They'll be in unchartered waters but Pete Garnier and Canada's entry at the bass fishing world championship will at least be able to rely on familiar tactics when the tournament begins Thursday.
The Canadian team participated in practice sessions Tuesday and Wednesday on Lake Bolsena, located in the Italian province of Viterbo. It's Europe's largest volcanic lake at 13 kilometres long and 11 kilometres wide, with a maximum depth of 150.9 metres and a surface area of 113.5 square kilometres.
The last volcanic activity was around 104 BC. The lake has many introduced species, including largemouth bass, northern pike, mullet and freshwater crab.
During practice, Garnier and the Canadian team found some recognizable conditions.
"The clear, vegetation-rich waters present bass habitat that we're all familiar with," said Garnier, Canada's captain. "However, the team quickly introduced several presentations more akin to catching smallmouth bass.
"We've had success with typical power fishing baits but very particular non-standard retrieves have been required to dupe these super-sensitive bass."
Joining Garnier, of Trenton, Ont., on the Canadian squad are David Chong, of Aurora, Ont., co-captain Phil Curtis, of St. Catharines, Ont., Brent Valere, of Mississauga, Ont., Adam Foster, of Charters Settlement, N.B., and Scott Sheridan, of Campbellford, Ont. Marg Garnier, of Trenton, is the team's administrative assistant while Brandon Landry, of Cambridge Narrows, N.B., is its manager and media director.
Canada qualified for the world event by finishing second at the 2023 Pan American competition. All members of this team were part of that Pan Am squad.
Canada was eighth at last year's world championship in Portugal. A Canadian team has never won the event but was second in 2022 at South Carolina's Lake Murray.
Phil Garnier, Chong, Curtis and Valere are appearing in their second world championship. Garnier, Curtis and Valere competed in last year's tournament while Chong participated in 2018 when Canada was fifth in Mexico.
The U.S. is the defending champion. Its roster features all professional anglers, including Elite Series members Scott Martin, Joey Cifuentes and Scott Canterbury.
Canada will have two Elite Series competitors on its 2025 world championship roster. Jeff Gustafson, of Kenora, Ont., and Cooper Gallant, of Bowmanville, Ont., helped the Canadian team finish second behind the U.S. at the 2024 Pan Am championship held in New Brunswick last month.
Fifteen countries are competing in this year's global event.
The vast majority of bass tournaments are contested by single anglers who're often not allowed to share information with other competitors. But the world championship is a team event with each country sending out three two-man squads daily.
And dialogue between team members is allowed.
"The worlds require a high level of team fishing," Garnier said. "Constant communication and the sharing of productive fishing locations, patterns and baits will continue to be paramount to our success as we pass through each day of competition.
"This team, collectively, has close to two centuries of competitive fishing experience and the culmination of all that knowledge and applying it to the waters of Lake Bolsena will ultimately determine our success. We've got our eye on the prize and fully agree that the best shot at bringing home the gold relies on the intense focus of teamwork."
The tournament concludes Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
The Canadian Press