Tennessee native Dylan Nutt clenched the 2026 Bassmaster Classic victory — and $300k in price money — on the Tennessee River in Knoxville with an impressive 66.13-pound bag. And he did it with the aid of an unreleased bait, crafted under a veil of secrecy in Berkley’s Spirit Lake, Iowa, facility.
Nutt’s journey to the Classic stage was anything but conventional. Unlike most competitors who qualify through the professional circuit, Nutt earned his spot through B.A.S.S. Nation, the grassroots pathway to the sport’s biggest event. In fact, only one other angler in Classic history had ever won after qualifying through that route: Bryan Kerchal back in 1994.
By all accounts, practice went well for all competitors, with most reporting the best fishing they had experienced in the Tennessee River at this time of year. But post-frontal weather and rain slowed the bite during the opening round, and Nutt managed 19 pounds, 5 ounces, on Day One. This was definitely a good start, but he trailed last year’s Classic winner Easton Fothergill, who managed to put 20-13 in the livewell.
Things broke open for the Berkley Pro on Day Two. Dialed into schools of pre-spawn bass using forward-facing sonar, Nutt snatched a 26-pound, 11-ounce, bag — the biggest single-day total of the tournament. The massive limit vaulted him into the lead with a 3-pound, 15-ounce, advantage heading into Championship Sunday.
On the final morning, Nutt had to call an audible. Arriving at his preferred starting area on Fort Loudoun Lake, he discovered another competitor already fishing his spot. Nutt changed gears, and managed to put about 20 pounds in the livewell by 10 a.m. He kept grinding, and managed to put 20 pounds, 13 ounces, in the boat for the final weigh in. It was enough to put an impressive 9 pounds, 5 ounces, between him and second-place competitor Trey McKinney.
“It was surreal out there today,” Nutt had said. “I got off to a fast start this morning, which helped settle me down, and I was able to move around and build a solid limit. The spectator boats were amazing, and it felt great to catch them again on live and have everyone following along out on the water. It still hasn’t sunk in yet, but I felt confident coming into the event, and to make it happen in my home state feels incredible.”
The Winning Bait Nobody Can Buy — Yet
A big part of Nutt’s success can be attributed to a series of soft plastic baits that have yet to hit the market, the Berkley Lab Series Minnow. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but I got an up-close look at these new baits at an event in Kentucky just before the Classic, and I was impressed with the new line.
“We didn’t intend to put Lab Series on the map at the Bassmaster Classic, but Dylan clearly had other plans,” said Jon Schlosser, Chief Brand & Product Officer. “We are incredibly proud of Dylan and his brother Carter for the hard work they’ve put in over the years to master their craft, and we’re excited to have them both representing our brands on the water. We’re excited to watch him build on this momentum and see what he’s able to do with the Lab Series and the rest of his Berkley arsenal as he competes in 2026 and begins his journey on the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2027.”
While Berkley is keeping most of the juicy details under wraps, they have permitted me to share some info with you. Nutt primarily used the new Lab Series Minnow, though Berkley designed the line as more of a platform, improving on angler favorites with a variety of new tech certain to deliver more bites — even from neutral fish. In short, the baits use a variety of new technologies to make those fish you see but can’t hook, bite.
The Lab Series is set to be introduced later in 2026. Stay tuned to Wired2fish for more details as Berkley moves toward releasing the new line.
