Looking for the list of every Bassmaster Angler of the Year? Click here.
The Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year (ROY) award is one of the sport’s best indicators of future greatness. Each season it highlights the top-performing Bassmaster newcomer, and the names on the list show just how often that promise pays off.
The honor actually began on the Bassmaster Tour—the top level of competition before the Elites launched in 2006. Greg Hackney (2004) and Dave Wolak (2005) were the first two winners. When the Elite Series debuted in 2006, the title carried over and became the Elite Series Rookie of the Year.
Over the years, some ROYs have gone on to reach the very top of the sport. Ott DeFoe (2011 ROY) captured the 2019 Bassmaster Classic, while Hank Cherry (2013 ROY) etched his name in history with back-to-back Classics in 2020 and 2021.
Here’s the full list of every Bassmaster ROY winner:
2004 – Greg Hackney
2005 – Dave Wolak
2006 – Steve Kennedy
2007 – Derek Remitz
2008 – Bobby Lane
2009 – Billy McCaghren
2010 – Bradley Roy
2011 – Ott DeFoe
2012 – Brandon Card
2013 – Hank Cherry
2014 – Jacob Powroznik
2015 – Brent Ehrler
2016 – Drew Benton
2017 – Dustin Connell
2018 – Jake Whitaker
2019 – Drew Cook
2020 – Austin Felix
2021 – Josh Stracner
2022 – Jay Przekurat
2023 – Joey Cifuentes
2024 – Trey McKinney
2025 – Tucker Smith
From legends like DeFoe and Cherry to rising stars like McKinney and Smith, the ROY list shows just how often this award is a springboard to bigger things.
To see the official Bassmaster ROY slideshow, click here.
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