Valencia Spain held the First World Championship of Saltwater Kayak Fishing. Teams from USA, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, and Spain converged on beautiful Valencia to battle it out in the Mediterranean Sea on October 27-31 2024.

The 3 day competition was a catch, photo, and release format, with anglers being provided a measuring board to score their fish. Caught fish were photographed on the measuring board and then released. Photos of the fish, and their recorded lengths, were sent to judges via the telegram app. The anglers and teams who photographed and recorded the most centimeters would win the medals

Team USA arrived a week early to prefish and scout the tournament grounds. With the Mediterranean Sea being one of the most overfished Sea’s in the world, Team USA had their work cut out for them. Michael Bartgis who became the first angler to qualify for Team USA via competition arrived early along with fellow USA angler Jim Davis. Together their early pre fishing work provided valuable intel for the rest of Team USA.

During pre fishing, water and air temperature were comfortable with out the need for dry pants. Water visibility was very clear making for ideal fishing conditions. Team USA caught fish, marked spots, and tried various techniques in an effort to prepare for competition. Some of the challenges Team USA faced were the rules which stated that anglers were only allowed to fish with one rigged rod and reel. Anglers were allowed a second rod and reel but it could only be rigged with a swivel. This made it very difficult to switch up tactics like going from bottom fishing a 3 hook chicken rig to throwing a lure at busting baby tuna. Despite challenging rules Team USA adapted and began catching fish. As the competition drew closer Team USA was feeling more confident on what needed to be done to win a medal.

Day 1 of the competition began under a change in weather conditions. A nearby storm was brewing and local winds picked up along with the seas. Rain began to fall and water & air temperatures dropped forcing most anglers to wear dry paints and rain jackets. This weather change also affected the fishing and the bite slowed. Team USA worked hard and caught some fish on Day 1 of competition.

Day 2 of competition was canceled. The nearby storm had moved closer and local winds got very rough with large breaking waves. Contest directors let the Competitors know the night before about the cancellation and all the teams got a break and a chance to explore historic Valencia. Team USA took in the sights of the Aquarium which featured amazing exhibits from different oceans and seas across the world. Afterwards the Team took in some local dinning and sights of the downtown before retreating back to the hotel. Later the team learned that they closed the aquarium early due to high winds and that a tornado ripped through the downtown shortly after they left. That night Team USA fell asleep to loud thunder and the sounds of heavy rain.

Day 3 of competition athletes awoke to the devastating news that historic 100 year flooding had occurred overnight and was ongoing. 220 people had died and over 80 were missing. The National Gaurd and all first responders converged on Valencia in an effort to save human lives. One of the Spanish competitors said his car had washed away, several of his friends were missing, and that his wife and child were trapped on a 3rd floor. Tournament Directors put the competition on hold till 11:00 am and then wisely canceled competition for day 3.

While waiting for official word on continuing the competition, Team USA learned of a rule that stated that 50% of competition needed to be completed for the results to be counted and accepted. With only 33% of the Tournament completed, Team USA felt that a nul and void ruling would be handed out. Instead contest directors decided to award the competition based on Day 1 standings. The anglers and teams who scored high on Day 1 would win the World Championship. In the end it would be:

Individual:
Gold- Jose Rosales Spain
Silver- Jaun Soldevilla Spain
Bronze- Joao Rodrigues Portugal

Team:
Gold- Spain
Silver- Spain
Bronze- Italy

Team USA had Team Captain Robert Fields in 5th place and Micahel Bartgis in 8th place. Other notables were Jim Davis and Eric “Slappy” Harrison. Overall team USA sat in 5th place after day 1 and we were very hopeful that more competition days would have put the team up on the podium. The next World Championship of Saltwater Kayak Fishing will be the fall of 2025 in Italy. This will be after our National Championship in which new team members will be added to the Team USA roster.

For more details about regional qualifiers and how to qualify for the 2025 National Championships and how to get to Italy, please visit usangling.org or contact Annie Nagel at usakfs@usangling.org, (707) 495-2625.