If you’ve followed Jay Przekurat’s Bassmaster Elite Series career, now in only its fourth season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his name atop the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings at season’s end. That’s where Przekurat’s name is now, four tournaments in to a nine-event season.
After finishing fifth at Lake Hartwell, the 25-year-old Wisconsin angler has a 28-point lead over Will Davis Jr. and a 31-point lead over third place Bryant Smith. Only once in the last five seasons has the angler leading AOY after four events gone on to win AOY. That was Seth Feider in 2021, and even he gave up the lead after the seventh tournament before finishing with a 61-point lead over second place Chris Johnston.
Yes, it’s way early to be making any predictions about this year’s AOY title. John Garrett, who was leading after top-four finishes in the first two events of the year, is now in 15th place after placing 39th and 84th in the next two tournaments.
With events over the next two weeks at Lake Fork and the Sabine River, which are about as different as two fisheries can be, you’re likely to see plenty of wild swings in the AOY standings. Already in his young career, Przekurat has posted solid finishes at both venues, making it seem possible that this might be the year the versatile young pro stays in the hunt for the AOY title all the way until the end.
The worst finish in Przekurat’s Elite Series career came in his rookie season when he was 74th at Lake Fork. Last year he was 16th there. It’s that type of improvement plus remarkable consistency that makes him a force. Przekurat finished 10th in the AOY standings his rookie year, sixth in 2023 and seventh last year.
Here’s a look back in recent history of the AOY race after four events and how it finished:
- 2024 – Trey McKinney was in first place and Chris Johnston was third, 38 points back, when Johnston won.
- 2023 – Brandon Cobb was in first and Kyle Welcher was 54 points behind him in fifth place when Welcher won.
- 2022 – John Cox was in first and Brandon Palaniuk was second, 10 points behind, when Palaniuk won.
- 2021 – Jamie Hartman was in first place and Clark Wendlandt was in a tie for fifth, 25 points back, when Wendlandt won.
Editor’s note: See full AOY standings
