Tecumseh, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, July 1 – The 2024 Hobie Fishing Worlds powered by Lowrance concluded yesterday with 50 of the world’s top kayak anglers competing fiercely for a place in the top ten, and for a select few, a spot on the podium.
After three days of intense competition, Jack Gammie from Sydney, Australia, emerged as the Hobie Fishing World Champion. Antoine Desrocher-Gagnon, representing Quebec for Team Canada, took second place and earned the Day Two Award for the Biggest Bass. Ron Champion from Team USA secured third place.
Heading into the final day, Antoine Desrocher-Gagnon led the pack with a 5” advantage over his nearest competitor, Jaxton Orr (USA). However, he knew the race was far from over. “Everyone wants to win this, so there is still lots of work to be done, and it’s going to be a tight race until the end,” said Antoine.
Conditions over the three-day championship were varied, with Lake St. Clair presenting a mix of “sporty” winds, electrical storms, and glassy conditions. Despite these challenges, the anglers persisted, resulting in 1,034 bass caught, photographed, released, and submitted to the TourneyX scoring platform.
The event followed the Catch, Photo, Release format, where competitors submitted their five longest fish each day. At the end of the competition, the angler with the greatest cumulative length was crowned World Champion.
The varied conditions seemed to play in favor of Team USA’s Ron Champion, who made a significant leap from 21st to third place on Day Two with an 89.25” bag which he managed to hold onto for Championship Sunday.
3rd Place: Ron Champion (USA)
- Day One: 17.75”, 16.75”, 16.50”, 16.50”, 16.25″
- Day Two: 19.25”, 18.50”, 17.25”, 17.25”, 17.00″
- Day Three: 18.50”, 17.75”, 17.75”, 17.50”, 16.50″
- Total: 261.00″
2nd Place: Antoine Desrocher-Gagnon (CAN)
- Day One: 19.00”, 18.00”, 17.75”, 17.50”, 17.00″
- Day Two: 20.25”, 19.75”, 19.75”, 17.50”, 16.75″
- Day Three: 18.50”, 16.00”, 15.25”, 14.75”, 14.25″
- Total: 262.00”
Team Australia, accustomed to the “sporty” conditions of Lake St. Clair, came at it with a “Go Big or Go Home” mentality. Gammie (AUS) said, “I worked a lot harder for my fish today. I didn’t cover as much distance; I just stayed and worked the area back and forth, back and forth before moving on.” His efforts paid off, with none of his catches on Day Three measuring below 19.00” and securing him the title of 2024 Hobie Fishing Worlds Champion.
1st Place: Jack Gammie (AUS)
- Day One: 19.00”, 18.00”, 17.50”, 17.25”, 16.50″
- Day Two: 19.25”, 19.00”, 17.75”, 17.25”, 16.25″
- Day Three: 19.50”, 19.50”, 19.25”, 19.25”, 19.00”
- Total: 274.25″
When asked about his technique, for his full compliment of small and large mouth bass, Gammie replied “Timing and patience, I stumbled across this spot on the second practice day and I raced there on Competition Day One and got my limit early and then left it alone. Day Two, I did the same thing but stayed in the area to find new ground. Then I just sat there all day today. The bite wasn’t consistent, about 30-40 minutess apart. But I decided to stick out and it payed off.”
“I was looking to the sky and when it was lighter I was throwing a more natural presentation and then when the sky was more overcast I would throw the darker colour. I was throwing Gold Camo Worm 4” on the dropshot, Berkley Power Minnow in Clear, and then a Big TRD Ned Rig thanks to Ryan Lambert (USA)”.
In the end, the 2024 Hobie Fishing Worlds showcased not only the competitive spirit of the anglers but also the diverse and challenging conditions they faced. This event is more than a competition; it is a testament to camaraderie and the family-like bond shared among anglers. Congratulations to Jack Gammie, Antoine Desrocher-Gagnon, and Ron Champion for their remarkable achievements, and to all the anglers who qualified and competed in this memorable event.
