21-Year-Old Trey McKinney Becomes Youngest Bassmaster Angler of the Year After Record Catch

Trey McKinney arrived on the Bassmaster Elite Series as a teenager and quickly rose to prominence, earning Rookie of the Year and becoming the youngest Elite Series winner. After two seasons as runner-up to Chris Johnston, he finally broke through on the St. Lawrence River, landing a record 30-pound, 11-ounce smallmouth limit on Day 2. The pressure of the final eight-hour day affected his early fishing, but a later 6-pound catch helped him secure second place in the tournament and enough points to claim Angler of the Year.

The trophy was presented by Johnston, the angler who had bested him in the previous two AOY races. In doing so, McKinney also surpassed Kevin VanDam's 1992 record as the youngest Angler of the Year. He noted that earning the veterans' respect made the achievement even sweeter.