Trey McKinney, at 21 years old, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the youngest Bassmaster Angler of the Year. However, his journey to the top of professional bass fishing involved more than just accumulating accolades; it also required earning the respect of his veteran peers in the Bassmaster Elite Series.
McKinney described his initial entry into the Elite Series as a period where he was the youngest competitor, and the established anglers were not immediately welcoming. "They're not a very welcoming crew to begin with," McKinney told OutKick OutDoors. "If you're somebody that's coming on the Elite Series, don't expect a warm hand of, 'Come on, buddy. The water's warm. Come on in. It's a great time.'"
He believes this initial difficulty is a standard part of the process. "Rookies coming in, you get a hard time. You've got to learn how to prove yourself," he said. "And once you do that, it honestly makes it that much sweeter."
McKinney's performance on the water has been strong from the start, finishing second in the Angler of the Year standings in each of his first two Elite seasons. Despite these early successes, he characterized the first couple of years as a "hard road" in terms of acceptance by other anglers. This past season, however, McKinney noted a shift. "This year, it's kind of watching things turn around a little bit, gaining respect from certain people that I would never see it from," he said.
The change in dynamics has allowed for more normal interactions. "Now I can go out and have a normal conversation with somebody, and they don't just — I'm like, 'Hey,' and they just turn around and walk off," McKinney explained. "Now we can have a conversation like man to man, and it's pretty special to see where it was to where it is now." He feels more welcome and enjoys the competitive environment while maintaining mutual respect with his fellow anglers.
McKinney's claim to belonging among the sport's best was further solidified during the final Elite Series event on the St. Lawrence River. He entered the competition with the Angler of the Year title within reach and achieved a personal best by catching a 30-pound, 11-ounce five-fish smallmouth limit on Day 2, the heaviest in Bassmaster history. This performance positioned him to potentially win both the tournament and the Angler of the Year title.
On the final day, McKinney experienced significant nervousness that he acknowledged affected his fishing. "I'd never been so nervous that it affected my fishing, really," he said. "But no, it really did that last day."
Despite the pressure of competing for a tournament win, $200,000, and the Angler of the Year title, McKinney eventually found his rhythm after landing a 6-pound bass early in the day. "Everything was good. Everything was all right, and we fished like normal Trey," he recalled.
Although McKinney finished second in the tournament, it was sufficient to secure the Angler of the Year title. Notably, Chris Johnston, who had bested McKinney in the AOY race for the two previous seasons, presented him with the trophy. McKinney expressed respect for Johnston, calling him an "unbelievable angler," and admitted satisfaction in finally surpassing him. "He beat me fair and square. It is what it was," McKinney said. "But it did feel good to finally get one on him. Like, 'Hey, yeah, you've had the last two years. This one's mine.'"
McKinney's victory broke a record previously held by Kevin VanDam, who became Bassmaster Angler of the Year in 1992 at 24 years old. McKinney was unaware until recently that he was still young enough to challenge VanDam's long-standing record. "It's pretty special," he said.
