22-year-old angler from Grand Rapids wins $300k in Bassmaster Classic
Grand Rapids native Easton Fothergill is the 2025 Bassmaster Classic Champion.
The 22-year-old rookie angler won the $300,000 championship, the top prize in bass fishing, Sunday at the tournament on Lake Ray Roberts in Ft. Worth, Texas.
Fothergill brought in a three-day total weight of 76 pounds, 15 ounces, which set a new record for the biggest winning weight in the 55-year history of the prestigious fishing tournament.
The feat is especially remarkable after Fothergill suffered a life-threatening, infected brain abscess and underwent emergency surgery in August 2023.
'For all the kids out there dreaming about competing in the Classic, this is proof that it can happen,' Fothergill said in a news release from Yamaha. 'The college bracket is why I am here today. Dream big, work hard and anything is possible.'
Fothergill earned an additional $20,000 over the weekend as part of the Yamaha Power Pay program.
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