Kung's Record 109-9 Wins St. Lawrence as McKinney Claims AOY at 21
The 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series regular season went out with fireworks on the St. Lawrence River. A Canadian pro rewrote the smallmouth record book to claim his first blue trophy, a 21-year-old made history as the youngest Angler of the Year ever, and up on Lake Champlain, one Vermont family turned MLF's Toyota Series Northern Division finale into a household affair. Here's everything that mattered in tournament bass fishing for the week of August 24-31.
Evan Kung Wins the Elite Series Finale With the Heaviest All-Smallmouth Total in Bassmaster History
The Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River (Clayton, New York) wrapped up Sunday, August 30, and it was a tournament for the record books. Canadian pro Evan Kung stacked up four remarkably consistent days — 26-9, 28-9, 26-11 and 27-12 — for a winning total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces, the heaviest all-smallmouth winning weight in B.A.S.S. history. The previous benchmark was Patrick Walters' 105-pound total on the same river in 2023.
The win didn't come easy. Trey McKinney pushed Kung to the wire, finishing second at 107-9 — just 1 pound, 14 ounces back — after weighing a jaw-dropping 30-11 on Day 2, the biggest smallmouth bag ever recorded in Bassmaster competition.
Kung did the bulk of his damage with a drop-shot rig tipped with a prototype Great Lakes Finesse Vibra Bug, which he estimated accounted for roughly 90 percent of his catches. He targeted smallmouth in 20 to 40 feet of water around rock structure, boulders and grass flats in both the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.
The victory checks a lot of boxes at once: Kung's first Elite Series title, entry into the Bassmaster Century Club (100-plus pounds in a four-day event), and a berth in the 2027 Bassmaster Classic. Alabama's Tucker Smith led Day 1 with 27-5 after braving rough water, and Cole Sands took tournament big bass honors with a 7-6 smallmouth on Day 3.
Trey McKinney, 21, Becomes the Youngest Angler of the Year in B.A.S.S. History
McKinney's runner-up finish was worth far more than second-place money. The Carbondale, Illinois pro entered the season finale trailing the Johnston brothers in the points race and stormed past them, locking up the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 735 points on Sunday, August 30.
At 21 years old — and in just his third season on the Elite Series — McKinney becomes the youngest AOY winner in B.A.S.S. history, breaking a record Kevin VanDam had held since 1992. Add in his record 30-11 single-day smallmouth limit at the same event, and it was arguably the most historic weekend of any angler's 2026 season.
In the other season-long race, Caleb Hudson claimed the Pro Guide Batteries Rookie of the Year title with 621 points, narrowly edging Fisher Anaya.
MLF: LaBelle Family Sweeps the Toyota Series Finale on Lake Champlain
On the MLF side, the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats closed out its Northern Division season August 27-29 at Lake Champlain out of Plattsburgh, New York — and it turned into a family celebration. Vermont's Bryan LaBelle, a longtime Champlain hammer who won the Toyota Series event there in 2022, ran down the win on his home water after overtaking the early leaders on Day 2. The LaBelles made it a father-and-son sweep, claiming both the pro and co-angler (Strike King division) titles at the same event.
It also caps a big August for MLF season-long hardware: Oklahoma pro Zack Birge officially put a bow on the 2026 Bass Pro Tour Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title, clinched earlier in the month at Suzuki Marine Stage 7 in Sandusky, Ohio (August 6-9). Birge's career year included a win at Stage 3 on Lake Waco, five Top 10s in six Bass Pro Tour events, and the $100,000 AOY prize plus a $5,000 Mercury Marine bonus — part of a season that pushed his winnings past the half-million-dollar mark.
Photo by Phoenix Moore / Major League Fishing, used by permission
What's Next
With the Elite Series regular season complete, attention turns to the 2027 Bassmaster Classic qualification picture — Kung has already punched his ticket with the St. Lawrence win, and McKinney heads into the offseason as the sport's youngest-ever points champion. On the MLF side, the Toyota Series divisional seasons are winding down ahead of the championship, and Birge's AOY campaign closes the book on the 2026 Bass Pro Tour points race. We'll be tracking the fall championship slate as schedules firm up.
FAQ
Who won the 2026 Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River? Canadian pro Evan Kung won the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River (August 30, 2026) with a four-day total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces — the heaviest all-smallmouth winning weight in B.A.S.S. history. It was his first Elite Series victory and earned him a 2027 Bassmaster Classic berth.
Who is the youngest Bassmaster Angler of the Year ever? Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Illinois. At 21 years old, he clinched the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 735 points, breaking the youngest-AOY record Kevin VanDam had held since 1992.
What bait did Evan Kung use to win at the St. Lawrence River? Kung relied on a drop-shot rig with a prototype Great Lakes Finesse Vibra Bug for roughly 90 percent of his catches, fishing rock, boulders and grass flats in 20 to 40 feet in the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.
Who won the MLF Toyota Series at Lake Champlain in 2026? Vermont's Bryan LaBelle won the pro division of the Toyota Series Northern Division finale at Lake Champlain (August 27-29, 2026, out of Plattsburgh, New York), while his son won the co-angler division — a father-son sweep. It was LaBelle's second Toyota Series win on Champlain, following his 2022 title.
Who won the 2026 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year? Oklahoma's Zack Birge claimed the 2026 Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title on the MLF Bass Pro Tour, clinching it at Stage 7 in Sandusky, Ohio. The title came with a $100,000 prize and capped a season with five Top 10s in six events.
That's the week in professional bass fishing. Check back every week for verified results, standings moves and industry news from MLF and Bassmaster — and if you're chasing your own trophy smallmouth this fall, browse our GPS-verified spots on the marketplace.