2024 WORLD BLACK BASS CHAMPIONSHIP

LAKE BOLSENA, ITALY

THE TEAM

VIPSites Media

TOMMY WOOD & KRIS HICKSON

VIPSites Media

MITCHELL CONE & MATTHEW LANGFORD

VIPSites Media

BRADEN SCHUCH & MICK JOHNSON

The team arrived in Italy days before the tournament to pre-fish and familiarise themselves with the local area of Bolsena. They were warmly welcomed by the locals, who embraced teams from around the world. Grazie Mille! The team consisted of Mitchell Cone, Kris Hickson, Matthew Langford, Tommy Wood, Mick Johnson, and Braden Schuch.

Day 1 saw Australia finish in second place, with bag weights of 6.43 kg, 7.76 kg, and 8.56 kg, totaling 22.65 kg. They trailed behind Italy, with the USA in third.

Day 2 had Australia holding on to second place, with bag weights of 7.85 kg, 8.87 kg, and 9.16 kg, bringing their total to 48.53 kg. Cone and Langford were ranked 3rd overall in the individual team standings. Italy maintained the lead, and Spain climbed to third.

Day 3 was the final and most nerve-wracking day. As other countries weighed in, it became clear that Spain was likely to overtake them, and the team worried about being pushed to third. Their bag weights for the day were 8.16 kg, 8.33 kg, and 8.61 kg, resulting in a final total weight of 73.63 kg. When the final standings were announced, the team secured 2nd place overall.

In the individual rankings, Cone and Langford placed second with a total weight of 26.04 kg and a largest fish of 2.23 kg. Hickson and Wood finished in fourth place with a total weight of 25.25 kg, their largest fish being 2.14 kg.

Media coverage for the event was exceptional. The official Facebook page for the 2024 XVIII Bass Fishing World Championship provided regular updates and high-quality images. Team Australia also contributed, with wives on the trip keeping social media platforms updated daily. Reels shared by the team garnered over 38.5K views collectively, averaging over 4K views each. Even more is planned for the 2025 event to enhance engagement!