MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. (September 7th, 2024) – Trey McKinney’s first year in a Bass Cat boat, which was also his rookie season on the Bassmaster Elite Series, proved that the pair made a winning combination. He not only claimed the Rookie of the Year title and finished 2nd in the historically-challenging Angler of the Year race, but he also became the youngest winner in Elite Series history when the 19 year-old phenom won the Lake Fork event just a week after his 19th birthday.
“This year was unbelievable,” McKinney said. “There were lots of highs and a few lows, but the amount that I learned was amazing. Going into next year I’m going to take every thing that I learned and just go fishing and try to improve.”
If improving on his rookie results is his goal, it’ll be a tough hill to climb. In winning the Lake Fork tournament, he amassed 130 pounds 15 ounces over four days of competition, the fourth highest weight in Elite Series history and the heaviest since 2008. He’s finished in the money in 80% of his B.A.S.S. tournaments, including eight of nine Elite Series events this year. Perhaps even more remarkably, he’s finished in the top ten a third of the time, including four finishes no worse than 7th place this year.
Bass Cat’s Rick Pierce met McKinney at the 2019 Big Bass Zone Junior Championship in Idaho and followed his progress as he became a TBF Junior World Champion, a two-time BFL AOY, and eventually qualified for the Elite Series through the Bassmaster EQ series.
“I knew when I first met Trey years ago that he was different,” Pierce said. “He is an exceptional angler with tremendous fish sense. His skill set will only grow as he matures in so many ways. People tend to forget he’s only 19 years old, and he started competing in the Opens as an EQ at 17. The year he’s had in the 2024 season likely won’t be his peak as he continues to mature.”
McKinney credited a healthy portion of his success to his 2024 Bass Cat Puma STS, the 20’7” representative of the Soft Touch Series. It provided the speed, dexterity, comfort and rough water handling capabilities that allowed him to excel across a wide variety of fisheries.
“Having a fast boat was a big key on several occasions,” he explained. “On the St. Lawrence, I was the first one to my spot every day. Even with a higher boat number, I still passed people on the way there, which was critical because the strike zones were relatively small. It also has the right storage layout for me and even though I’m a smaller guy it allows me to see everything as I head through rough water.”
With decades of professional growth in front of him, McKinney is focused primarily on the next steps in his tournament career, but he also recognizes that he has the chance to build a legacy.
“It’s important that I align myself with the right companies now so that I put myself in the best position to succeed in the long term,” he said. “That means partnering with companies like Bass Cat, who not only make the premier product on the market, but whose values are the same as my own. I look forward to many years of working and winning together.”
About Bass Cat: Bass Cat, owned by Correct Craft, manufactures the industry’s premier bass fishing boats from its headquarters in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Family operated since its founding in 1971, Bass Cat is the only bass boat company with over five decades of family involvement throughout its long history. For more information visit www.basscat.com.
About Correct Craft: Celebrating 100 years of excellence in the marine industry, Correct Craft is a Florida-based company with global operations. Focused on “Making Life Better,” the Correct Craft family includes Nautique, Centurion, Supreme, Bass Cat, Yar-Craft, SeaArk, Parker, and Ingenity boat companies, Pleasurecraft Engine Group, Indmar Marine Engines, Velvet Drive Transmissions, Mach Connections, Merritt Precision, Osmosis, Watershed Innovation, and Aktion Parks. For more information, please visit www.correctcraft.com