Kung Breaks Smallmouth Record; McKinney Youngest-Ever AOY
The 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series regular season went out with a bang at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River in Clayton, New York, where the smallmouth-rich fishery rewrote the record books and delivered a career-saving, first-career win.
Kung's gutsy gamble breaks the smallmouth record
Canadian pro Evan Kung of Pickering, Ontario, ran down Day 3 leader Trey McKinney on the final morning to claim his first Elite Series trophy with a four-day total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces. That mark is the heaviest all-smallmouth winning weight in Bassmaster history, eclipsing Patrick Walters' 105-pound total from the same river in 2023, and it made the 27-year-old a first-time member of the Bassmaster Century Club.
The win was as timely as it was historic. Kung entered the week sitting 72nd in the season standings and needed a strong finish just to crack the top 70 and keep his tour card for 2027. Instead of merely surviving, he built a lead over four consistent days and sealed the deal with a Phoenix Boats Big Bass of 6 pounds, 13 ounces on the final day, banking the $100,000 winner's check (plus a $1,000 daily big-fish bonus) and punching his ticket to the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic.
Illustration
Goby-imitating baits and forward-facing electronics ruled the week on the goby-fed St. Lawrence, where anglers ran the classic Great Lakes smallmouth playbook—drop-shots, tubes, hair jigs and swimbaits—to target roaming schools on offshore rock and current-swept flats. The fishery was so generous that nine anglers cleared the 100-pound mark, the most Century Belts ever awarded at a single smallmouth event, and 99 pounds wasn't even enough to crack the top nine. Tucker Smith (107-1) and Cory Johnston (106-7) rounded out the top four behind Kung and McKinney.
McKinney becomes youngest AOY in B.A.S.S. history
While Kung took the trophy, 21-year-old Trey McKinney stole the season. The third-year pro from Carbondale, Illinois, finished runner-up—about two pounds behind Kung—to lock up his first Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 735 points, edging Cory Johnston (731). In doing so, McKinney became the youngest AOY in Bassmaster history, breaking a record Kevin VanDam had held since 1992, when he won his first at age 24.
McKinney had finished second in AOY each of his first two seasons behind Chris Johnston, so beating the Johnstons on their home water carried extra weight. He did it in style, boating a 30-pound, 11-ounce limit on Day 2—the heaviest five-fish smallmouth bag ever weighed in Bassmaster competition—and earning his own Century Belt for the week. Rounding out the season awards, Georgia's Caleb Hudson claimed Pro Guide Batteries Rookie of the Year (621 points), holding off Alabama's Fisher Anaya (619) by two points and collecting a $10,000 bonus.
MLF standings note: a quiet week
There was no Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour event in the past week—the BPT season wrapped up earlier in August at Suzuki Marine Stage 7 on Lake Erie, where Justin Lucas won the finale (98-11) and Oklahoma's Zack Birge secured the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title. With the top circuits now between events, attention shifts to postseason and championship qualifying, but the headline this week belongs entirely to the St. Lawrence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River? Evan Kung of Pickering, Ontario, won with a four-day total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces—the heaviest all-smallmouth winning weight in Bassmaster history.
Why was Kung's weight a record? His 109-9 broke Patrick Walters' previous all-smallmouth record of 105 pounds, set on the same St. Lawrence River in 2023.
Who won the 2026 Bassmaster Angler of the Year? Trey McKinney, 21, of Carbondale, Illinois, won AOY with 735 points, becoming the youngest AOY in B.A.S.S. history and breaking Kevin VanDam's long-standing record.
How many anglers hit 100 pounds at this event? Nine anglers topped 100 pounds—the most Century Belts ever awarded at a single smallmouth tournament in Bassmaster history.
Was there a Major League Fishing event this week? No. The MLF Bass Pro Tour season concluded earlier in August; this week was quiet on the MLF side, with Justin Lucas the last BPT winner and Zack Birge the 2026 Fishing Clash AOY.
That's your roundup. The Elite regular season is in the books, the Classic field is filling out, and a 21-year-old just made history—see you next week on BassFishing.World.