Johnston moves closer to US$1.25-million payday by reaching The Champions final

NASHVILLE — Chris Johnston will compete Saturday for the largest payday of his pro career.

Johnston, from Peterborough, Ont., stood 11th after the second day of competition Friday at the US$3.25-million The Champions bass tournament. That was a drop of five spots from the opening day but it was still good enough to earn Johnston a spot in Saturday’s final and a shot at the $1.25-million winner’s share.

The top-15 competitors through the first two days of the event automatically qualified for the final. And those on the water Saturday will be starting from scratch, meaning all have an equal shot at winning the top prize on Old Hickory Lake.

Johnston has competed on the Elite Series since 2020 and amassed just over $1.4 million in earnings.

Once again Friday, Johnston weighed four fish, one short of the limit.

Opening-day leader Matt Robertson of the U.S. remained atop the standings at 34 pounds 15 ounces. Robertson’s four fish weighed 14 pounds 15 ounces Friday.

The Champions is in its inaugural year as the unofficial world bass fishing championship. The field includes the top-25 competitors from both the Elite Series and Major League Fishing.

Also qualifying for the event were Elite Series competitors Cory Johnston of Cavan, Ont., Jeff Gustafson of Kenora, Ont., and Evan Kung of Pickering, Ont.

All four Canadians have won Elite Series events, with Chris Johnston twice claiming overall honours (2024-25). And in 2023, Gustafson became the first — and only — Canadian to win the $1-million Bassmaster Classic, pro bass fishing’s most prestigious competition.

The other Canadians didn’t qualify for Saturday’s final. However, they shared in the Elite Series winning the team title after sending 10 competitors to the championship round.

The Champions is being run and hosted by World Bass Enterprises, an organization founded by Texas businessman Brian Bird. It was Bird who came up with the idea of a world championship tournament during a fishing trip in Minnesota in August 2024.

The event is providing an interesting twist on the use of forward facing sonar, a hot-button topic in pro bass fishing. On Saturday, competitors will be allowed to use FFS for a three-hour window during their eight hours on the water.

Old Hickory Lake offers competitors largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass. The waterway covers about 91 square kilometres and stretches roughly 156 kilometres along the Cumberland River.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2026.