Berkley Pro Dylan Nutt Claims Classic Title in Home State on the Tennessee River
Bass Nation qualifier Dylan Nutt leans on soon-to-be-released Berkley Lab Series bait to secure historic victory on Fort Loudoun and Lake Tellico
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Berkley Lab Series has already etched its name into bass fishing history. On the sport's biggest stage, Tennessee's Dylan Nutt leaned on Berkley's soon-to-launch Lab Series line of soft baits to capture the 2026 Bassmaster Classic title on the Tennessee River in Knoxville. The 22-year-old Bass Nation qualifier located several schools of bass during practice and executed when it mattered most, finishing with a three-day total of 66 pounds, 13 ounces to claim the sport's most coveted trophy. In addition, Nutt's dominating 9-pound, 5-ounce margin of victory earned him $300,000 and secured his qualification to the 2027 Bassmaster Elite Series.
After a tough Day One that produced 19 pounds, 5 ounces, as post-frontal conditions and rain moved through the system, the Classic rookie came roaring back on Day Two. Nutt delivered the biggest bag of the tournament, weighing 26 pounds, 11 ounces, vaulting him into the lead with a 3-pound, 15-ounce advantage heading into the final day. With heavier winds forecast for the afternoon, Nutt knew the key would be capitalizing early and adding to his already impressive 46-pound two-day total.
On the final morning, Nutt arrived at Fort Loudoun to find another competitor in his starting area, forcing an immediate adjustment. Quickly shifting to plan B, he settled in and went to work. Nutt boated a quick morning limit and steadily extended his lead into double digits. By 10 a.m., he had nearly 20 pounds in the livewell, applying pressure to the rest of the field and firmly positioning himself for the win. But he didn't stop there. When BassTrakk shut down at 1 p.m., Nutt made a key cull before returning to check in, giving him a 20-pound, 13-ounce limit on the final day to slam the door shut.
"It was surreal out there today," said Nutt. "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."
New Berkley Lab Series Delivers Classic Victory
Nutt caught the majority of his fish on baits from the Lab Series, a new platform of soft baits from Berkley Labs. This new series of baits is designed and crafted to be the best of the best from the team at Berkley Labs in Spirit Lake, Iowa. It is the first bait technology engineered to deliver color, action, scent and taste to deliver against every element of bass feeding behavior.
Photo by: B.A.S.S./Andy Crawford
Growing up in Tennessee and coming into the event Nutt understood what it would take to be successful. He knew relying on forward-facing sonar to locate and fish to schools of pre-spawn fish would play. Equipped with a prototype Berkley Lab Series Minnow, Nutt caught better than average bass, giving him the victory without question.
He fished the new Lab Series Minnow with a 6-foot 10-inch Abu Garcia Fantasista X rod with a size 3000 Abu Garcia Zenon X spinning reel. He spooled 8-pound Berkley X5 braid mainline to the all-new Berkley Gin Clear fluorocarbon leader in 14-pound. Nutt increased the size of his leader due to Gin Clear's reduced line diameter, allowing him the ability to handle bigger fish around the boat and boat flip smaller fish to save time.
"I fished the Lab Series Minnow in multiple colors to catch most of my fish this week," said Nutt. "I have been playing around with these new baits a lot the last couple of months, and they are the real deal. The Berkley Labs team did an unbelievable job designing and crafting this new series and working with us anglers to perfect the actions and color profiles on these baits and today that hard work paid off."
Photo by: B.A.S.S./Andy Crawford
The Lab Series is set to be introduced in 2026 and more details will be shared as the company nears the now highly-anticipated launch date.
"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."
To learn more about Berkley, click here.
About Pure Fishing
Pure Fishing is a collection of the world's favorite fishing brands. Every day, all around the world, someone experiences the joy of catching a fish with one of our products. From gear for epic battles at sea to a relaxing day with family at the lake, our portfolio includes the most recognized and admired brands in fishing tackle, lures, rods, reels and storage. Abu Garcia, Berkley, DAM, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Frabill, Greys, Hardy, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Madcat, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Plano, Prologic, Savage Gear, Shakespeare, SpiderWire, Stren, Ugly Stik and Van Staal.