Statistic Sketches

Bryant Smith, 35, of Roseville, CA, made the biggest rise in the 2026 Elite Series AOY race, climbing 70 spots from his lowest position of 91st to finish 21st. Smith started the 2026 season ranked 32nd after Lake Guntersville. His AOY rank dropped to 69th after Lake Martin, where he placed 91st. He then began a steady climb, reaching 47th after the Arkansas River, 31st after Lake Murray, and 29th after Santee Cooper Lakes. Despite a brief dip to 37th after the Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound, Smith finished the season strong, ending at 21st after the St. Lawrence River on Aug. 27, 2026. He never led the AOY race.

In the 2024 Elite Series, Justin Hamner, 33, of Northport, Ala., finished fifth, with Jordan Lee, 33, of Cullman, Ala., ninth, and Wesley Gore, 24, of Clanton, Ala., tenth. Will Davis Jr, 33, of Sylacauga, Ala., climbed 14 spots to finish fifth in 2025, while Justin Atkins, 35, of Florence, Ala., rose six spots to 18th, and Tucker Smith, 24, of Birmingham, Ala., debuted with a ninth-place finish. Andrew Loberg, 33, of Guntersville, Ala., jumped 31 spots to tenth in 2026. Fisher Anaya, 21, of Eva, Ala., debuted strong that year, finishing eighth. Kyle Welcher, 33, of Valley, Ala., improved his rank from 46th in 2024 to 18th in 2026.

The ELITE SERIES seasons from 2006 to 2026 saw several states achieve Angler of the Year titles. New Jersey led with Michael Iaconelli in 2006, while California's Skeet Reese claimed the title in 2007, 2009, and 2010. Michigan's Kevin VanDam secured AOY in 2008 and 2011. Kansas saw Brent Chapman win in 2012. Alabama has had the most AOY winners, including Aaron Martens (2013, 2015), Gerald Swindle (2016), Justin Lucas (2018), Scott Canterbury (2019), and Kyle Welcher (2023). Louisiana's Greg Hackney won in 2014. Idaho's Brandon Palaniuk earned titles in 2017 and 2022. Texas's Clark Wendlandt was AOY in 2020, followed by Minnesota's Seth Feider in 2021. Canada's Chris Johnston won in 2024 and 2025, and Illinois' Trey McKinney won in 2026.

Trey McKinney reached No. 1 in his third career Elite Series season in 2026, after finishing No. 2 in both his first (2024) and second (2025) seasons. This trajectory mirrors Kevin VanDam's, who also claimed the No. 1 spot in his third career season (2008) after placing No. 3 in 2006 and No. 2 in 2007. Skeet Reese showed the most dramatic early rise, climbing from No. 7 in his 2006 debut season to No. 1 in his second career season (2007), before finishing No. 4 in his third season (2008). This comparison covers only each angler's first three career seasons.

The 2026 Elite Series Angler of the Year race concluded after nine events on Aug. 27, 2026, with Trey McKinney winning the title. McKinney led after Event 1, then Cory Johnston took the lead after Event 2. McKinney regained the lead after Event 3 and held it through Event 5. Johnston again led after Event 6, but McKinney took over after Event 7 and held the lead through Event 9, finishing with 735 points. Johnston was second with 731 points.

In 2020, Clark Wendlandt led after Event 1 and held the lead through Event 7. David Mullins took the lead after Event 8. Wendlandt regained the lead after Event 9 and won the title with 680 points, just three points ahead of Mullins with 677.