Boat captain volunteers are being sought for the 2023 Pan American Bass Fishing Championship to be held on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs. The Championship will bring bass fishing teams from across the Western Hemisphere to fish on Lake Hamilton September 7 – 9.
“Hot Springs serving as the host city for this international fishing championship is a big deal for our city, and serving as a boat captain gives Arkansans an opportunity to see the best fishing teams from across North and South America in action,” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said.
Each volunteer boat captain will be assigned to the same two anglers for the three days of the championship. The boat captains will take the competitors to their requested fishing location on Lake Hamilton. The volunteers will furnish their own boats. Boats must be 18 feet or longer with 150- to 250-horsepower engines, and an electric trolling motor on the bow. The boat must have a working live well, three life jackets, a fully charged battery each day, and a current boater’s liability insurance policy. The volunteers will serve each day from launch at 6:30 AM from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery to the end of each day’s weigh-in at 4:30 PM.
Volunteer captains will receive a $600 expense check at the end of the third day, an official USA Bass Team hat, daily lunches and water for each boat, a boat number sticker, and one free admission to the Awards Dinner on Saturday, September 9, at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
Those interested in being a boat captain can get more information and sign up at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ejvfxfg7bcb5e57a&llr=iyshmfebb or call John Knight at 970-376-5703.
“Hot Springs is wild about fishing and our city is eager to welcome the 2023 Pan American Championship to Lake Hamilton in September,” Arrison said. “We know about tournament fishing and can’t wait to show anglers from other countries the great lakes, mountains, and attractions here in Hot Springs.”
USA Bass is part of U.S. Angling, a 501(c)3 charitable organization that supports the USA Bass Team as they compete in Pan-American and World Championship fishing events.
For more information on the USA Bass Team: www.usabass.org. Follow USA Bass on FaceBook: USABrassOrg. For more information on the PanAmerican Sportfishing Federation follow it on Facebook: FaceBook: PanAmericanSportsFishing.