The second time was the charm for Evan Kung. The 25-year-old Pickering, Ont., resident was 28th on Saturday in the final Bassmaster Open event at Alabama’s Lake Martin.
That earned Kung enough points to finish ninth in the overall standings and qualify to compete on the Elite Series next season. “It’s still kind of shocking that I was able to do it,” Kung said during a telephone interview. “I’m trying to appreciate it and take it all in but I don’t think it has sunk in yet.
“It’s all a little overwhelming.” Consistency was a big part of Kung’s success. He finished in the money in six of the nine Open tournaments — including ninth-place efforts at Arkansas’ Lake Ouachita and South Carolina’s Santee Cooper Lakes — after recording just one in 2023 (14th at Waddington, N.
Y. on the St. Lawrence River).
Still, Kung went into the tournament among four competitors battling for the final three qualification spots. Kung didn’t crack the top-10 to qualify for the tournament final but the math suggested he’d still qualified for the Elite Series. However, the accomplishment didn’t fully set in until it became official.
“There was a lot of relief,” Kung said. “Even when I did the math and figured I was in, when people asked if I was, I’d just say, ‘I think so.’ “I was kind of sure but not completely sure so I just had to wait until it was final.
” With plenty riding on the final Open event, Kung followed his gut. “I was in the middle of .