22‑year‑old wins Classic

Day 1: 19 lbs, 5 oz; Day 2: tournament‑best 26 lbs, 11 oz; Day 3: 20 lbs, 13 oz — Nutt’s three‑day total was 66 lbs, 13 oz. (bassmaster.com) Nutt finished 9 lbs, 5 oz ahead of runner‑up Trey McKinney, whose total weighed 57 lbs, 8 oz on the final leaderboard. (bleacherreport.com) The Classic top prize was $300,000 for Nutt, who also earned the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag and $7,000 for the heaviest single-day limit; JT Thompkins took the Day‑3 Big Bass award with a 5‑11 fish while Drew Cook landed the event’s largest bass at 7‑5. (bassmastermedia.com) Nutt reached the Classic field by finishing third at the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on the Upper Mississippi River, a result that secured his invitation last fall. (bassmaster.com) His victory made him the sport’s third‑youngest Bassmaster Classic champion and the second angler to win the Classic coming directly through the B.A.S.S. Nation, joining 1994 champion Bryan Kerchal — Kerchal was 23 when he won and was later memorialized by the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. (in‑fisherman.com (bassfishinghof.com)) Event partners used the Knoxville platform to advance conservation and youth outreach: the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development served as a Local Classic Partner emphasizing conservation and outdoor recreation, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame announced multi‑year support for conservation projects, and conservation partner Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation highlighted an affiliated angler’s Top‑20 finish. (bassmastermedia.com (discountmags.com) (murrayroadagency.com)