishing. It would be a lot of fun watching the contrasting styles fighting it out for the win. I have read that the WBE is setting the rules up with extra safe guards to prevent Keith from doing anything sketchy, with extra carefully defined out of bounds and off limit rules...and a "call the tournament director" specified for any possible question. Failing to do so would lead to an immediate disqualification, and possible banning from any future event like this. They are also setting each boat up with multiple GPS trackers (yes, TRACKERS plural) that would signal the director if any boat ventures into or very close to an out of bounds area (note that just entering an out of bounds area would not necessarily get an angler disqualified as long as he did not FISH the area...reasons for entering the area that would be allowed would be to take shelter, or to park while getting a repair done, and a few other things), and they will be flying between 50 and 100 drones to aid with enforcement and filming. With 1.5 million on the line for the winner, the strict rules and enforcement, I doubt that even Keith would take a chance on getting disqualified from this tournament. But no matter what happens, it should be a great show. I believe the complete list of rules, qualifications, and prizes are listed on YouTube on the WBE site. It is an invitational tournament, but to be invited you have to be in the top 25 of the angle of the year race (in each organization) or must have won a Tournament in the Elites or the MLF Bass Pro series....but a win in something like an somewhat lowered level tournament or similar level tournament in MLF would also be heavily considered by the WBE if the angler also had good results in their organization even if they didn't make the top 25. So far at least 125 anglers have signed letters of intent to fish the tournament if invited. I am really looking forward to this tournament.

@Kirtley Howe , it is on old Hickory Lake on the Cumberland River. Historically, it is tough fishing.

I guess I'll have to make the 1 mile drive down to Old Hickory to watch this one. I struggle in the fall on this lake. It'll be fun seeing how the big dogs handle it. A 15 lb to 20 lb bag should win each day.

Does anyone know how an old woman in a canoe can enter? I'm asking for a friend.

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

Does anyone know how an old woman in a canoe can enter? I'm asking for a friend.

It's probably too late to qualify if you're not on the BPT or BASS Elites tours. However, as a famous influencer you might have a chance to get selected for the Pro/Am tournament they are holding the day after the tournament. As I understand it they will be pairing the top 15 anglers from the tournament with celebrities for the Pro/AM. It will be held on a different nearby lake. You might be able to talk the pro you are paired with into taking your canoe. 😉

On 4/25/2026 at 9:22 PM, Kirtley Howe said:

I think it is going to be a great event. It should be a great watch. It is going to be televised in its' entirety on MLF, Bassmaster, and the WBE site on YouTube, as well as select parts shown on FS1 and maybe ESPN. It will be held on a "river system" lake, but I can't remember the name of the lake right now. The money IS already set in an escrow account from what I have read. To me it is a dream contest...the best against the best from both major organizations. I was doing some dreaming about what I would like to see for the final showdown....and I came up with this: I would love to see a final where Ott DeFoe (excellent river rat type fisherman who excels with a crankbait/jerkbait, a Texas Rig, a Carolina Rig, and other "old school" presentations) in a shoot out against Keith Pocuche doing his "off the grid" style fishing. It would be a lot of fun watching the contrasting styles fighting it out for the win. I have read that the WBE is setting the rules up with extra safe guards to prevent Keith from doing anything sketchy, with extra carefully defined out of bounds and off limit rules...and a "call the tournament director" specified for any possible question. Failing to do so would lead to an immediate disqualification, and possible banning from any future event like this. They are also setting each boat up with multiple GPS trackers (yes, TRACKERS plural) that would signal the director if any boat ventures into or very close to an out of bounds area (note that just entering an out of bounds area would not necessarily get an angler disqualified as long as he did not FISH the area...reasons for entering the area that would be allowed would be to take shelter, or to park while getting a repair done, and a few other things), and they will be flying between 50 and 100 drones to aid with enforcement and filming. With 1.5 million on the line for the winner, the strict rules and enforcement, I doubt that even Keith would take a chance on getting disqualified from this tournament. But no matter what happens, it should be a great show. I believe the complete list of rules, qualifications, and prizes are listed on YouTube on the WBE site. It is an invitational tournament, but to be invited you have to be in the top 25 of the angle of the year race (in each organization) or must have won a Tournament in the Elites or the MLF Bass Pro series....but a win in something like an somewhat lowered level tournament or similar level tournament in MLF would also be heavily considered by the WBE if the angler also had good results in their organization even if they didn't make the top 25. So far at least 125 anglers have signed letters of intent to fish the tournament if invited. I am really looking forward to this tournament.

I heard the venue has about 27 Bass total. Nashville is a great host city but the lake sucks bigtime according to many.

WBE sounds like a solid organiztion though.

Nashville is a great city? This is news to me 😂

1 hour ago, Pumpkin Lizard said:

I heard the venue has about 27 Bass total. Nashville is a great host city but the lake sucks bigtime according to many.

The lake has plenty of bass but they are not very big. Big bass for the 4 day tournament will probably be 5 maybe 6 pounds. There should be plenty of limits caught.

On 4/29/2026 at 2:18 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Nashville is a great city? This is news to me 😂

I wish we still lived there 🙁

What year did you leave ?

‘86 thru ‘90

Long before they had any sports leagues or hip-hop country 😆 Fishing was “the thing”!

You might not like it presently

I’ve heard that. It’s sure different now.