Nice job Trey McKinney

[MichAngler]

A teenager fishing in the elites is one thing but leading at fork with 67 pounds is another

The stars are lining up for this kid He breaks off his favorite stick bait just to catch the same fish an hour later with that stick bait still in the fish’s mouth

[yatesville88fan]

Good for him.

[Mcjenson]

He's good on camera too, regardless of age.

Was a lot of bitching and moaning about having to fish all 9 opens, but you can't deny this class is far, far more polished than a lot of rookie classes we see enter the elites.

[illinifish]

It’s refreshing to see a southern IL guy do well. This state doesn’t have much for pro fisherman representation. Just a lot of shallow mud holes and strip mine lakes for the most part to grow up fishing on.

[BillsFan]

Gonna be a great year

[RangrSkipr]

A teenager fishing in the elites is one thing but leading at fork with 67 pounds is another

The stars are lining up for this kid He breaks off his favorite stick bait just to catch the same fish an hour later with that stick bait still in the fish’s mouth

I saw that. Absolutely crazy that the fish was still feeding with a three treble jerk in its mouth. The kid is good with goat potential. He reminds me of one of my nephews in TX with same articulation in his speech and how he expresses himself.

[Basskicker907]

I can’t stand him. He has blonde hair. When he comes on the screen I turn off live and put on hgtv.

[wareagle24]

It’s refreshing to see a southern IL guy do well. This state doesn’t have much for pro fisherman representation. Just a lot of shallow mud holes and stop mine lakes for the most part to grow up fishing on.

I really like hearing him talk. He has an unusual accent. It's like you mix the North with the South and throw in a touch of Cajun.

[Davidbassfish]

And he is on target to break an all time record! at just almost 19

[dontr20x]

I saw that. Absolutely crazy that the fish was still feeding with a three treble jerk in its mouth. The kid is good with goat potential. He reminds me of one of my nephews in TX with same articulation in his speech and how he expresses himself.

I saw that catch too. Crazy

[dontr20x]

And he is on target to break an all time record! at just almost 19

They said his birthday was today. Heckuva birthday present.

[Bass in the grass]

I can’t stand him. He has blonde hair. When he comes on the screen I turn off live and put on hgtv.

And uses that devil’s device called FFS!


I can only imagine the heads that will explode here if this kiddo manages to break the record. I don’t think he will; but if…

[MichAngler]

And uses that devil’s device called FFS!


I can only imagine the heads that will explode here if this kiddo manages to break the record. I don’t think he will; but if…

He said he’d rather be up shallow sight fishing

[poeman]

Ate breakfast last year at the classic at the same place he was. Seemed like a nice young man. We waited outside for it to open and talked a little bit about fishing.

[T-slab]

Video gamer

[fishin couillon]

I can’t stand him. He has blonde hair. When he comes on the screen I turn off live and put on hgtv.

.....well there are some others that don't like Matty Wong.....they both talked the same amount....

[skeeterator]

Ate breakfast last year at the classic at the same place he was. Seemed like a nice young man. We waited outside for it to open and talked a little bit about fishing.

He can flip and pitch shallow water with the best of them too. He say what he preferred doing?

[TheBarBack]

Video gamer

Would wax you at that... and fishing.

[PaRiverRat]

Good for him. Hope he has a great year

[cmclairday2]

Video gamer

That’s the most stupid fn take and every time anyone says it I cringe. You and so many others who say this are not thinking. Imagine how much further along many of us would be if our formative years had been in the last decade and a half, where information is a YouTube away and our young minds were still sponges that soaked up all of it. At 44 I have to watch something a few times to even remember the details, and that’s usually after I’ve watched something once, went out and tried it, couldn’t remember half the details and then had to watch it again a few times to get it down. A 12 year old sees something once and it’s locked in. Then go through the boot camps of high school and college fishing, not just taking papaws John boat out to the pond every now and then. Then couple all of that with the most advanced electronics and mapping seen to date in the industry…Now take this entire package and put it on the water and what you have is a fishing machine. It’s stupid to attribute these young anglers success to a little black box and a screen. If you took away FFS tomorrow would it be somewhat of an equalizer? Sure, for a little while. But they would figure it out and figure it out fast. Instead of being the grouchy old man yelling at the kids on his lawn, why not give embracing this new generation a chance and watch what they accomplish?