Matt Robertson won a record $1.25 million first-place prize at The Champions on Old Hickory Lake outside Nashville on Oct. 31, capping a three-day tournament with a $3.25 million purse, Fox News’ OutKick OutDoors reported.
A 2026 Special Report on Fishing from the American Sportfishing Association and Outdoor Industry Association found 57 million Americans went fishing at least once in 2025, up from 50.1 million in 2019.
Fox News’ OutKick OutDoors reported that FXR founder Milt Reimer said his Canadian company, which built its reputation making performance apparel for snowmobiling and motorsports, began moving into fishing apparel after noticing overlap between his motorsports customers and the fishing community.
Reimer told OutKick OutDoors, “It’s real. It’s here. It’s in front of us.”
OutKick OutDoors reported FXR now sponsors several professional anglers, including Robertson, Fisher Anaya and 2026 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Trey McKinney. The Champions featured 60 competitors from two rival professional circuits; McKinney finished fourth and earned $200,000, and Anaya finished seventh.
OutKick OutDoors said the event illustrated the growing business and mainstream interest in professional fishing.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
