Cooper Gallant and Jeff Gustafson were partners during the 2024 Pan-American Black Bass Championship. Photo: Carey Gallant
They may have come up just short of first place in the 2024 Pan-American Black Bass Championship but leaving New Brunswick with a silver medal and great memories was a big win for the all-star anglers representing Team Canada.
“Getting to see the passion that the anglers from countries like Mexico, Puerto Rico and Columbia brought was so cool,” Jeff Gustafson, who was paired with fellow Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Cooper Gallant, wrote via email. “Getting to meet all of the anglers from all of the other nations was great. There were a lot of fishing stories shared.”
Some 200 anglers competed in the five-day event on the Saint John River, with weigh-ins at Nackawic’s Big Axe Marina west of Fredericton. Each team had eight pairs on the water, with the team’s score coming from the top pair’s heaviest fish.
The United States won first, China third, and Turtle Island fourth. Teams representing Wolastoqey First Nation, Costa Rica, and Dominican Republic also competed.
Gustafson, an OOD contributor from Kenora, was honoured to represent his country, officially, for the first time. The former Bassmaster Classic champ was proud of organizer’s efforts and grateful for the “incredible” hospitality.
Team Canada’s experience
Photo: Dave Chong
“They fed us well, made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed to enjoy ourselves,” he said. “It was a great experience. A big shoutout to Canada Bass for hosting an awesome event. Hopefully they will find more support moving forward to keep getting better in these international events.”
Dave Chong, who was partnered with Steve Neveu, agreed. The champion angler has fished Canadian tournaments for more than three decades.
“I do believe that this event not only set a new standard for all other host nations to live up to but is a great example that can be used to show major corporations, municipal, and provincial governments, tourism boards, local businesses and the federal government the economic impact of such an event,” wrote Chong, who felt equally honoured.
“Words can’t really describe the feeling that one has while wearing the Maple Leaf and representing Canada,” he said. “It was amazing, but also stressful at the same time as we all wanted to represent our country well.”
The dream is possible
Chong and Gustafson agreed the event proves Canadians can compete with the best.
“There were a lot of kids around this event that have that same passion for bassin’ that I did when I was a kid, which was great to see,” Gustafson said. “For the youngsters out there that love competitive fishing, if you dream about competing at a high level, it is possible.”
Chong feels the tournament, the largest international competitive fishing ever held in Canada and the first in the Maritimes, will provide a spark.
“This event is going to put New Brunswick on the world bass fishing map,” he said. “Judging by the number of youth and kids running around at this event asking the anglers for their autographs, I think that the future is bright.”
Fishing icon Bob Izumi captained Team Canada, which also included Adam Foster, Bob MacMillan, Joe Ford, Brent Valere, Phil Curtis, Graeme Mace, Jason Hare, Rick Kewell, Jason Hynes, John and Ben Stokdijk, Adam Howell, Corey Gafney, and Jim Tzogas.
Izumi’s dad ran the first bass tournament in Canada on Lake Erie’s Rondeau Bay some 51 years ago when Bob was 15 and by age 21, he was making a living in fishing.
“It got me hooked into tournament angling in a big way … it changed my life,” he told those gathered for the Sept. 29 closing awards ceremony. “I’m just blown away by this tournament … I never thought in my wildest dreams we’d see tournament fishing like this in Canada. These memories, you’ll never forget.”
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