Jordan Collom team makes Top 50 in national tournament

Canyon Lake’s Jordan Collom and teammate Cody Spetz of Menifee got close, but were unable to take home the top $1 million prize in the Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships at Big Cedar Lodge on Missouri’s famed Table Rock Lake over the weekend.

The pair made the Top 50 cut in the three-day tournament that was televised nationally on NBC Sports. Jordan and Cody took first place and $50,000 in the Bass Pro Shops US Open Regional Qualifying Event on Lake Havasu last month to qualify for the National Championships.

Jordan Collom preps his boat prior to the Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships over the weekend in Missouri. Jordan and teammate Cody Spetz of Menifee made the Top 50 cut in the $1 million grand prize fishing tournament out of 350 teams. Photo courtesy of Jordan Collom Instagram

The 350-team field that fished the U.S. Open Finals was composed of the top 40 finishers at each of the eight Regional Qualifying Events held nationwide throughout 2021. The field was rounded out with competitors from around the world. Fishing teams represented 34 states as well as Japan, South Africa, Romania, Spain, and Germany.

The tournament was brought about by the vision of noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris and his son, John Paul. The first-of-its-kind tournament was open exclusively to two-person amateur teams from across the U.S. (and beyond). All entry fees from each of the eight qualifying events and the final were donated to conservation.

Televised on NBC – and drawing what is believed to be the largest audience in the history of fishing – the event showcased fishing’s unique ability to connect families while raising the profile of conservation and the importance of supporting America’s veterans.

All tournament entry fees were matched by Bass Pro Shops and Toyota to provide more than $1.58 million in support of the National Fish Habitat Partnership, the most comprehensive freshwater conservation program in the United States.

The partnership has supported over 1,000 projects in all 50 states, restoring tens-of-thousands of acres of habitat, including freshwater reservoirs and over 2,000 miles of rivers.