CLAYTON, N.Y., Aug. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trey McKinney has finally defeated the Johnstons.
Thanks to a second-place finish in a heavy-weight battle at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, the third-year pro from Carbondale, Ill., claimed his first Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, earning 735 points over the nine-event season to outlast Canadian Cory Johnston and become the youngest angler ever to win the prestigious trophy.
The previous owner of that title: Kevin VanDam, who was 24 when he won his first AOY in 1992.
“This feels unbelievable,” McKinney said. “When I caught the 6-pounder later in the day, I knew that bass had won me $100,000 and Angler of the Year, something I have dreamed of all of my life. I choked trying to win it for the last two years and have been so close. Then I immediately thought about trying to win the tournament.
“It was a grinder year for sure. I was up, down, sideways, behind, ahead. I respect Cory so much. He caught them so many times when I didn’t.”
With the $100,000 check, McKinney now has over $900 thousand in career earnings. He is on pace to become one of the greatest tournament anglers ever, but for McKinney, his next bite is still the most important.
“I know one thing, I’m never going to stop working hard at it,” he said. “When they quit biting is when I quit catching. So, if they are biting, I’m going to catch as many as I can and win as much as I can.”
Each of his first two seasons as a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro, McKinney finished second to Chris Johnston, Cory’s younger brother, and for a moment in time it seemed like the older brother might take another title away from the 21-year-old phenom. But on Johnston’s home waters, and only two points separating the two entering the event, McKinney rose to the occasion.
Breaking records in the process, McKinney earned his second Century Belt and overcame a slow final morning to land a 6-pounder late in the day and put the finishing touches on the season.
After suffering another disappointing defeat in 2025, and a switch in format to a split forward facing and non-FFS schedule, McKinney opened the season by clinching a ninth-place finish at Lake Guntersville, a non-FFS event. From there, he notched a 20th at Lake Martin, 15th at the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, 10th at the Arkansas River and then 5th at Lake Murray.
“You never really know the Lord’s plan, but I think it was a blessing to win it in the new format,” McKinney said. “There’s really not much anyone can say ever again.”
He had built a substantial lead over the field in the AOY race, and it looked like it would be smooth sailing to the title. Then he arrived at Santee Cooper. Hampered by a bad practice and boat problems, McKinney finished 90th in the South Carolina Lowcountry, allowing Cory to take the AOY lead.
The Pasquotank River looked equally as dim midway through Day 1, but McKinney managed to wrangle 14-2 to finish the day in 34th, sparking a rally that helped him reclaim the AOY lead with an 11th place finish.
“Once I put myself back in it at Pasquotank, I knew I would be okay,” McKinney said. “For once in my life, I played it safe and it worked out. Usually when I play it safe, I will just catch an average bag. I decided to stay in the Pasquotank, and I made do with what I had.”
A 21st place finish at Lake Champlain made the race tighter than he had hoped, but he entered the St. Lawrence River with the mindset that he needed to win and nearly pulled that off too.
As perfect as the first three days were, the final day did not go how he planned, but one catch turned the day around.
“I could have eaten a bullet today. I was so nervous,” McKinney said. I was shaking all day. I wasn’t catching the right bass to start the day. I was breaking fish off. Then I started getting some bites and had all 4 1/2’s. Then I caught a 6, and that was the bass that made the difference. I was about to leave, then something told me to go a little further. So I did, and I saw the rock structure she was behind.
“If I wouldn’t have made a few right moves, this could have gone a whole lot differently.”
Johnston wrapped up the year with 731 points and a $50,000 bonus followed by Georgia’s Drew Cook in third with 674 points, who earned a $25,000 check. Tennessee’s Cole Sands was fourth place with 657 points; South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb finished fifth (656); Tennessee’s John Garrett finishes sixth (629); Georgia’s Caleb Hudson finished seventh (621); Alabama’s Fisher Anaya finished eighth (619); Georgia’s Paul Marks finished ninth (618) and Alabama’s Andrew Loberg finished 10th (617).
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, mpascal@bassmaster.com
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