Competing with an altered lineup due to an unforeseen circumstance, the USA Bass Team is in third place after the first of three competition days of the World Bass Championship at Lake Bolsena in Italy.
A USAngling representative relayed to BassFan that U.S. captain Scott Martin was forced to fly home to Florida to tend to a family matter. He was replaced on short notice by Nicholas Morril, who'd traveled to the event to serve as a camera operator for Jacob Wheeler. Morril, who reportedly has substantial lower-level tournament experience, shared a boat with Wheeler and they caught a 17.70-pound stringer, which was tops among American tandems and eighth in the field of 45 boats.
Dustin Connell, originally slated to be Wheeler's partner, fished with Scott Canterbury (Martin's partner in the planned lineup). The third American duo – Joey Cifuentes and Fred Roumbanis – remained unchanged.
The host Italians grabbed the initial lead with 22 "penalties" (the combined placements of their three duos, hence the lower that number, the better). Australia was second with 33, followed by the U.S. with 36.
Only the standings for the Top 10 duos were made available. The Croatian tandem of Ivo Grguric and Daniel Vignjeviu led the pack on Day 1, followed two Italian boats (Giacomo Gheller/Stefano Troiani and Jimmy Ashlock/Luca Vittorio Della Ciana).
For more about the event, click here.
