Canada finishes in 11th place at 2025 world black bass competition

Canada completed the ’25 world black bass fishing tournament in 11th place.

The Canadian squad registered a final-day weight of 10.630 kilograms (23.4 pounds) to finish with 45.8 kilograms (107.76 pounds) overall. Competitors dealt with winds of 40 kilometres an hour (gusting to 60 km-h) on the third and final day of competition at South Africa’s Arabie Dam.

Canada opened the 15-country event sitting in seventh spot, then was ninth after the second day of competition. The United States (67.72 kilograms or 149 pounds) won the event.

Dave Chong, of Aurora, Ont., and Ben Stokdijk, of Lower Truro, N.S., were the top Canadians in the team event, finishing 21st with 18.66 kilograms (41.05 pounds). Chong and Stokdijk had a solid start, sitting atop the overall standings after the first day.

Chong and Stokdijk actually finished with the 10th-heaviest three-day weight but were relegated to No 21 based upon the tournament’s scoring system. Where competitors finished in the standings each day counted as penalty points, with the higher the position the fewer penalty points alotted.

At the end of the tournament, the duo with the lowest total points finished first. Chong and Stokdijk ended with 62.5 total penalty points while Canada finished up with 258.5 in the country standings.

Jason Hynes of Gananoque, Ont., and Rick Kewell, of Kingston, Ont., were 32nd with 13.67 kilograms (30.07 pounds) while Phil Curtis of St. Catharines, Ont., and Adam Foster of Charters Settlement, N.B., were 36th with 13.470 kilograms (29.63 pounds). Hynes-Kewell finished with 94 penalty points while Curtis-Foster had 102.

Canada was seventh at last year’s event on Italy’s Lake Bolsena.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2025.