A Record-Setting Elite Victory
Winning an Elite Series event is difficult. Winning one on the St. Lawrence River, surrounded by some of the best smallmouth anglers in the world, is another level entirely. Evan Kung didn’t just find enough fish to win — he consistently put 5- and 6-pound smallmouth in the boat, finishing the week with 109 pounds, 9 ounces.
- Evan Kung wins his first Bassmaster Elite Series event
- 109 pounds, 9 ounces over four days
- Heaviest all-smallmouth winning weight in Bassmaster history
- Earned his spot in the 2027 Bassmaster Classic
- Finished the tournament with four remarkably consistent bags:
- Day 1: 26-9
- Day 2: 28-9
- Day 3: 26-11
- Day 4: 27-12
- Evan accomplished it on an incredibly pressured smallmouth fishery by finding ways to target quality fish rather than simply numbers.
The Strategy: Catch Enough — Then Go Bigger
Going into the event, Kung was outside the 2027 Elite Series cut and needed a strong finish. His strategy was essentially to secure a respectable limit, then hunt for bigger fish. He wasn’t swinging for the fences from the first cast. Each day, he had a target weight in mind and focused first on getting himself into a secure position. Once he felt confident in his weight, he could shift his focus toward upgrading with bigger smallmouth. This approach allowed him to fish strategically, avoiding burning productive areas or forcing a high-risk strategy too early in the tournament. “Every day I went out knowing I needed a certain amount to stay in the Elites. So, I did that and then looked for big ones.”
Understanding the St. Lawrence Smallmouth
Key areas
St. Lawrence River: Current breaks, large boulders, grass flats, roaming smallmouth, variable depth
Lake Ontario: 20–40 feet, large boulders, humps, fish roaming between structure
One of his most interesting tactical points was Don’t Always Fish the Boulder. Evan noticed that pressured smallmouth weren’t necessarily sitting directly on the rocks. Instead, many were roaming between the boulders. That meant casting between structure rather than simply targeting the obvious piece of cover. “A lot of people like to go boulder to boulder, but I like to fish in between.”
The Main Weapon: Great Lakes Finesse Vibra Bug
The setup
Bait: Great Lakes Finesse Vibra Bug — prototype
Rig: Drop shot
Hook: No. 2 BKK drop-shot hook
Weight: 1/2–3/4 oz
Main line: 10-lb XBraid
Leader: 8-lb XBraid fluorocarbon
Reel: Daiwa Exist 3000
Rod: Douglas X Matrix 724 spinning rod
Why the Vibra Bug worked
This is where the story gets really interesting because Evan helped develop the bait.
According to Evan, the bait:
- Has a matte finish
- Has neutral buoyancy
- Sits horizontally
- Has subtle appendages that move with current or small movements
- Doesn’t imitate one specific forage
- Gave pressured smallmouth something different to look at
Evan said they had been working on the bait for roughly a year and he received prototypes shortly before the tournament.
Presentation
Some presentations and tactics used include:
- Shaking it in front of fish
- Slowly dragging it
- Holding it nearly motionless
- Letting the current create movement
- Adjusting weight according to depth/current
The Douglas XMatrix DXS 724XF: Evan’s Winning Rod
Why the XMatrix DXS 724XF was important
The rod was used with the presentation responsible for approximately 90% of Kung’s fish.
- Deep-water finesse
- Light line
- Smallmouth that can make powerful runs
- Long casts
- Sensitivity to detect subtle bites
- Enough backbone to control 5–6+ pound smallmouth
- Accurate presentations around rock
Sensitivity when the bait is sitting still. Power when a 6-pound smallmouth eats it.
The Secondary Weapon: Stay-Pinned Spybait
The second major part of Evan’s arsenal was the Great Lakes Finesse Stay-Pinned Spybait.
Setup
- Great Lakes Finesse Stay-Pinned Spybait
- 70mm and prototype 80mm
- 3/8 oz
- Colors included Shiner and Matte Black
- Douglas XMatrix DXS 7103MF-D spinning rod
- 8-lb braid
- 6-lb fluorocarbon
Why he used it
The spybait allowed Evan to:
- Cover water
- Reach deeper fish
- Make longer casts with DXS 7103MF-D (7’10” length optimal for throwing lighter baits
- Moderate Fast taper helps keep spybaits pinned
- Trigger reaction bites
- Locate fish around structure
- Change his presentation when conditions changed
One particularly interesting situation came when the wind died and the sun came out. Evan moved shallower with the spybait and caught a 5½-pounder and two 6-pound fish to build his limit.
Rod Breakdown
Evan Kung’s St. Lawrence Winning Arsenal
| Technique | Rod | Presentation |
| Drop Shot | Douglas XMatrix DXS 724XF Spinning | GLF Vibra Bug |
| Spybait | Douglas XMatrix DXS 7103MF-D Spinning | GLF Stay-Pinned Spybait |
| Drop Shot | XMatrix DXS 724XF | 1/2–3/4 oz weight |
| Finesse | X Matrix | Light-line smallmouth applications |
Day-by-Day: How the Winning Week Unfolded
Day 1 — Start in the River
- Tougher wind/waves
- Stayed in the St. Lawrence River
- Targeted current breaks and structure
- 26-9
Day 2 — Move to Lake Ontario
- Shifted toward deeper lake areas
- 20–40 feet
- Boulders and humps
- 28-9
Day 3 — Keep Finding Quality
- Continued targeting quality smallmouth
- Maintained consistency
- 26-11
Day 4 — The Championship Push
- Started in the river
- Quickly built approximately 22 pounds
- Found a new area
- Caught a 5-pounder and 5¾-pounder
- Ran to Lake Ontario looking for an upgrade
- After several hours without upgrading, returned to the river
- Caught a 6-13 that made the difference
- Finished with 27-12
- 109-9 total
What Anglers Can Learn From Evan’s Win
- Don’t overlook pressured fish
Fish don’t always remain glued to obvious structure.
- Give them something different
The Vibra Bug’s unique profile, finish and action helped separate Evan from the field.
- Let the conditions dictate your presentation
Wind, sun, current and depth changed how Evan approached fish.
- Finesse doesn’t mean weak
A light-line presentation still requires a rod capable of controlling powerful smallmouth.
- Have a plan — but stay flexible
Evan had target weights and areas in mind, but he wasn’t afraid to move between the river and lake when conditions changed.
Conclusion
109 pounds, 9 ounces.
Four days.
First Elite Series victory.
2027 Bassmaster Classic qualification.
Evan Kung’s first Elite Series victory wasn’t the result of one magic spot or one magic bait. It was the combination of local knowledge, disciplined decision-making, finesse presentation and the right equipment.
The Douglas XMatrix DXS 724XF was in his hands for the presentation that accounted for roughly 90% of his fish and helped Evan snag this epic win! Huge congrats Evan!
