KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — They say three times a charm, and that was the case for NASCAR driver Ross Chastain, who won the Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am in his third attempt.
Chastain and Bassmaster Elite Series pro David Mullins landed a limit weighing 18 pounds, 2 ounces of Douglas Lake bass to win the annual event, beating the second-place duo of Tyler Rivet and country music star Koe Wetzel by over 2 pounds.
“This was a great day,” Chastain said. “Once the sun came out, the fishing changed a little and (David) adjusted well.”
Mullins, an east Tennessee native, wasn’t expecting it to take that much weight to win the tournament.
“(Ross) did a heck of a job today,” Mullins said. “All the local stuff has taken 14 or 15 pounds to win, and it has been a long time since someone has weighed in 20 pounds, so 18 is really good.”
The start of the day was exceptionally cold, as anglers got a dose of rain and snow on their way to the lake. The weather didn’t hamper the fishing too much though, as Chastain caught the first 3-pound keeper 20 minutes into the fishing day. The duo quickly landed four of their five bass, but it took a while to land their fifth keeper.
“That last one took a little while. We finally got one that filled out the limit, and from there we just kept casting,” Chastain said.
With 20 minutes to go, Mullins took the duo into a pocket that four-time Classic champion Rick Clunn had just finished fishing. After making sure Clunn was finished in the pocket, the duo of Mullins and Chastain started fishing and Chastain caught a 4-6, the biggest bass of the bag.
“I didn’t think anyone else was going to be in there, and there sits Rick Clunn,” Mullins said. “There was a little point just behind him, and he let me go around him. Ross made one cast on that point and caught that 4-6 and that sealed the deal for us.”
Mullins and Chastain stayed close to the bank most of the day, mostly fishing wind-blown banks with smaller crankbaits and ChatterBaits. Heavy rains overnight blew out some of the areas Mullins felt would be productive, but he was able to adjust quickly to find the right areas.
Twenty-five teams competed in the 2026 Celebrity Pro-Am, and 21 of those teams landed limits. Rivet and Wetzel finished second with 15-10 followed by Elite Series veteran Randy Howell and NFL Hall of Famer Tedy Bruschi in third with 15-0. Rivet and Wetzel also landed the Big Bass of the Tournament, a 4-9.
2026 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2026 Bassmaster Classic Presenting Sponsor: Under Armour
2026 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota, Progressive
2026 Bassmaster Classic Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mountain Dew, Nitro Boats, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2026 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo Presenting Sponsor: TNT Fireworks
2026 Bassmaster Classic Local Partner: TNT Fireworks, Calhoun’s, TN Tourism, TVA, Whataburger
2026 Bassmaster Classic Youth Forum Sponsor: U.S. Army
2026 Bassmaster Classic Takeoff Sponsor: Melin
2026 Bassmaster Classic Weigh-In Sponsor: Yokohama
2026 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Title Sponsor: Daiwa
2026 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Presenting Sponsor: TNT Fireworks
2026 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Title Sponsor: Progressive
2026 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Presenting Sponsor: Maxam Tire
2026 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Title Sponsor: Progressive
2026 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Presenting Sponsor: Yokohama Tire
2026 Bassmaster Classic Fishing Pond Sponsor: Zebco
2026 Bassmaster Classic Host: VisitKnoxville Sports Commission