USA Bass Team to Compete in World Championship

The USA Bass Team is practicing in Portugal for the Black Bass World Championship. Image by Stephen McNelly / Realtree Fishing

COLUMBUS, GEORGIA- This October, six of the top competitive bass anglers in the United States comprising the USA Bass Team will travel to Portugal to compete in the Black Bass World Championship. This event, known as the pinnacle of international fishing competitions, will feature teams from as many as 20 nations, each striving for the title of the world’s best. Realtree Fishing team members and competitive fishing superstars Jacob Wheeler and Dustin Connell will join Scott Martin, Scott Canterbury, David Fritts, and Fred Roumbanis on the international team. Realtree is the official camouflage sponsor of USA Bass.

This will be the 17th World Championship event. The U.S. dominated last year’s tournament, which was held on Lake Murray in South Carolina. And the USA Bass team is hot off another dominating performance recently in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where an expanded team of 18 anglers, including Realtree pros Wheeler, Mark Rose, and Drew Gregory, won Gold at the 2023 Pan American Bass Championship on Lake Hamilton. They’ll carry that momentum across the Atlantic for the Championship event, but this will be the first time for each of the members to compete overseas. Can USA Bass follow up last year’s winning performance?

International bass fishing competitions are expanding as organized, competitive bass fishing becomes a global game. The Black Bass World Championship falls under the purview of the International Sports Fishing Confederation (CIPS), a group currently lobbying for Olympic recognition. International bass fishing is truly a game of national pride; prizes are Olympic-like medals. Enthusiasm and broadcasts are record setters. Cameras from four sources will follow the USA Bass team, with a live social media feed on the USA Bass Team Facebook page beginning October 19.

Realtree Fishing’s Jacob Wheeler will be among the pros representing the U.S. in the Black Bass World Championship. Image by Stephen McNelly / Realtree Fishing

A major challenge for the Americans will be equipment unfamiliarity. Due to logistics, all members of the USA Bass team will be fishing from borrowed boats. Several countries have volunteered use of modern bass boats, but each is rigged to specs that are unlike those the pros use on American waters. Each detail, even the language on the sonar screen, is likely to be foreign. Also, with just a short off-limits period, many teams in close proximity to Portugal have had the luxury of screening the tournament waters for weeks, while the USA team can only speculate on what to expect.

Everything from boats to lakes to lures will be different for our visiting competitors. Will they have what it takes to crack the code with just two days of practice?

Join us as we cheer on the USA Bass team in their quest for a World Championship, live from Portugal. Realtree Fishing staff will be on-hand for the event’s entirety, bringing back compelling content you won’t want to miss in weeks to come.

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About Realtree:

Realtree is the world's leading camouflage designer, marketer, and licensor with over 1,000 licensees utilizing the Realtree camouflage brand. Thousands of outdoor and lifestyle products are available in Realtree camouflage patterns. In addition, Realtree is committed to supporting individuals and groups that work to ensure our outdoor heritage, the conservation of natural places, and the wildlife that resides there. Find Realtree on Realtree365, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and at Realtree.com.