bassmaster classic

A look at Tennessee River 2026

Fort Loudon, Tellico host third Classic out of Knoxville.

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Mike Suchan
Ahhhhhh! The sun is shining, angels are singing, it’s Classic Week! Time to take a look at the 56th Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. This will be the third Classic on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, which set attendance records the past two visits.
“We are thrilled to return to the site of two of our most successful Classics in history,” B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson said. “East Tennessee fully embraces the Classic for what it truly is — a celebration of the sport of bass fishing. The fan experience in Knoxville is second to none, with all event venues within walking distance. With our ever-growing global fanbase, we expect the 2026 Classic to be even bigger and more exciting.”
More and bigger bites are also expected this year from the Classic waters that include the Tennessee River, Fort Loudoun and Tellico reservoirs. The fishery encompasses some 30,000 surface acres. There are 58 anglers in the field, each chasing the highly coveted title and the winner’s $300,000 payday.
The Fort Loudon dam is in Lenoir City, where a nearby canal connects to Tellico. Starting in the Smoky Mountains, the Little Tennessee River feeds Tellico, which is clearer and holds more smallmouth. Riding from the launch point in Knoxville to the dam is about 45 minutes, and it’s about that long to go up Tellico.
The canal connecting Loudoun and Tellico saw Jeff Gustafson mopping up smallmouth with a jighead minnow to win the 2021 Elite event wire-to-wire. Gussy used the same tactic in the 2023 Classic, but he had to expand his areas.
With temperatures warming and the few schools breaking up, Gustafson brought in only two fish on Championship Sunday but hung on to become the first Canadian champion. While this year’s Classic might still be won with smallmouth, Knoxville’s Robert Gee said there are some twists.
Gee, who missed qualifying for this Classic, said the canal could still play since the smallmouth length minimum has been lowered from 18 to 15 inches. That might draw those previously apprehensive to target smallmouth. “It’s been so hard to catch smallmouth that measure 18-plus inches, that’s why people haven’t typically liked to target them,” he said. “Now, people will go for that more because you can keep more of the smallmouth that you catch.”
Yet that attack could backfire. “Converging on the smallmouth might leave the door open for largemouth,” Gee said. “That smallmouth bite might cannibalize itself. If you’re chasing largemouth, you’re less likely to run out of fish. Those smallmouth are more fickle, too. They can turn on you.” The largemouth in the fishery are coming of age. Last March, a 10-pound, 11-ounce bass anchored a 29.2-pound limit in a local team tournament. In pre-practice, Alex Redwine caught a 10.47 while others reported largemouth lunkers above 8 pounds.
“There have been sevens, eights and even 10s weighed in over the past year,” Gee said. “It’s much better than it has been. It will be the heaviest weight of any of the Classics that have been at Knoxville. It’s gonna blow the other two out of the water. They’ve just grown up a lot more since the last Classic here. The fishing is just getting better on both lakes.” 
Florida strain largemouth stocked since 2000 by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency have produced results. A state record 15-3 was caught in Lake Chickamauga in 2015, and pending certification, a 15.75 from Nickjack just two weeks ago would eclipse it. The Classic fishery is seeing benefits. “We know of at least one 10-pounder that was weighed during a tournament in March 2025,” TWRA biologist John Hammonds said. “We have sampled 8-pounders from Loudon, giving us every indication the program is working. We’d sure like to see them cross the scales at the Classic.” 
The anglers would, too. Bryan Schmitt, who is the highest returning finisher from 2023, said pre-practice hubbub indicates this year should top Ott DeFoe’s 49-3 total in 2019 and Gussy’s 42-3. “There were pictures and rumors going around left and right of 10-pounders,” Schmitt said. “Those kinds of fish weren’t in there when we were there last. If a guy could figure out how to catch 16 or 17 pounds of smallmouth fairly quick every day, and also figure out a way to trick one or two of those huge largemouth, dude, it’s a wrap.”
Luke Palmer caught the Mercury Big Bass in 2023, a 5-13 that earned him $3,500. In 2019, 6-pounders earned the daily bonuses, with 6-3s tying for the top honor. Thoughts are those will be surpassed. “I think we’re going to be in for a little bit of a treat,” Schmitt said. “The weights are going to be a little different than when we were there last. I think it’s going to be on.”
Sam Hanggi, an Elite rookie from Knoxville, isn’t competing, but he has hopes the boys catch ‘em. He’s interested what’s in store. “Clearly, largemouth can produce a hefty bag in Knoxville, but figuring them out for three days in a row is a challenge on a fishery with a reputation for inconsistency,” Hanggi said. “Twenty pounds of largemouth is not out of the question, but I still think smallmouth will prevail over largies over the course of the entire event.”
Schmitt weighed all largemouth in his runner-up finish, but he said the winner will most likely have a mixed bag. “I’m going to have a very open mind, and I’m going to let all signs lead me to what needs to happen that week because history is very hard to duplicate,” he said.
The forecast calls for warming and several periods of rain, but the patterns should be typical with water levels below summer pool and fish in prespawn staging areas. Water temperatures were warming, which should move more fish up shallow.
Largemouth should be set up on shallow points, humps, wood and rock where crankbaits, jigs, vibrating jigs and jerkbaits should entice bites. Forward-facing sonar will be utilized for smallmouth on brushpiles, points and hard-bottom with baits of choice including jerkbaits, Ned rigs, soft-plastic minnows, drop shots and dice-style baits.
Hanggi is curious how it plays out. “I really hope that some guys have some big bags of largemouth,” he said. “Maybe some guys figure out the smallmouth bite or the ’Scoping bite mid-lake in Fort Loudoun. I’m also really interested to see if anyone catches big bags up the Little River. There are just a bunch of strategies that could work that kind of go against the grain a little bit, and I’m excited to see who prevails.”
Classic events kick off March 12, when fans can meet some of their favorite pros at the Classic Media Day Fan Fest held at the Bass Pro Shops in Kodak, Tenn., from 1:30 to 3 p.m. ET. That event is followed by the annual Daiwa Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party presented by TNT Fireworks at Covenant Health Park from 5 to 8 p.m.
Competition days are March 13-15. Fans are invited to attend daily melin Bassmaster Classic Takeoffs at Volunteer Landing at 7:45 a.m. In 2019 and 2023, record crowds watched the spectacle of a Classic launches. B.A.S.S. emcee Dave Mercer announces each angler as he heads out onto the fishery.
Bassmaster Classic Weigh-ins driven by Yokohama are free to the public each day at Food City Center. Doors open at 3:15 p.m. After two rounds, the field will be cut to 25 for Championship Sunday.  
Along with the competition, fishing’s biggest consumer show, the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by TNT Fireworks, welcomes visitors to the Knoxville Convention Center and adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall on March 13 (noon to 7 p.m.), March 14 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and March 15 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Fans can meet with luminaries in the sport like Jimmy Houston, always willing to sign autographs and share stories. There are more than 200 vendors and many products are sold at bargain prices.
And you never know who you might see. At last year’s Classic in Fort Worth, Deion Sanders visited with Mark Zona on the Bassmaster LIVE set.
There could also be future stars of the sport. In 2019, Mike Iaconelli posed for a photo with that year’s Junior B.A.S.S. champ, one Trey McKinney. McKinney became the youngest to qualify for the Elites and youngest to win an Elite at 19 years, 1 week. McKinney is one of three anglers who could become the youngest Classic winner this week.
The Bassmaster LIVE crew, including Tommy Sanders, Davy Hite and Mark Zona, will break down the action from the studio set at the Progressive Bassmaster Tailgate presented by Maxam located at the Plaza Terrace, just outside the Knoxville Convention Center.

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