Professional bass angler Jason Christie on Sunday presented a 17-pound, 9-ounce stringer to bring his collective tournament weight to 54 pounds, winning him the Bassmaster Classic Champion title and $300,000 in winnings.
The event took place on Lake Hartwell, S.C., and drew a record 154,932 fans, according to a statement.
“Honestly, when I was sitting at the door waiting to come in and weigh my fish, I thought I had given it away again,” Christie said. “I knew it was gonna be close. I honestly thought there could be a tie, and that was scary for me because I didn’t have any fish left.”
The win pushed Christie’s career earnings with B.A.S.S. to $1,668,011. As a member of the Yamaha Power Pay program, a contingency program for tournament anglers who own and run a Yamaha outboard on their boats, Christie received an additional $20,000.
