Fishing

Day 1 Bassmaster Classic at Ray Roberts: 20-Year-Old Fishing Phenom Trey McKinney Grabs Lead

Illinois’ McKinney Leads the Bassmaster Classic with a 26-9 Limit Despite Relentless High Winds

Kurt Mazurek

The youngest angler ever to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic takes the lead with a massive 26-9 limit.
The youngest angler ever to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic takes the lead with a massive 26-9 limit. / B.A.S.S. | Kyle Jessie

McKinney’s Historic First Day at the Bassmaster Classic

Emcee Dave Mercer welcomed Carbondale, Illinois’ Trey McKinney to the stage. “He’s the youngest Elite series champion in history. He’s the youngest person ever to qualify to fish the Bassmaster Classic. He has already earned a Century Belt and weighed in the third biggest winning limit in Elite Series history.”

And with all the ease and confidence of someone twice his barely 20-years of age, he smashed a 26 pound, 9 ounce bag onto the scale to take the lead in his first day ever competing in the world’s most-celebrated fishing tournament, the Bassmaster Classic.

Trey McKinney holding up two bass on the Bassmaster Classic weigh in stage.
Trey McKinney lost the use of his forward-facing sonar around midday, but still secures the top spot. / B.A.S.S. | Kyle Jessie

The morning started strong, when he caught a big 7-pounder just after 9 a.m. His next two fish, a 5-pounder and a 4-8, put him in the lead with 16 1/2 pounds by just after 10 o’clock. Then a pair of 4-12s caught just after noon.

Battling High Winds and Technical Setbacks

Shortly after that his forward-facing sonar malfunctioned thanks to a run through some big waves brought on by this week’s relentless winds. But with approximately 26 pounds in the box, McKinney didn’t panic, assuming he was probably near the top of the leader board.

McKinney said, “Whether we’re leading it or we’re close, it didn’t matter. What mattered was I didn’t lose it on the first day.”

Trey McKinney leaning over the edge of his boat to grab a big bass.
The Trey McKinney show started early and stayed steady all morning. / B.A.S.S. | S. Glenn

Finding Fresh Bass: Tomorrow’s Game Plan

The plan for tomorrow is to look for “fresh ones” — bass that haven’t been pressured by the rest of the field and my be moving toward shore to spawn.

“It’s the end of March,” he said. “They’re coming at some point, whether it’s to spawn or coming to the trees I’m fishing. Some fish are going to be moving around. I want the ones that haven’t seen a bait every five minutes.”

Cory Johnston and Easton Fothergill Stay in Contention

Cory Johnston, put on a show of his own today, finishing right behind McKinney with a robust 25-9 limit. He says he hit more than 20 different spots Friday on Ray Roberts and expects to do more of the same on Day 2.

Cory Johnston holding up two bass on the Bassmaster Classic weigh-in stage.
Cory Johnston is a scary guy to have in your rear view mirror. He finished the day in second place, just one pound off the laed. / B.A.S.S. | Kyle Jessie

“Whenever I can find the right cover, I feel like they’ll bite,” Johnston said. “They’re all tight to cover, right on the bottom. I’m not gonna leave any fish out there tomorrow … I didn’t back off today. I went looking for a lot of new water today. I pulled what I could.”

Another young fishing phenom, Easton Fothergill, finished the day in third place with 24-15.

“I have a pretty good pattern going, fishing four different areas in various places on the lake” he said. “I tried to practice pretty strategically, knowing the wind was going to blow all week long. I had two places out of the wind today and I only hit one of them. That was my goal, to save one of those spots for tomorrow.”

Easton Fothergill leaning over the edge of his boat to grab a big Texas bass.
With competitors like McKinney and Fothergill, he field of young anglers is stronger than ever. / B.A.S.S. | C. Sansom

Big Bass of the Day: John Garrett’s 8-12 Texas Giant

Tennessee pro John Garrett, set the mark for Big Bass at 8 pounds, 12 ounces.

Day 2 Preview: Expect Bigger Bags as Conditions Improve

With slightly less wind and warmer temperatures predicted for tomorrow, it’s likely that more of the field will find their fish to be more cooperative. Expect big things.

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Kurt Mazurek
KURT MAZUREK

Kurt Mazurek writes about all things fishing and the fishing lifestyle for Sports Illustrated. He has had a successful career in the fishing industry, developing marketing and creative content for many of the sport’s most recognizable brands. He is an enthusiastic bass tournament competitor, YouTuber, photographer, and is the author of the novel "Personal Best: fishing and life”

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