The Day 2 weigh-in at the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River opened with Trey McKinney, the 21-year-old star with two Elite Series trophies in three seasons, weighing the biggest bag of smallmouth ever caught in B.A.S.S. history.
The excitement was palpable in Clayton, N.Y. as McKinney held up the giant smallmouth bass that could very well make the difference in the Progressive Angler of the Year race.
Then, 35-year vet Mark Menendez stepped on stage for the final time. The Elite Series champion, a champion for bass fishing really, will lose his qualification at the end of this tournament. Later, Mike Iaconneli made his final appearance on the Elite Series stage as he retired from tournament competition.
The words of gratitude were heartfelt and genuine.
There’s no question a youth movement has been in full force in bass fishing the last several years, but today felt like a resounding changing of the guard. Youth surpassing their elders. Elders hoping the thing they worked so hard to build is in good hands..
The final full field day of competition is never an easy one, but this time at the St. Lawrence River had a different feel. It isn’t just anglers who have had a bad couple years getting cut, it’s pros who have made major differences in the sport and won tournaments saying goodbye to the only thing they’ve ever known: bass fishing.
On an afternoon where the Angler of the Year race somehow got more compelling, a wide range of emotions spilled out and the gravity of the sport felt particularly heavy.
Here’s what unfolded on Day 2.
Angler of the Year
As soon as Cory Johnston finished Day 1 in 14th with 25-7, you could see a rally coming from a mile away. The Canadian did rally, all the way into fourth place with a 28-5 sack of smallmouth that increased his two-day tally to 53-12. Yet, it wasn’t enough. At least not yet. Johnston moved up to fourth in the tournament, but still trails McKinney in AOY by five points and in the tournament by just under 3 pounds.
If you had made bets about who would have a better chance of catching the record breaking limit this week, Johnston would have been the overwhelming favorite over McKinney. Instead, the Illinois pro claimed a spot in the history books and the tournament lead.
Johnston is plenty capable of catching 30 pounds too, and before this tournament ends he likely will. He said after weigh-in that he laid off some of his best areas in hopes of catching the remaining bass the next two days.
How it feels right now, however, it is going to take a major stumble from the youngster for Johnston to have a shot at AOY.
The Canadian could still win the tournament, but not win AOY.
For McKinney, the pressure mounts, but the days of self-inflicected mistakes seem to be behind him. He checked in a half-hour early after landing his final 6-pounder in Lake Ontario. His 30 minute flurry of mega-smallies will live in Bassmaster lore for eternity if he goes on to win this Angler of the Year race.
At the moment, he is beating Johnston at his own game. The question remains; can he keep it up or will a Johnston claim another St. Lawrence and/or AOY trophy?
Rookie of the Year
With his back against the wall, Caleb Hudson made a stand on Day 2. He cracked 25-12 to jump inside the Top 50 cut and keep his Pro-Guide Rookie of the Year chances alive as Fisher Anaya stayed steady in ninth place.
Hudson entered the tournament with a 10 points advantage over the hard-charging Anaya, but now trails the Alabama pro by 18 points. He will need another big bag, and possibly some help from Anaya to reclaim the position he held most of the season.
Mathematically, Pake South stayed alive in the race by moving into the Top 12, but in order to win he would need Anaya and Hudson to have incredibly bad days in order for that to happen.
Unless both Hudson and Anaya both make the Top 10, this race will likely conclude tomorrow.
Classic Cut
As it stands, 45th in points is the cutline for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. The winner of this tournament also gets an automatic berth, which means the line could move to 46th place.
Here is how the cutline is shaping up.
40. Shane LeHew (504 points)
41. Emil Wagner (497)
42. Pat Schlapper (496)
43. Will Davis Jr. (493)
44. Kyle Patrick (488)
45. Carl Jocumsen (485)
46. Bryan Schmitt (481)
47. Drew Benton (480)
48. Hunter Shryock (479)
49. Lee Livesay (479)
50. Tucker Smith (478)
51. Justin Hamner (476)
Elite Requalification
The toughest part of the season is watching anglers realize their time on the Elite Series is over for now. KJ Queen looked like he was about to save his career on Day 1, only to fall short of the cutline on Day 2. Brad Whatley stayed inside the cut, but fell to 35th and doesn’t have much room to fall if he wants to stay above 70th in points.
Wes Logan was safe before this tournament, but a really tough Day 2 left him with a 70th place finish and made him 70th in points. An 80th place finish for Clifford Pirch certainly did not help his case either
Remember, all of this is unofficial until the Elite Series roster is complete after the Nation Championship and the EQ finale.
Who helped their cause: Evan Kung (2nd; 55-2), Caleb Sumrall (37th; 47-12), Logan Parks (41st; 47-9), Bryan New (43rd; 47-5)
Who hurt their cause: Brandon Card (49th; 46-13), Beau Browning (54th; 46-7), Wes Logan (70th; 44-9), Jason Williamson (87th; 40-1), Caleb Kuphall (82nd; 41-12), Clifford Pirch (80th; 42-2), Mark Menendez (94th; 33-5)
Good showings by anglers unlikely to requalify for the Elite Series: Greg DiPalma (21st, 49-5), Kenta Kimura (38th, 47-12).
In flux: Brad Whatley (35th; 47-14)
