Pickering’s Evan Kung at the Bassmasters Elite St. Lawrence tournament. Photo Solomon Glenn
A fisherman from Pickering dove into the water this weekend facing the possibility of losing his Elite Series status and emerged as a tournament champion, securing a spot in the Bassmaster Classic along the way.
Evan Kung is now the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite St. Lawrence River champion after catching a total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces during several days of targeting smallmouth bass, setting a new record for the heaviest winning weight made up entirely of smallmouth.
The 27-year-old Durham College graduate also claimed his first prized Bassmaster Elite Series blue trophy and earned his entry to the 2027 Bassmaster Classic next March.
Kung qualified for the Elite Series via the 2024 Elite Qualifiers division with four top-20 finishes that year but noted that this was easily his biggest win on tour.
“It was a tough year for me, so it was great to end it like this. I couldn’t think of a better ending.”
The second-year pro stayed in contention all week, kicking off the tournament in fourth place with a limit weighing just 26 pounds, nine ounces before moving up to second place on Day 2 with 28 pounds, nine ounces of smallies and holding onto that position on semi-final Saturday before claiming first place with a sack weighing 27 pounds, 12 ounces-a limit highlighted by an impressive 6 pound, 13 ounce smallmouth that won him Big Bass of the Day honors.
Starting the final event of the season ranked 72nd, Kung understood he needed to finish strong to keep his spot in the Elite Series.
“Every day I went out knowing I needed a certain amount to stay in the Elites,” Kung said. “So, I did that and then looked for big ones. I knew I could have swung for the fences the whole time, but I might not have caught them.”
This strategy worked well but unfolded differently each day. On Day 1, when winds and waves were at their worst, Kung remained in the river to secure his limit. The following two days saw Lake Ontario yield better results while he relied on St. Lawrence River to give him his limit on finals day.
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On Sunday, anglers faced wind and rain which made fishing tougher than Kung anticipated. He started in St. Lawrence River at a location he believed could deliver around 18 pounds-just enough to hit over that crucial mark of 100 pounds-and ended up landing an impressive catch totaling over 22 pounds before exploring other areas within river. After some downtime between bites, Kung stopped at an untested spot where he reeled in both a five-pounder and another weighing five and three-quarter pounds raising his total limit to about twenty-five pounds. He then spent three hours fishing Lake Ontario without any upgrades before heading back to that same spot where he caught his trophy bass. “That was the difference in this one,” Kung said. “I thought I would have a chance then.” Kung took up fishing when he was just three years old after receiving a little kids’ fishing rod from his grandfather. He joined a junior bass fishing club at age ten and eventually started competing alongside his father as a teenager. Evan Kung INsauga’s Editorial Standards and PoliciesWin two tickets to The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival (GOCF)
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