Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

Dylan Nutt, a 22-year-old angler from Nashville, Tenn., is the 2026 Bassmaster Classic® champion after catching 66 pound, 13 ounces over the three-day. Nutt qualified to fish the 56^th edition of the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing” through the B.A.S.S. Nation, Bassmaster’s premier grassroots tournament circuit.

Nutt became just the second person to win the Classic after qualifying through the B.A.S.S. Nation, joining the late Bryan Kerchal who won the 1994 Classic, ten years before Nutt was born.

Along with the sport’s most iconic trophy, Nutt boated a $20,000 payout from Yamaha Power Pay for being the highest finishing angler running a Yamaha outboard motor purchased within the past 60 months. Nutt’s vessel of choice for the 2026 season is a Yamaha V MAX SHO® 250 on the back of a Caymus Boat.

“This is my first year running my own boat and I’ve always heard good things about Yamaha outboards,” Nutt said. “I had to give Yamaha a try, and I’ve been loving this thing. I’ve put over 180-hours on that motor this year and haven’t had the first issue. Then through Power Pay I can earn bonus money in nearly all the events I planned to fish. It’s just awesome.”

Nutt signed up for the free-to-register program a few days before Classic competition began, making the incredible $20,000 bonus his first payday through Yamaha’s popular contingency program. It’s fair to say it won’t be his last.

While he’s young, Nutt’s on-the-water abilities and prowess have been well documented. He and his twin brother Carter have been winning tournaments up and down the Tennessee River for several years.

“I was making about a 25 to 35-minute run each morning about halfway down Fort Louden,” Nutt explained. “It wasn’t a super long run as far as the Tennessee River is concerned, but it was long enough that I was happy to be in a Caymus with a Yamaha behind me.”

Dylan excelled fishing at the college level and his recent Classic win has given him the opportunity to fill his schedule with “as many tournaments as possible” for the remainder of 2026.

Lucky for Nutt and all other Yamaha owners, Power Pay supports over 600 bass, walleye, and saltwater events per year. Giving the new Classic champion several opportunities to win additional Power Pay rewards, on top of the legendary reliability anglers have come to trust Yamaha for.

For more information or to get registered today and start earning extra winnings like Dylan Nutt, follow this link: https://yamahapowerpay.com/ or send an email to [email protected].