It doesn’t get much better than this. Three anglers separated by two points at the top of the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race heading into the final Elite event at the St. Lawrence River, all of whom are smallmouth sticks.
Buckle up, it’s going to be an exciting ride.
Here are the storylines to keep an eye on as this tournament unfolds this week.
Johnston, McKinney rivalry writes a new chapter
A few days after the Lake Champlain Elite wrapped up, Cory Johnston posted a photo with Lee Livesay and Trey McKinney was stuck between them in the back seat of a car. The caption: “They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
All three were smiling as they took that picture, presumably heading to a 6th Sense product meeting as teammates. Being a fly on the window for the rest of that car ride would have been an interesting experience. You have to wonder what each was thinking, or how much trash talk was exchanged.
McKinney, the AOY leader trying to claim his first season-long title in three attempts, leads Johnston by just two points heading into the St. Lawrence River Elite, the fishery the Canadian loves more than anywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere. McKinney has finished second in the points twice, both times falling to Cory’s younger brother Chris.
The only person in the field who may know the playing field better than Cory is Chris, which is why leaving Lake Champlain with a lead was so important for the 21-year-old from Carbondale, Ill. He certainly would have liked to have a greater margin for error than he does right now.
Admittedly, McKinney believes his weaknesses lie in smallmouth country, but as an Elite Series pro, there’s little evidence it’s a true weakness. He won at Lake St. Clair last year, finished third at St. Lawrence in 2024. The only blemishes are an 88th-place finish in Waddington in the 2023 Open, a respectable finish for a nearly 215-boat field, and a 42nd at the 2024 Lake Champlain Elite.
It would shock no one if Cory won the tournament. He has three B.A.S.S. victories on the St. Lawrence plus four other Top 10 finishes in Opens and Elites. Then there are countless other victories in Canadian events.
There’s no doubt McKinney is a great angler, and it’s only a matter of when and not if he wins an AOY, but this might be his toughest test yet. Can he go toe to toe with Johnston and hold off the veteran? That is this week’s biggest question.
A memory from the past
In the earlier days of the Elite Series, Oklahoma’s Jeff Kriet had a chance to win the Elite at Grand Lake and the 2010 Bassmaster Classic at Lay Lake, but Kevin VanDam was there to take the trophy away from Kriet.
Shoutout to Kriet, who has built an envious charter empire on the Florida coast in retirement. Even the sunshine and saltwater probably can’t totally heal the scars of being hunted by the arguable GOAT over and over again.
McKinney’s competition with the Johnstons already has that feel, but will have an extra string if Cory passes him at the St. Lawrence.
…But don’t forget about Drew Cook
Drew Cook is certainly the under-talked-about story in this equation. He is second, one point behind McKinney in the race for the $100,000 prize on the heels of three-straight top five finishes at Santee Cooper Lakes, Pasquotank River and Lake Champlain.
Given the choice between the three AOY contenders, most would pick Johnston first for a smallmouth-centric fantasy team, but the Georgia pro known for his incredible sight-fishing skills is an underrated smallmouth stick, and the St. Lawrence has been good to him in the past.
In 2025, Cook won an NPFL event here, a tournament where he ran all the way from Massena to Lake Ontario. In three days he caught 77-6, a massive total considering how little fishing time he had.
In Elite Series competition, he has finishes of 35th, 74th, 24th, 22nd, 15th and 22nd. To win his first Angler of the Year title, the 2019 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year will need to have a showing that looks more like the NPFL event.
The possibility of an insane Sunday
Most would consider Cory a lock for Championship Sunday. McKinney’s only Elite Series showing in Clayton resulted in a third-place finish. As mentioned above, Cook won here just last year.
It is more than possible all three anglers could make Championship Sunday, which might just break the bass fishing internet. In that scenario, we could have a three-way tie … and then total weight for the year comes into play. Cook leads that category with 271-12 through eight tournaments.
Anaya, Hudson battling it out for Rookie of the Year
Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Rookie of the Year is also coming down to the wire. After a hot start to the season, Caleb Hudson has Fisher Anaya breathing down his neck. The gap between the two is 12 points, while 46 points separate Anaya from his travel partner Pake South in third.
It is an intriguing match-up considering offshore finesse fishing with forward-facing sonar is a strong suit of both anglers. It will come down to who finds the best areas, or even who keeps the most smallmouth hooked.
If Anaya were to win, it would be the second time in three years an angler below the legal drinking age wins ROY. The other angler to do that is, of course, McKinney in 2024.
Same old, same old?
The most productive baits in this neck of the woods are no secret at this point: minnows, drop shots, Ned rigs and maybe a hair jig and spinnerbait if the smallies are shallow enough. Will the winning strategy include a different bait than we’ve seen in the past? Chances are probably not if the bass are in deep water.
That said, will the bait of the year play a role? The Coike and other urchin baits caught smallies at Lake Champlain, and many anglers will surely test it out at this event too. Also look for a Carolina rig to play a role if conditions get rough.
Quietly excellent seasons
- Bob Downey (fourth in AOY)
- Jay Przekurat, somehow (eighth)
- Andrew Loberg (ninth)
- Jeff Gustafson (25th)
Quietly disappointing seasons
- Emil Wagner (51st)
- Tristan McCormick (61st)
- Luke Palmer (65th)
- Jacob Powroznik (73rd)
Careers at a crossroads
It is well documented how important making the Top 10 at Lake Champlain was for Caleb Sumrall and Beau Browning. Now, they have to do it one more time.
To avoid having their Elite Series qualification called into question, anglers must finish above 70th in Angler of the Year. From there, career average is tallied and anglers with the lowest career average will be relegated to the 2026 Elite Qualifiers or the 2027 Bassmaster Opens.
Sumrall and Browning are two of those in question, but they could work their way out of that conversation with another good finish at the St Lawrence. Sumrall is in 71st, 16 points behind Bryan New in 69th. Browning has a steeper mountain to climb. He is 77th, 35 points behind New.
Brad Whatley and Mark Menendez are tied for 74th, 23 points away from safety. Finish above 70th, and they are back next year. Finish below, and they are likely cut.
Anglers like Blake Capps and Greg DiPalma have likely dug holes they cannot lift themselves out of, even if they manage to win this final tournament. That illustrates how brutal this sport can be.
Kenta Kimura was one of the most consistent pros across the Bassmaster Opens and Elites from 2022 to 2023. Now, he faces the idea of losing his Elite Series spot.
Caleb Kuphall and Jason Williamson each have two Elite Series trophies. They both find themselves in the danger zone.
Unexpectedly, Brandon Card is also in a somewhat precarious spot. The former Rookie of the Year with 24 Top 10s is 88th in points and has missed the Classic two years in a row. A solid finish this week will keep his name out of the relegation ring. But if he tanks, a string of disappointing AOY finishes between 2016 and 2019 could come back to haunt him. Wes Logan is uncomfortably close to the cut too.
It is important to remember Buddy Gross and Jamie Hartman have already withdrawn from the Elite Series, and the cuts will be unofficial for quite some time after the St. Lawrence. Mike Iaconelli’s retirement will free up a spot, and there’s the potential for unexpected departures. If an angler declines their invite from the Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers or Nation Championship, that spot will also go back to the Elite Series.
Other anglers to watch
Bryant Smith: The Californian caught the heaviest bag of smallmouth in B.A.S.S. history in 2024 that weighed in at 29-5. In his short B.A.S.S. career, Smith has been solid in smallmouth country, and deep, clear lakes line up with his strengths.
Justin Hamner: Hamner notched a Top 10 here in 2023, but he lost his chance at winning the 2024 Angler of the Year race with a 61st-place finish in that season’s finale. In order to make the 2027 Classic and join his buddy Wyatt Burkhalter and roommate Patrick Walters at Lake Hartwell, Hamner will need to capture the 2023 magic. The 2024 Classic champ sits 50th right now in points.
Evan Kung: Kung is fighting for his Elite Series life. The Canadian is 72nd in points, and with a good finish he can rise above the 70th-place threshold and avoid being considered for relegation. He doesn’t have an Elite Series start on the St. Lawrence, but he finished 18th in last year’s Open and 14th in the 2023 Open, both out of Waddington.
Alex Redwine: The Ohioan is on the brink of clinching his third-straight Classic appearance, and he can officially jump inside the cut with a solid finish at the St. Lawrence, a fishery where he has two Elite Series top 30s and a 12th-place finish in an Open.
Aaron Jagdfeld: It certainly has not been the rookie season he was hoping for, but Jagdfeld gets to end the season doing what he loves: fishing the Great Lakes for big smallmouth bass. He should be able to end the season on a high note and build some positive momentum for 2027. A Top 10 finish at last week’s Open on Lake Erie will hopefully jump-start that effort.
