Right up until fishing the waters of Lake St. Clair, Ontario, Jack Gammie had never caught a bass. He didn’t let that stop him from winning a bass fishing tournament with a total 274.25 inches of bass caught to take home the Hobie Fishing World Champion title.
After qualifying through Angler of the Year points, Gammie was eager to hop on a plane to Canada and test the waters.
“I think I watched one video of about 15 minutes,” Gammie said when asked if he did any homework before leaving Australia in an interview for Hobie Asia Pacific.
Gammie competed against accomplished bass anglers from 16 countries around the globe on Lake St. Clair near Windsor, Ontario, including Ron Champion, professional angler for team USA.
From no bites to 19-inch smallmouths
Setting out in a Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14, Gammie didn’t get many bites the morning of the first practice day. It turns out the problem may have been the bait. Ryan Lambert, friend and mentor to Gammie, suggested Gammie try something different and hooked his mentee up with a Ned rig featuring a NelockZ EWG jighead and a green pumpkin Big TRD.
The Ned rig imitates a variety of baitfish and is noted for its ability to attract bass, proven to be productive even when the bass aren’t biting.
Shortly after switching to a Ned rig, Gammie caught his first bass ever. From there, his luck dramatically improved.
On the second practice fishing day Gammie found a small spot with broken rubble and grass and asked Lambert for more of his Big TRDs, which he supplied.
“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” Lambert said according to an interview with Z-Man Fishing.
“Yeah, I think you might,” Gammie replied.
On day one of the 2024 Hobie World Championship, Gammie caught 88.25-inches of St. Clair smallmouth bass, putting him in seventh place in the standings. According to Gammie in the Z-man Fishing story, he had his limit by 9 a.m.
By the end of day two, Gammie was in second place with 89.5-inches of bass, including two 19-inch smallmouths. Lambert was in fifth place.
Angler who had never caught a bass wins bass fishing tournament
“Go get ‘em Jack-O,” Lambert told Gammie before heading out on the third day of the tournament.
The last day saw four-foot waves and the biggest winds of the tournament, making for a challenging day. Gammie went back to fishing the Big TRD and produced his biggest limit of the tournament at 96.5 inches, with each of Gammie’s five bass exceeding 19-inches for a total three-day limit of 274.25 inches.
In second came Antione Desrocher-Gagnon for team Canada with a total of 262.00-inches, followed by Ron Champion for team USA with a total of 261.00-inches.
Overall, conditions on Lake St. Clair over the three-day championship included high winds and waves, electrical storms, and glassy conditions and in total over 1,034 bass were caught according to the Hobie results report.
Bass fishing strategies from a newly crowned champion
Gammie’s overall strategy to produce the win wasn’t distance, but patience.
“I just stayed and worked the area back and forth, back and forth before moving on,”said Gammie.
On day three when all of his bass were over 19-inches he worked the same area all day. When the sky was lighter, he would throw a lighter-colored bait, Gammie said in the Hobie results report. When the sky was overcast, he would throw a darker color.
Throughout the tournament, Gammie threw a Gold Camo Work 4” on the dropshot, Berkley Power Minnow in Clear and a Big TRD Ned Rig courtesy of Ryan Lambert.
“Walking away World champion after a week like that is the cherry on top and shows that this tournament is more than just fishing,” Gammie wrote on Instagram after the win.
“These are friendships that last a lifetime. Jack and I are planning to meet back up in Australia to go fishing. Can’t wait ‘till he returns the favor and puts me on to a monster barramundi,” Lambert told Z-Man Fishing.
