BY DAVE HURLEY
JALISCO, MEXICO – The FIPSed Nations Team Seniors Freshwater Kayak World Championship was held on Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco, Mexico and Team USA showed tremendous grit and a ‘Never Give Up’ spirit, coming from a 14-point deficit on Day 3 to squeeze out a two-point win over Team Spain. FIPSed (Fédération Internationale de Peche Sportive en Eau Douche) was founded on 1972 with the mission of encouraging the practice of freshwater sport fishing throughout the world and shall do so in collaboration with all CIPS members. CIPS is the World regulating body for competitive fishing in all disciplines
Thao continued, “We found everything around grass in the shallows, flipping and pitching along with spinnerbaits. Every team member limited out all three days, and we had the lead on the first day before slipping to 14 points out of first on Day Two. The lowest point total wins as each day individual anglers weigh in with first worth one point, second worth two points, and so one. There were two teams from England, Italy, and the host, Mexico, along with single teams from Canada, Spain, and the USA. Even though we were down by a lot of points by the end of Day 2, we felt confident since we communicated very well with each other on the water, sharing our patterns, and we left several bites without finding success on the second day. We came out of the pack on Day 3 and took first by a very slim margin of just a couple of centimeters with a total of 106 points while Spain came in second at 108 with England in third at 115.”
Team USA is sponsored by Pro Guide Batteries, Bass Pro Shops, Bates Fishing Company, and their official team jerseys are provided by FXR. Mexico was a great host for this event, and the USA team may once again seek gold at the next event to be held oversees or in Canada.
Kayak bass fishing is becoming an increasingly popular event, and Damian Thao represents the USA along with California and his hometown of Fresno as a recurring champion.
