And apparently, the Bassmaster Elite Series veterans weren't exactly waiting at the dock with open arms.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTKICK OUTDOORSMcKinney arrived on the Elite Series as a teenager and immediately started making noise.Now, at just 21 years old, he's already a former Rookie of the Year, the youngest Elite Series winner in history and, as of last weekend, the youngest Bassmaster Angler of the Year ever.Trey McKinney celebrates his Bassmaster Angler of the Year win with friends and family.
(Amber Harding Snyder)But according to McKinney, earning all those accolades was one thing.Earning the respect of the other Elites took a little longer."They're not a very welcoming crew to begin with," McKinney told OutKick OutDoors.
"If you're somebody that's coming on the Elite Series, don't expect a warm hand of, 'Come on, buddy.The water's warm.
Come on in.It's a great time.'"McKinney isn't complaining about it.
In fact, he thinks that's probably how it should be."Rookies coming in, you get a hard time.You've got to learn how to prove yourself," he said.
"And once you do that, it honestly makes it that much sweeter."Watch Trey McKinney's full interview with OutKick OutDoors here:For McKinney, proving himself happened quickly on paper.He finished second in the Angler of the Year standings in each of his first two Elite seasons, both times behind Chris Johnston.But he said the first couple of years were still a "hard road" when it came to being accepted by the veterans around him."This year, it's kind of watching things turn around a little bit, gaining respect from certain people that I would never see it from," McKinney said.
"Now that I see that they respect me, I respect them just as much.So it's very mutual."He laughed while describing just how different those interactions are now."Now I can go out and have a normal conversation with somebody, and they don't just — I'm like, 'Hey,' and they just turn around and walk off," he said.
"Now we can ...