Team U.S.A. is the winner of the Pan American Black Bass Championship, which attracted some of the world’s best anglers to Nackawic and Fredericton this past week.
Team China placed third, and Team Canada came in second.
Altogether, about 200 anglers were on the St. John River for competition Friday and Saturday, including teams from Turtle Island, Wolastoqey First Nation, Mexico, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica.
Team U.S.A. – the event’s defending champions – gave top scores to the host communities.
“This was first class, you guys get the gold medal on that,” said Team U.S.A. captain Scott Martin, at the event’s closing ceremony.
Each team had eight two-person teams on the water, with the top pair’s heaviest fish counting toward the team’s final score. The fish were released back in the river, following the weigh-ins.
Weigh-ins were centred around Nackawic’s Big Axe Marina, with video of land and water activities live streamed online.
“We’re really making some …