In a stunning final-day comeback, Team USA secured the gold medal at the 19th annual Black Bass World Championships, held Sept. 4-6, at Arabie Dam (Flag Boshielo Dam) in South Africa. The American squad, anchored by the dominant duo of Ott DeFoe and Drew Gill, overcame a deficit to Italy on the last day, completing a remarkable rally. The team of DeFoe and Gill had two different days when they brought the most weight to the scales.
Entering the final day of fishing on Sept. 6, the U.S. trailed the Italians by a sizable 19 penalty points. Penalties are the sum of the duos’ finishes – the lower the number, the better. But with a clutch performance on Saturday, the three U.S. duos — DeFoe and Gill (1st place), Jacob Wheeler and Kyle Welcher (3rd place), and Logan Parks and Scott Martin (9th place) — delivered a Day-3 team total of just 13 penalties. This final surge propelled the Americans to a total of 80.5 penalties for the event, a decisive victory over Italy’s 92.5. Australia took home the bronze with 138 penalties.
“Our team got stronger every day,” said Team USA coach Kevin VanDam, a renowned bass angler who selected the squad and their pairings. “When you fish for three days, consistency shines and the cream rises to the top, and that’s what happened. This is a unique format and all three teams have to do well.”
A Comeback Built on Consistency
The Italian team held the lead after each of the first two days of competition. On Day 1, they established a commanding 24.5-penalty lead over the Americans. The US teams finished in a tie for 9th, 13th, and 16th places on the first day.
“Even though they were 2nd after Day 1, they were a little disappointed,” VanDam said of his squad. “But that’s just the way fishing is there – you have to out-fish everybody else who’s doing the same thing.”
However, the U.S. began to close the gap on Day 2, thanks in large part to DeFoe and Gill, who weighed in the heaviest five-fish bag of the event at 23.88 pounds, narrowing the deficit heading into the final day. Parks and Martin finished in 13th place (13.7 pounds) and Wheeler and Welcher finished in 15th place (13.2 pounds).
September is springtime in South Africa and the bass in Arabie were in one stage or another of spawning. Some were on the beds, some had already been there and moved off, but the majority of bass were making their way to spawning grounds.
On the decisive final day, DeFoe and Gill once again led the field of 45 boats with a 22.07-pound stringer, including a 7.25-pound bass. Wheeler and Welcher contributed a 3rd-place finish with a 19.29-pound haul, and Parks and Martin secured 9th with 13.34 pounds. This collective effort was enough to jump to the top of the standings and clinch the gold.
Individual and Team Triumphs
DeFoe and Gill were not only instrumental in the team’s victory but also secured the individual gold medal, amassing just 11.5 penalties throughout the event. They were the only pair to average more than 20 pounds per day on the 3,200-acre water body, finishing with a total weight of 61.75 pounds — more than eight pounds ahead of the silver-medal-winning Italian pair of Leonardo Benassi and Allessio Ticciati. Another Italian duo, Luca Vittorio Della Ciana and Jimmy Ashlock, took home the bronze. Wheeler and Welcher were 6th in the final duos standings, and Parks and Martin were 8th.
According to VanDam, the team’s success was a result of strong collaboration and shared knowledge. “Our guys worked really well together as a group and shared everything that was going on; we had really great team camaraderie,” he said.
The victory serves as redemption for Team USA, who finished a disappointing fourth at last year’s World Championships in Italy. Next year, the U.S. will have the home-field advantage as they host the World Championships at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
