bassmaster classic

Big bass of 2026 Classic

Anglers prove bass grew up on Tennessee River since last visit in 2023.

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Written by
Mike Suchan
As promised, the bass grew up on the Tennessee River for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. The catches far surpassed the 2019 and 2023 Classics in Knoxville, and the winning weight not only blew those away but ended as the fourth largest in the five-fish era of bass fishing’s world championship. More remarkable was that a B.A.S.S. Nation angler won for only the second time. Take a look at the big bass that made a difference.
Wesley Gore of Clanton, Ala., brought in a mixed bag on Day 1 that weighed 17-0 and had him in 10th place. The 25-year-old was among the six anglers under 30 starting in the top 10, and he stayed there with consistency, adding 15-9 and 16-2 to hold 10th and earn $20,000. Gore was among the record 23 anglers in their 20s in the field of 58.
Shrinking the smallmouth keeper size to 15 inches saw more Day 1 limits than past Knoxville Classics, 41 compared to 30 in 2019 and 24 last time. The average fish weight also increased from 2-4 to 2-15 on Day 1. The good news for Bob Downey was he caught a 5-pounder, the bad was that he only brought in three fish and sat in 43rd. A limit for 14-10 had the pro from Detroit Lakes, Minn., finish 32nd, almost 2 pounds outside the Top 25 who move on to Championship Sunday.
Casey Scanlon of Eldon, Mo., an Opens winner fishing his second Classic, was proud to bring a 5-0 across the Classic stage. He stood 30th with 13-10. Scanlon, 41, ended 28th, 13 ounces from the cut, improving on his 44th-place finish in the 2013 Classic.
College representative Tripp Berlinksy, 20, was among the three anglers who could have eclipsed Stanley Mitchell as the youngest Classic champion. Mitchell was 21 when he won on the Alabama River in 1981. His moustache died purple to represent the University of North Alabama, Berlinsky opened in a tie for 12th place with 16-5. He made the cut with 15-9 and added 13-3 to finish 17th, but left proud of his UNA pride.
Canada’s Chris Johnston, who’s won the past two Elite Series Angler of the Year titles, had the Mercury Big Bass of Day 1. Johnston’s 5-9 bolstered his 16-5 limit that had him tied with Berlinksy. Johnston, who has said a Classic title would cement his legacy, slipped on Day 2 with 13-12. He weighed 16-7 on Day 3 to total 46-8 and add $14,000 to his earnings. Deep in the AOY standings after two Elite events while his older brother, Cory, leads the race, Johnston joked he was just giving him a head start.
Yui Aoki, a 26-year-old from Japan who qualified with an Opens victory, caught better than average smallmouth to stand seventh after Day 1 with 18-11.
Dylan Nutt of Nashville, Tenn., narrowly qualified as the third-place finisher in the 2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. The 22-year-old who attends North Alabama had spent a month scouring the fishery before the off limits, and on the first official practice reportedly had a 25-pound day. He looked disappointed even though his 19-5 limit had him in fifth place. During interviews, he was adamant things could have, should have, gone better.
An early 4-6 then a 3-12 on BassTrakk showed Drew Cook was in the hunt. The weights from the 31-year-old from Cairo, Ga., proved rather accurate as he weighed 19-9 to stand second after Day 1, with bigger things to come.
Patrick Walters’s BassTrakk entries, all of 10 pounds, were nothing close to the 19-10 he brought to the scales. The 31-year-old from Eutawville, S.C., added 15-2 then only had three fish to drop to 21st in his seventh Classic.
Continuing a hot streak with an Elite victory at Lake Martin just two weeks earlier, Fisher Anaya briefly held the Day 1 BassTrakk lead. Anaya, the youngest angler in the field at 20 years, 3 months, weighed 20-15 to hold second place. After winning the 2025 Elite Qualifier AOY, Anaya earned a Classic berth by winning the 2025 Bassmaster Team Classic Fish-Off. He cooled a bit over the next two days with 14-7 and 11-1 to end up 13th, earning $13,500. Most of his nearly $250,000 in earnings has come in the past year.
Speaking of heaters, defending Classic champ Easton Fothergill appeared as if he might continue the past decade’s trend of back-to-back winners. The 23-year-old from Grand Rapids, Minn., who set weight records in winning the 2025 Classic on Lake Ray Roberts, caught a 4-10 as he held the Day 1 lead with 21-8.
Saturday was moving day, and Opens qualifier Dillon Falardeau posted the biggest. Mired in 49th after a disappointing three-fish opening round, the 31-year-old from Hixson, Tenn., busted 20-11 to climb 29 places. One might say he was pretty thrilled to show his catch, which included a 5-9. The guide on Lake Chickamauga was one of six who topped 20 pounds on Day 2, and while pleased, he said he had hoped to duplicate his 25-pound bag during pre-practice.
Fishing his third Classic, Tyler Williams threw his jig to a 16th-place finish, two places below last year. The 24-year-old from Belgrade, Maine, had his best round on Saturday, catching a 6-0 in a 17-6 limit.
Jordan Lee, 34, of Cullman, Ala., was seeking to become the third angler with three or more titles. He won back-to-back titles in 2017-18, joining Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam as the only three to accomplish that feat. Hank Cherry then won consecutive titles in 2020-21. Behind a 5-10, Lee weighed 20-15, the fourth best of Day 2, to climb from 19th to eighth.
Trey McKinney, the 2024 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year who has two Elite titles and finished second in both his AOY races, stood a disappointing 11th after Day 1 with 16-10. The 21-year-old from Carbondale, Ill., moved to ninth after weighing 18-13 on Day 2.
Justin Atkins, 36, proudly shows off a 5-8 that helped him to Day 2’s second largest bag of 22-10, which moved him up to fifth. Hailing from Florence, Ala., on Lake Pickwick, which many said had similarities to the Classic fishery, Atkins added 17-0 to total 55-0 and finish sixth.
Saturday was full of big bites, and Dakota Ebare caught one that had him “giggling like a school girl.” On Bassmaster LIVE, the first-time qualifier from Brookeland, Texas, couldn’t stop cackling after putting this 7-2 meanmouth in the boat. It helped the 33-year-old fishing his first Classic to 20-10 on the day and a ninth-place finish. Ebare’s wife, Shelby, was due to deliver their first baby days after the Classic, but no word yet.
Cook’s second day turned around with this 7-5, which ended as the Mercury Big Bass of the day and event, earning $3,500 in bonuses. Cook got clued in and ended with the day’s third-best weight of 22-8. Cook went into Championship Sunday in second place, 3-15 from the lead, but only brought in four fish to finish seventh, his best in seven Classics.
Nutt caught several 4-pound bass to momentarily hold the BassTrakk lead with 18-4. A 5-2 regained the unofficial lead just after noon then a 4-4 put him at 22-0. Nutt then had two “How about them apples?” moments. He caught a 6-11 at 1:42 and three minutes later added a 6-3. On the scales, his five went 26-11, and he went into Championship Sunday with 46-0.
Coming off a runner-up finish at the Lake Martin Elite, Brock Mosley slid into Championship Sunday in 25th place. Fishing his sixth Classic, the 37-year-old from Collinsville, Miss., moved up to 18th with the day’s fourth best of 18-7.
Jordan, who started Championship Sunday 10-1 behind Nutt, set the Classic comeback record in winning his first title on Lake Conroe in 2017. He rallied from 15th place, 13-14 off the lead. A third time was not in his charms, as 16-13 left him with eighth with 52-12.
JT Thompkins, 24, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., was solid throughout. In Day 1’s 18-15, he caught two 5-pounders in 11 minutes. He then moved to fourth with 19-2 on Day 2. Starting Championship Sunday 7-15 from the lead, Thompkins added 17-4, including the 5-11 Mercury Big Bass of the day, to finish fifth with 55-5. He also won the BassTrakk contingency bonus to walk away with $27,000.
Sitting 5-10 back of the lead, Fothergill had a shot to become the third repeat champion in the past decade. His 15-12 total left him fourth with 56-2. He has now earned $351,000 in three Classics, which includes his 16th in 2024 as the College representative.
Aoki was among the most consistent all week, and he caught his best limit on Championship Sunday. A 5-0 bolstered his 19-5 bag and helped move him to the third-place finisher’s $40,000 payout. He was the highest finisher of six international anglers in the field.
Behind this 5-8, McKinney culled to the day’s best of 22-1, giving him 57-8 and a $50,000 check. He now has consecutive AOY and Classic runner-up finishes. With $684,190 in 36 B.A.S.S. entries, he is on pace to become a Bassmaster millionaire in the fewest events. After two Elites this season, he is second in AOY, five points behind Cory Johnston.
Nutt, whose twin brother won the College Classic title with Bryce Dimauro on Saturday, made the 2026 Classic chock full of Nutts. Catching 20-13, he totaled 66-13 to win by 9-5. Nutt follows 1994 champ Bryan Kerchal as the only B.A.S.S. Nation anglers to win Classics. He said the victory came by doing the work. “I spent a month up here fishing every day just trying to get as much of an advantage as I could,” he said. “And it paid off. I feel like I know this place better than my home lake.”
To the victor go the spoils. Along with the notoriety as Classic champ and Ray Scott trophy, Nutt earned $300,000 for the win, $7,000 for the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag, $10,000 of Toyota Bonus Bucks and $20,000 in Yamaha’s Power Pay. Nutt is still processing his fortunes. “I’ve got so many things in my head right now,” he said. “It [the Classic] has always been the pinnacle of bass fishing to us … the last Classic that I went to was the one here, back in 2023, and I never would’ve thought next time I went to a Classic I’d be in it and holding the trophy at the end of it.”

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