Illinois’s Trey McKinney is off to a fast start on Championship Sunday at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma.
First thing, he landed a 2-pounder and then one close to 4 pounds just outside of takeoff, an area that many anglers have focused their time on this week.
Using his forward sonar, McKinney has been targeting bass on a shallow point with a variety of baits. After fishing the shallow side with little luck, he moved to the deeper side and landed his biggest bass so far.
“I thought I forgot how to land one. Maybe because it’s Saturday,” McKinney said.
Currently, McKinney leads the tournament unofficially with 40-11 and a Day 3 weight of 5-8.
The 18-year-old is finishing his third final day of the Opens season. His best finish so far is a second place at Toledo Bend. With a 54th-place finish being his worst at Buggs Island, McKinney has put himself squarely in contention for an Elite bid.
If he were to win this event, McKinney would be one of the youngest anglers ever to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic.
