What a season for Trey McKinney so far.
Trey kicked off the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series with a win at Lake Fork, and a then followed it up with a 12th place finish at Toledo Bend to put him atop the Angler of the Year leaderboard, tied with fellow rookie angler, Ben Milliken. Of course, that also means he’s tied with Ben atop the Rookie of the Year leaderboard as well.
But during the first tournament of the year, on Texas’ Lake Fork, Trey caught a 5-pound largemouth bass on jerkbait, and looking back, it might’ve been a sign of things to come.
Trey hooked into a biggin’ on a jerkbait, and tragically, broke off… he lost both the fish and his lure.
It’s something every angler has experienced, although I imagine it hurts a little more during an Elite Series tournament. But that’s what we love about fishing… the heartbreak, the successes… everything about it just draws you back for more.
So a little while later, Trey hooks into another big largemouth, and wouldn’t you know it, this was the same tank he broke off earlier in the day. And it still had his jerkbait in its mouth. You get a keeper fish and your lure back… what a combo.
A tournament for the books.
