How can you have a Spearfishing tournament with no boats, no canoes, and no kayaks?
Nearly 80 of the United States’ top spearfishermen took to the beautiful Lake Geneva armed only with their fins, masks, snorkels, and spearguns, in pursuit of finding the fish that would secure victory!
This revolutionary freshwater tournament took place on September 27 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Teams had 10 days to scout in advance, with a small practice zone available for targeting their quarry.
Top competitors pushed the boundaries of their physical endurance and fish knowledge to track down the elusive carp, the largest of the two species that would earn points for taking home the trophies.
The tournament organizers, the National Freshwater Spearfishing Association, knew that the crystal-clear waters of Lake Geneva would offer a challenging environment for these intrepid men and women aiming for the podium. The smallest and most abundant fish in the lake, the rock bass, was crucial to success. Competitors needed to spear the 20 largest rock basses they could find, but in the end, only one fish out of very many weighed over 500 grams.
The second species that scored points was the common carp, considered an invasive specie in this body of water. Carp feeds by filtering invertebrates, which form the base of the lake’s food chain and ecosystem. Additionally, during their feeding, carp vacuum up many gamefish eggs that lie in nests on the bottom. For this reason, the organizers targeted carp to improve the overall health of the lake. Along with being a nuisance, carp are also among the lake’s largest residents!
In fact, one competitor set a new international spearfishing record by spearing a carp weighing 19.5 kilograms (43 pounds) during the event! According to Hunter McBride, the lucky carp was at about 15 meters (50 feet) of water when he struck it with the spear.
Grit and determination won the day for the top Men’s team: REDTIDE. Ritchie Zacker, the overall men’s individual champion, swam 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) back to shore with his impressive catch of 25 fish—all while recovering from a “widowmaker” heart attack suffered during a spearfishing tournament the previous year. His partner, GR Tarr, individual champion in the Master’s division and owner of Red Tide Spearfishing Company, hauled his winning fish in with sheer determination after his spearing float sank in the wind-chopped waves of the gale that blew in during tournament day!
Second-place men’s individual winner, Spencer Vivian, had his own fight for survival as he repeatedly dove over 12 meters (40 feet) into the lake while recreational boats fished all around him, oblivious to his presence!
The difference between Ritchie and Spencer was as slim as two scales and an eyeball—Ritchie had just 27 grams (.06 pounds) more total weight than Spencer!
On the women’s side of the competition, Julie Higgs delivered a stellar performance! She outpaced the competition by more than 35% in points, bringing five carp to the weigh-in table, ultimately finishing 4th overall against all competitors. The top women were Julie Higgs, Shelby Peterson, Jess Price, and Melody Engle.
Her team, Hammerhead, easily took first place in the Mixed division, while a disqualification allowed Team Oceanammo to secure 3rd place after Masters competitor Mike VanHeale reported himself ineligible for failing to return to shore in time—a true show of sportsmanship!
The Master’s Team Division was a close contest between two veterans of the competitive spearfishing world: Gerald Lim and Ken Lee of Hawaii barely edged out Mike McGuire and Anne Doherty, with less than a 5% point spread between the experienced spearos. The top individuals were GR Tarr, Ken Lee, Mike McGuire, Gerald Lim, and Dale Sanders. Dale, at 89 years old, was the oldest competitor.
Many new teams and individuals joined the event, all catching one thing: plenty of fun and camaraderie at the Freshwater Nationals! Complete results of USA Freshwater National Tournament 2024 you can check here
JAWS TOURNAMENT (Juniors at Worlds Spearfishing)
The first-ever JAWS Tournament was held the day after the Freshwater National Tournament in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Mike McGuire and Anne Doherty designed this junior tournament as the perfect starting point for what is sure to become an amazing event that will travel around the world in the years to come. It aims to introduce new children and the offspring of top-world competitors to the competitive spearfishing scene.
In the 2024 JAWS Tournament, 19 young divers were paired with expert adult mentors who could assist the kids in every way—except shooting the fish! This format was a fantastic way to introduce the sport and encourage safe, fun participation for all involved. The event lasted 4.5 hours, with divers scouting and competing along 21 miles of shoreline.
In the Youth Division (ages 6-12), 12-year-old Port Cameron of Rhode Island narrowly beat 12-year-old Wisconsinite Bennet Clinkingbeard by 0.26 of a point, or just 10 grams, to claim the victory! Six-year-old Emmett Leable from Texas secured third place and the biggest fish award with his mother as his mentor, edging out 8-year-old Utah native Sawyer Hall and his dad, Greg, by 0.44 of a point!
In the Teen Division (ages 13-17), 17-year-old Rodney Atkinson of Colorado clinched the win, just barely surpassing 16-year-old Toby Lee, the daughter of Hawaiian legend Ken Lee, by a margin of only 70 grams (0.16 pounds). The difference between first and fifth place was just 3 points, with the top three divers—Rodney, Toby, and 16-year-old Jocelynn Western of Utah—separated by only 1 point each, making for an incredibly exciting finish right up to the last minute of the weigh-in. All divers were from different states across the USA and Hawaii, and they all shot very well with the guidance of their mentors.
Rodney also claimed the biggest fish of the tournament with a 10-kilogram (22-pound) carp. In a close third-place finish, Jocelynn was only 1.12 points away from taking the gold herself! Lake Geneva was clear, warm, and beautiful, renowned for being one of the best fisheries in the nation. Rough fish were the target species, and all the divers contributed to helping clean up the lake.
Overall, the first-ever JAWS event was a resounding success, with fun and fair competition paving the way for the future of junior divers! Complete results you can check here
JAWS will be held annually around the world, featuring two divisions for ages 5-12 and 13-17. The 2025 JAWS Tournament will take place at Fish Lake, Utah, just three hours from the Salt Lake City airport. This beautiful vacation area is surrounded by top national parks and offers free camping or cabins right on the lake. Divers will be challenged at over 8,000 feet in altitude, with a variety of fish species, including perch, suckers, carp, many trout species, and tiger muskie, with notable records for lake trout, splake, and brown trout all taken here.
The event is set to start on July 30, with two days dedicated to education, scouting, training, practice shooting, and team-building skills. The main JAWS event will occur on August 1, followed by a banquet and awards ceremony. All youth divers will dive with an adult mentor, who can assist in any way except pulling the trigger. Sign up early to ensure your place in the program!
Additionally, on August 2, the Utah State Championship will take place at Fish Lake, and anyone is invited to dive into this exciting event. For more details, please visit page of National Freshwater Spearfishing Association here
