The Bass Fishing World Championship to be held on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas this October 1-3 is set to have a huge number of nations competing. These countries will be competing in the 20^th edition of the only globally sanctioned world championship for bass fishing. Visit Hot Springs and Bass Pros Shops have helped make this edition of the Bass World Championship the biggest and most exciting ever.

The week kicks off with a “Meet the USA Bass Team and competing Nations” event

September 27th – Bass Pro Shops, Little Rock AR – noon to 3pm.

October 1 – Oaklawn Outdoor Show noon – 8pm (Hot Springs Convention Center)

October 2 – Oaklawn Outdoor Show noon – 8pm (Hot Springs Convention Center)

October 3 – Oaklawn Outdoor Show 9am – 4pm (Hot Springs Convention Center)

October 3 – The Frontmen Music Concert 4-5pm (Hot Springs Arena)

October 3 – Bass World Championship Nations weigh-in (Hot Springs Arena)

October 3 – Ranger 519 equipped w 200 HP Mercury Outboard audience random draw winner announced!!!

All of these events are FREE to the public!

The nations slated to compete in the event are as follows: USA, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, England, France, Guatemala, Italy, Latvia, Mexico, Namibia, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, First Nations – Turtle Island and Venezuela

The USA Bass Team will be defending its’ Gold Medal from the 19^th World Championship held in South Africa. The USA team made a huge comeback to unseat Italy on the final day of competition. This year’s USA team will consist of Kevin VanDam, Scott Martin, Dustin Connell, Drew Gill, Ott Defoe and Dakota Ebare. The importance of this event is punctuated by VanDam’s decision to come out of retirement and fish for the USA Team.

“USA Bass made an appeal to KVD to fish in this year’s event. We are thankful and excited that he was willing to represent our country at the championship. We have such a great group of anglers representing our country” says USAngling President Tony Forte. “There is little doubt that the huge attendance from the international bass fishing community is due to the opportunity to fish against our Dream Team. Everyone wants to take a shot at winning the gold medal.”

The Bass Fishing World Championship is sanctioned by international sport fishing governing body, the Confederation Internationale de Peche Sportive (CIPS). CIPS is actively lobbying to gain Olympic recognitjon for competitive fishing. The American representative to the CIPS Confederation is USAngling, a 501c3 charitable organization that supports 18 different national fishing teams that compete worldwide.

USA Bass invites all the patriots and anglers from the area to be a part of this historic happening. Hot Springs will be the center of the bass fishing universe this October 1-3.