Evan Kung produced a dramatic final-day comeback to win the Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, overtaking overnight leader Trey McKinney in the closing stages of the 2026 regular-season finale. The event was historic in its own right, with nine anglers surpassing 100 pounds of fish across four days — the most Century Belts ever awarded at a single smallmouth tournament — while Kung's victory carried extra weight as he had entered the week needing a strong result simply to retain his place on the Elite Series tour.

Kung trailed McKinney's overnight total of 83lb 5oz by a pound and a half heading into the final day, but weighed in a bag of 27lb 12oz to move ahead at 109lb 9oz, also claiming the Big Bass award with a fish of 6lb 13oz. McKinney needed 26lb 8oz to respond and fell two pounds short, handing Kung the title in the tournament's dying minutes, though McKinney's runner-up finish secured him the season-long Angler of the Year award. Elsewhere in a stacked top ten, Tucker Smith, Cory Johnston, Cole Sands, Brandon Cobb, JT Thompkins, Bryant Smith and Fisher Anaya all also broke the 100lb barrier, with only Easton Fothergill narrowly missing out in tenth place.