Dylan Nutt powers through a stacked field on the Tennessee River to win the 2026 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville, locking up the sport’s biggest title with a 66-pound, 13-ounce three-day total and delivering Alabama another world championship on bass fishing’s grandest stage.
The 24-year-old Alabama pro seals the win out of Caymas Boats, edging Illinois phenom Trey McKinney, who finishes second after threatening the lead with a late charge on Championship Sunday. Japan’s Yui Aoki posts a strong final-day bag to claim third, while Minnesota’s Easton Fothergill and South Carolina’s JT Thompkins round out the Top 5 in a Classic that showcases a new generation of headliners.
The tournament runs March 13–15, launching from Volunteer Landing with daily weigh-ins at Thompson–Boling Arena and the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo at the Knoxville Convention Center drawing big crowds all weekend.
Nutt leans on a mix of offshore staging fish and key current seams on the Tennessee River, adjusting each day as fluctuating flows and pressure reshuffle schools across ledges and river bars. Consistency proves decisive: his daily limits keep him in front of established stars and young guns alike, including a deep roster of Classic qualifiers highlighted by Seth Feider, Bob Downey, John Cox, Easton Fothergill, Cody Meyer, and fellow rookie standout Dylan Nutt heading into the event. The victory etches his name alongside legends like Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam on the Classic trophy and signals a potential power shift toward a rising class of anglers now proving they can close on bass fishing’s biggest stage.