Trey McKinney has become the youngest angler ever to win the Bassmaster Elite Series' Angler of the Year title, clinching the award at 21 after the season-ending tournament on the St Lawrence River in Clayton, New York. The honour is decided by cumulative points across all nine regular-season events rather than by winning any single event, and McKinney's victory ends two consecutive runner-up finishes behind Chris Johnston, who presented him with the trophy. In doing so, McKinney broke a record for youngest winner that had stood since 1992, when it was set by Kevin VanDam.

McKinney finished the St Lawrence River tournament itself in second place, two pounds behind winner Evan Kung, but said the season-long title, not the event win, was his sole focus throughout the week. He described the closing hours as the most nervous he has ever been on the water, ultimately sealing his points lead with a late six-pound catch. Earlier in the week he also landed the heaviest five-fish smallmouth limit in Bassmaster history, 30lb 11oz, and earned a Century Belt. Separately, Caleb Hudson secured the Rookie of the Year title without fishing on the final day, having missed the Championship Sunday cut but held on as rival Fisher Anaya's ninth-place finish fell short of overtaking him; Hudson also received a $10,000 bonus.