Previous to paddling the sprawling waters of Lake St. Clair this previous June, Australian kayak angler Jack Gammie had by no means caught a bass. Nor had Gammie ever solid the Z-Man® bait that may quickly assist him entice numerous heavyweight smallmouth bass and finally, win the 2024 Hobie World Championship.
Representing sixteen international locations across the globe, together with eminent ‘yak execs from China, South Korea, and Kuwait, fifty women and men certified to enter the world championship of aggressive kayak fishing through regional tournaments of their dwelling international locations.
However in some ways, the story of this yr’s kayak world championship started two years in the past on the shores of Sweden’s scenic Lake Vänern. “I first met Jack Gammie on the 2022 Hobie Worlds over in Sweden,” remembers Z-Man kayak professional Ryan Lambert, a proficient angler, sensible joker and co-host of the Kayak Bass Nation podcast. “Ever since, he’s grow to be like somewhat brother to me.”
To listen to Lambert inform it, the 2 fun-loving anglers struck up a friendship from day one. “We have been continuously goofing round, sabotaging one another’s gear— simply numerous good-natured trash speaking and mischief we get into throughout these kayak derbies. The prospect to fulfill and alternate concepts with anglers everywhere in the world and to expertise fishing from all these numerous views . . . that’s what makes at the moment’s kayak scene so cool.”
Ned Rig AssistAs the anglers launched identically rigged Hobie Mirage Professional Angler 14 kayaks for his or her first day of prefishing on Lake St. Clair (close to Windsor, Ontario, Canada), bites have been scarce for Gammie, a topnotch aggressive kayak angler from Sydney, Australia. About an hour into the day, Gammie was principally watching adjoining anglers catch fish, pondering his subsequent transfer when fortune ensued.
“The chunk was actually gradual for myself once I heard my good mate Ryan Lambert shout out a query,” famous Gammie. “‘Hey Jacky boy! Have you ever caught a smallie but?’ I instructed him I hadn’t. He continued catching extra fish, so I requested what he was throwing.”
“I’d hooked a dozen smallmouths or so once I realized Jack was struggling a bit,” Lambert recounted. “Ultimately, I pedaled over and put a Ned rig in his fingers—a NedlockZ™ EWG jighead and inexperienced pumpkin Large TRD™. Shot a fast video of him catching his first bass ever. We sat on the market floating aspect by aspect like that for some time, catching bass after bass.
“Nicely, you already know what occurred after that,” Lambert laughs.
On observe day-two, armed with simply couple Large TRDs to get him by means of the day, Gammie got down to cowl water and construct a sample. “Ultimately, I stumbled throughout a very good patch of damaged rubble and grass, which held high quality fish—all in an space no bigger than a hockey rink. I knew I needed to protect this spot, so I saved it on GPS and headed in to seek out Ryan and ask if he had any extra of his magic Large TRDs.
“For you matey, I do,” replied Lambert by means of a smile. “I’m going to remorse this, aren’t I?”
Gammie responded, merely, “Sure, I believe you would possibly.”
Large Water, Large TRDsDuring day-one of the Championship, the Large TRD handled Gammie nicely certainly, serving to produce 88.25-inches of St. Clair smallmouth bass, and seventh place within the standings. “Had my restrict by 9am that morning, fishing quite a lot of baits, together with the Ned rigged TRD and a dropshot. Left my primary space to seek out extra fish and didn’t flip a reel deal with for the remainder of the day. I used to be comfortably within the prime 10.”
As day-two started stormy and tough, Gammie returned to his “hockey rink” spot and steadily scratched a restrict, as soon as once more on the Z-Man bait. “Late within the day, I wanted to improve one small bass, so I picked up the Large TRD, which tricked a pleasant fats 19-1/4-inch smallmouth and culled out a 14-incher.”
Again on the launch, Lambert sat in fifth place, following a strong day of fishing a one-two punch of Large TRDs alongside a ChatterBait® JackHammer™. After bagging one other sturdy restrict of smallmouths, Gammie landed in 2nd place, catch-photo-releasing 89.5-inches of bass, together with two stout 19-inch kickers.
“I used to be all the way down to only one Large TRD within the bag, so I went again to Ryan and requested if he had a couple of extra baits to get me by means of the final day,” recalled Gammie.
“I instructed him to return see me tomorrow,” mentioned Lambert, who had one thing barely extra sneaky in thoughts for Championship Sunday.
Hijinks and Hoisting Trophies“On the launch that subsequent morning, Ryan supplied a couple of phrases of knowledge, after which instructed me to place these infants to good use,” famous Gammie, gladly accepting a final pack of the game-winning ElaZtech® baits. “As we headed out, his final phrases to me have been ’Go get ‘em Jack-o!’
“Ought to have identified by his goofy grin that Ryan had a couple of remaining tips up his sleeve. Quickly as I get in my boat, I uncover my steering controls, reel handles and Mirage drive had all been slathered with KY Jelly lubricant—a operating joke from our first assembly again in Sweden. He acquired me good, little question. However all of us had greater fish to fry with 4-foot waves and the most important winds of the tourney that day.”
Gammie caught to his plan and by 8:30 that morning, had registered his fourth bass. “Two hours later, I had a restrict, however wanted to improve if I wished an actual crack at successful. I additionally knew the way in which to make it occur was to select up the Large TRD and hunt huge bites. I threw the lights out of that bait, which produced my greatest restrict of the match.”
Safely again on shore, Gammie was congratulated by tourney officers and his “nice mates” Ryan Lambert and Jordan ‘Teddy Bear’ Marshall. Posting the most important restrict of championship at 96.5-inches, every of Gammie’s 5-bass exceeded 19-inches. With a three-day size restrict of 274.25-inches, Gammie out-fished second place angler Antoine D. Gagnon of Quebec, Canada by almost 8-inches.
“These are friendships that final a lifetime,” Lambert noticed following the ultimate match tally. “Jack and I are planning to fulfill up again in Australia to go fishing. Can’t wait ‘til he returns the favor and hopefully places me on a monster barramundi.
“One thing tells me he’ll have a field stuffed with Large TRDs by then.”
About Z-Man Fishing Merchandise: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based mostly firm, Z-Man Fishing Merchandise has melded vanguard fishing sort out with know-how for almost three many years. Creator of the Authentic ChatterBait®, Z-Man can be the famend innovators of 10X Robust ElaZtech® superplastics, among the many most coveted baits in fresh- and saltwater. Z-Man is without doubt one of the fastest-growing lure manufacturers worldwide.
