Kung clinches first Bassmaster Elite Series title at St. Lawrence River

CLAYTON, N.Y., Aug. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Evan Kung entered this week's Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River in danger of losing his spot on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series for 2027. Not only did he save his spot on tour, the Canadian went ahead and won his first B.A.S.S. trophy, breaking records as he did it.

Kung blasted a four-day total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces to claim his first blue trophy, the heaviest winning weight consisting of all smallmouth in Bassmaster history, overtaking Patrick Walters 105-pound winning total at the St. Lawrence River in 2023. He also became a member of the Bassmaster Century Club for the first time. 

The victory also qualifies Kung for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops next March.

"This is by far my biggest win," Kung said. "It was a tough year for me, so it was great to end it like this. I couldn't think of a better ending." 

The second-year pro was in contention all week, opening the tournament in fourth place with a limit weighing 26-9 before jumping to second place on Day 2 with 28-9. He maintained second by landing 26-11 on Semifinal Saturday before taking the top spot with a sack weighing 27-12, a limit anchored by a 6-13 smallie that earned Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors. 

Trey McKinney, who led the first three days, finished second with 107-9 while Tucker Smith finished third with 107-1. Nine of the 10 anglers who fished on Championship Sunday earned Century Belts while all 10 anglers caught more than 21 pounds.

Entering the final event of the season in 72nd place, Kung knew he needed to have a good finish to maintain his Elite Series standing. So, each day of the tournament, he focused on catching what he felt was enough to stay above 70th in points before going to his big bass areas. 

"Every day I went out knowing I needed a certain amount to stay in the Elites," Kung said. "So, I did that and then looked for big ones. I worked out. I knew I could have swung for the fences the whole time, but I might not have caught them."

That strategy paid off but unfolded in different ways each day. On Day 1, when the wind and waves were at their roughest, Kung stayed in the river to land his limit. The next two days, Lake Ontario proved to be the more productive region while the St. Lawrence River produced his limit on the final day. 

Whether he was in the river or out on the lake, Kung targeted smallmouth in 20 to 40 feet of water around rock structure and cover. In the SLR, current breaks and big boulders held quality bass as well as flats with grass flats where smallies would roam. In Ontario, big boulders and humps were the targets.

"There were some fish roaming between the boulders," Kung said. "A lot of people like to go boulder to boulder, but I like to fish in between. When they get pressured, they will pull off and roam. I caught a bunch of those fish."

A Great Lakes Finesse Vibra Bug, a prototype lure, rigged on a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce drop shot with a BKK No. 2 drop-shot hook designed by Cory Johnston caught 90 percent of his smallmouth this week. He tossed the drop shot on a 724 Douglas X Matrix Series spinning rod paired with a 3000 Daiwa Exist reel spooled with 10-pound XBraid mainline and an 8-pound XBraid fluorocarbon leader.

On Sunday, wind and rain greeted anglers, which made the bite tougher than Kung expected. He started in the St. Lawrence River on a spot he felt could produce 18 pounds, enough to break the 100-pound mark. He ended up catching 22 pounds before moving to other areas in the river.

After a lull, Kung stopped at a spot he hadn't fished yet this week and landed a 5-pounder and a 5 3/4-pounder to increase his limit to 25 pounds. He then spent three hours in Lake Ontario without an upgrade before returning to that same spot and landing the 6-13.

"That was the difference in this one," Kung said. "I thought I would have a chance then. If (Trey) had beat me, I wouldn't have been upset."

McKinney may have fallen short of his third Elite Series win, but had an epic week nonetheless. The Carbondale, Ill., pro put the finishing touches on his first Angler of the Year title, becoming the youngest to ever hoist the trophy at 21 years old. 

On Day 2 of the tournament, he also set the mark for the heaviest single-day limit in B.A.S.S. history, a mega-bag weighing 30-11. 

"It was an unbelievable week," McKinney said. "I broke the record for heaviest bag, which I never would have thought would happen." 

While he had other spots to check, one big point at the mouth of Lake Ontario served as McKinney's home base this week. Most of the bottom was sand, but McKinney located subtle rock veins in 20 to 50 feet of water where smallmouth could hide and feed throughout the day. 

A drop shot rigged with a bug-style soft plastic was his best producing bait most of the week. He switched between a 1/2-ounce or a 3/4-ounce 6th Sense tungsten drop shot weight depending on depth and wave height. On Day 2, a 5-inch minnow bait caught four of his 6-pounders. 

With bags of 27-5, 24-12, 25-14 and 29-2, Alabama's Tucker Smith finished third with 107-1. The 2025 reigning Rookie of the Year ventured out to Lake Ontario every day and targeted humps, points and boulders located near major spawning areas.

"They were actually schooling up in those places," Smith said. "They were very tough to catch, but if you worked your bait perfectly you could get a couple of them to bite."

A Yamamoto Dagger Minnow rigged on a either a 3/8-ounce or 1/4-ounce jighead produced many of his bites.

Cole Sands earned $3,000 for catching the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament, a 7-6 he landed on Day 3. Steve Kennedy and Kyle Welcher earned $500 each for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Day 1 while Bryant Smith and Kung earned $1,000 each for Big Bass of Days 2 and 4. 

McKinney earned $2,000 for catching the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament.

Easton Fothergill won the $4,000 Toyota Bonus Bucks award for the highest-placing eligible angler. Stetson Blaylock won the $3,000 second-place bonus.

Sands won the $2,500 Yamaha Power-Pay contingency award for being the highest-placing eligible angler. Brandon Cobb took home $1,500 for being the second-highest eligible anlger.

McKinney won Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year with 735 points. Cory Johnston wrapped up the year with 731 points followed by Georgia's Drew Cook in third with 674 points. 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).

Georgia's Caleb Hudson won the Pro-Guide Batteries Elite Series Rookie of the Year with 621 points. Alabama's Fisher Anaya finished second with 619 followed by Texas pro Pake South in third with 569 points, Tennessee's Sam Hanggi in fourth 448 points and Tristan McCormick in fifth with 447 points. 

The 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River was hosted by the 1000 Islands Clayton Chamber of Commerce. 

Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]

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SOURCE B.A.S.S.