The Bowfishing Association of America World Championship brought some of the country’s most experienced competitive bowfishing teams to Benton, Arkansas, for a demanding night of Big 20 competition.
The event showcased much more than the final weights. It brought together an impressive mix of airboats, kicker boats, mud boats, raised-deck rigs, battery-powered systems, generator setups, custom lighting layouts, and teams that have spent years refining the way they compete.
We were fortunate to spend time around the boat lineup, visit with competitors, photograph their rigs, and learn more about the equipment and strategies behind each setup.
A large number of the boats were equipped with Swamp Eye Bowfishing Lights. We are proud of that representation, but the real story belongs to the teams that put in the preparation, found the fish, made the shots, and earned their finishes.
Tournament boats gathered for the Bowfishing Association of America World Championship in Benton, Arkansas.
BAA World Championship Highlights
- Team Complete Chaos won the championship with an outstanding 612.4-pound Big 20.
- Team TKO Bowfishing finished second with 586.4 pounds.
- Team Outdoor Revolution — RECFAB earned third with 582.5 pounds.
- Team Bad Behavior finished fourth with 529.4 pounds.
- Team Scale Breakers rounded out the top five with 460.4 pounds.
- Team Blacklisted won Overall Big Fish with a 75-pound grass carp and Youth Big Fish with a 38.5-pound grass carp.
- Four of the top five overall finishing teams competed with Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Final Top-Five Results
| Place | Team | Big 20 Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Team Complete Chaos | 612.4 lbs |
| 2nd | Team TKO Bowfishing | 586.4 lbs |
| 3rd | Team Outdoor Revolution — RECFAB | 582.5 lbs |
| 4th | Team Bad Behavior | 529.4 lbs |
| 5th | Team Scale Breakers | 460.4 lbs |
A Championship Decided by Preparation and Execution
Major bowfishing tournaments test every part of a team’s operation. Competitors must scout effectively, choose productive water, control the boat, identify eligible fish, communicate clearly, and make accurate shots throughout the night.
Equipment matters, but it is only one part of a successful tournament run. Lighting, generators, batteries, trolling motors, boat design, deck layout, and rigging all have to support the team’s strategy without becoming a distraction.
The strongest finishes at the BAA World Championship came from teams that combined experience, preparation, teamwork, and well-developed boat setups.
Giving Credit Where It Belongs
A lighting system can help a team see and identify fish, but it cannot replace scouting, boat control, shooting ability, communication, or sound decision-making. The competitors featured here earned their results through experience and execution. We are simply proud that many of them chose to include our equipment in their tournament setups.
Every Tournament Boat Told a Different Story
One of the most interesting parts of walking through the tournament lineup was seeing how differently teams approached the same challenge.
Some teams used large generator-powered systems built for maximum coverage. Others preferred quiet battery-powered lighting. Several boats combined the two, creating hybrid systems that allowed the team to change power sources or lighting configurations as conditions changed.
We also saw major differences in deck height, rail design, wiring, light placement, battery storage, generator mounting, and the number of shooters each boat was designed to support.
Many of these boats had clearly been refined over multiple tournament seasons. The clean wiring, carefully positioned lights, custom rails, dedicated battery banks, and purpose-built decks reflected years of experience on the water.
Firsthand Observation From the Boat Lineup
There was no single setup that every competitive team followed. The strongest boats were built around the way each team actually fishes. That included everything from generator-powered Swamp Eye HD systems to battery-powered Silent Series rigs and hybrid layouts using both.
What Tournament Teams Need From a Lighting System
Competitive bowfishing requires more than raw brightness. A useful tournament lighting system must work with the boat, the water conditions, the power source, and the way the shooters position themselves around the deck.
Teams generally look for:
- Wide and even coverage around the shooting deck
- Reduced dark spots between lights
- Usable visibility in changing water clarity
- Reliable performance during long tournament nights
- A power system that matches the boat’s generator or battery capacity
- A layout that does not interfere with shooting, boat control, or visibility
Lighting cannot win a tournament by itself. It can, however, help an experienced team recognize more opportunities and make the most of the fish they encounter.
Team Blacklisted Wins Overall Big Fish and Youth Big Fish
Team Blacklisted earned two major honors during the championship. The team won Overall Big Fish with a 75-pound grass carp and Youth Big Fish with a 38.5-pound grass carp.
Their kicker boat used a quiet, battery-powered setup built around Swamp Eye Silent Series Bowfishing Lights.
Their results were an impressive example of what a skilled team can accomplish from a generator-free lighting setup.
Team Blacklisted won Overall Big Fish with a 75-pound grass carp.
Understanding the Lighting Setups Seen at the Tournament
The boats at the championship demonstrated that competitive teams do not all need the same type of lighting system. Different power sources, boat designs, and fishing styles lead teams toward different solutions.
Swamp Eye HD
A generator-powered lighting option used by teams that prioritize strong output, broad coverage, and adjustable light color across larger shooting decks.
Swamp Eye Silent Series
A battery-powered option for teams that want quiet operation, efficient power use, and the ability to bowfish without a traditional generator.
Swamp Eye Gen 2.X
A compact light-bar system for low-profile decks, custom light boxes, and boats with limited mounting space.
Featured Teams and Tournament Boats
The boats below represent only a portion of the competitors who attended the BAA World Championship. Each team brought its own experience, layout, power system, and approach to tournament bowfishing.
The teams come first. Their preparation, shooting, scouting, boat control, and teamwork produced these results. The equipment details are included to document how each boat was configured.
Phoenix Airboats Numbers Division Rig
This Phoenix Airboats build competed in the Numbers Division with a clean battery-powered lighting setup.
The boat uses Swamp Eye Silent Series Lights powered by 12V batteries that are recharged by the fan motor’s alternator, eliminating the need for a separate lighting generator.
Overall Big Fish and Youth Big Fish: Team Blacklisted
Team Blacklisted won Overall Big Fish with a 75-pound grass carp and Youth Big Fish with a 38.5-pound grass carp.
Their kicker boat was equipped with battery-powered Swamp Eye Silent Series Lights.
Texas Tournament Bowfishing Team
This Texas team competed from a purpose-built airboat configured for all-night tournament operation.
The lighting system uses generator-powered Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Jacky Davis — The PowerMax Guy
Jacky Davis and his Oklahoma-based team are familiar faces at major bowfishing tournaments and regularly compete near the top of the field.
Their kicker rig uses a hybrid lighting system with generator-powered Swamp Eye HDs and battery-powered Silent Series Lights.
The dual setup allows the team to switch between power sources based on conditions and tournament strategy.
Georgia Tournament Bowfishing Team
This Georgia team includes two talented young bowfishermen who continue putting in the work required to compete in major Big 20 events.
Their competitive airboat is equipped with generator-powered Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Fifth Place: Team Scale Breakers
Team Scale Breakers rounded out the top five with a 460.4-pound Big 20 total.
Their tournament boat uses generator-powered Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Third Place: Team Outdoor Revolution — RECFAB
Team Outdoor Revolution earned third place with an outstanding 582.5-pound Big 20 total.
The team competed from a purpose-built RECFAB airboat equipped with generator-powered Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Custom Phoenix Airboats Build
This custom airboat was one of the most distinctive builds in the tournament lineup.
The boat features 12 Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights and two DuraNav Driving Lights controlled through the OutriggerGO app.
Second Place: Team TKO Bowfishing — Patriot Airboats
Team TKO finished second overall with an impressive 586.4-pound Big 20 total.
Their catch included a strong variety of species, including bighead carp, gar, and large grass carp.
The team competed from a Patriot Airboats build equipped with Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Fourth Place: Team Bad Behavior
Team Bad Behavior finished fourth overall with a 529.4-pound Big 20 total that included several impressive grass carp.
This experienced group has competed with Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights for several years and has also helped outfit additional team boats.
Team Over the Edge Outdoors
For a while, it looked as though Team Over the Edge Outdoors might have the Overall Big Fish award secured after weighing an impressive 63.4-pound grass carp.
Chris and his Missouri-based crew are longtime Outrigger Outdoors customers who compete with generator-powered Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Patriot Airboats Tournament Rig
Large grass carp played a major role in the final standings, and many of the highest-finishing teams brought heavy grass carp to the scales.
This Patriot Airboats build uses generator-powered Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Tracker Bowfishing Boats
The championship lineup included many different types of bowfishing boats, each reflecting a different strategy, budget, and style of fishing.
These Tracker boats were configured with generator-powered Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Original-Generation Swamp Eye Light Bars
This boat was still running light bars from our first generator-powered Swamp Eye Light Bar production run.
That model was discontinued many years ago, so it was rewarding to see the original equipment still being used at a major tournament. Those lights have likely illuminated more fish and tournament nights than we could ever count.
Kicker Rig With Swamp Eye HDs
Kicker rigs use a secondary outboard motor for controlled movement at low speeds and are common in competitive bowfishing.
Many bowfishermen believe the propeller disturbance can encourage certain fish to move upward or into the illuminated area, potentially creating additional shooting opportunities. This setup uses generator-powered Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Team Southern Style Bowfishing
Team Southern Style entered Benton after winning the 2026 Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship.
For this event, the team changed its approach and competed from a kicker rig using a hybrid system of generator-powered Swamp Eye HDs and battery-powered Swamp Eye Silent Series Lights rather than the airboat setup it used in Missouri.
While many of the highest-finishing teams targeted heavy grass carp, Southern Style focused on more light-sensitive species such as bighead and silver carp. The strategy did not produce the result they wanted in Benton, but calculated changes like this are part of tournament fishing.
This is an accomplished team, and we expect to see them competing for more trophies in the future.
What We Learned From the World Championship Boat Lineup
The biggest takeaway was not that every team used the same equipment. It was that successful tournament anglers carefully match their equipment to their boat, power source, fishing style, and preferred water.
Some teams valued maximum generator-powered output. Others prioritized quiet battery power. Several had developed hybrid systems that gave them more flexibility. Nearly every boat reflected years of trial, refinement, and firsthand experience.
That is one of the reasons major tournaments are so valuable to manufacturers. They allow us to see how products are being used in demanding real-world conditions, listen to experienced competitors, and identify ways to continue improving future designs.
What the Championship Taught Us About Serious Bowfishing Equipment
Walking the boat lineup at the BAA World Championship made one thing very clear: there is no single formula for building a winning tournament boat.
Some teams competed from airboats powered by generators, while others relied on kicker rigs, mud boats, or battery-powered systems. Deck layouts, rail designs, power sources, and lighting configurations varied from one team to the next because every crew has developed a setup that fits the way they fish.
What stood out was not that everyone used identical equipment. It was that experienced competitors chose equipment that complemented their overall strategy.
That is one of the reasons we build multiple lighting systems instead of trying to force every bowfisherman into a single solution. Throughout the tournament, we saw Swamp Eye HD, Swamp Eye Silent Series, and Swamp Eye Gen 2.X systems installed on a wide variety of competitive boats.
Some teams preferred the strong output and broad coverage of generator-powered Swamp Eye HD systems. Others valued the quiet, battery-powered operation of the Silent Series, while several boats incorporated multiple products into hybrid lighting configurations.
Seeing Swamp Eye products used across so many different tournament platforms reinforced something we have believed for years: the best bowfishing lighting system is the one that matches your boat, your power source, your style of fishing, and the waters you fish most often.
Whether you are building a dedicated tournament rig or upgrading a serious recreational bowfishing boat, the goal is the same—to create a dependable lighting system that helps you see more clearly, fish more effectively, and feel confident every time you launch.
Congratulations to the Champions and Every Competitor
Congratulations to Team Complete Chaos on winning the BAA World Championship with an outstanding 612.4-pound Big 20.
We would also like to congratulate Team TKO Bowfishing, Team Outdoor Revolution — RECFAB, Team Bad Behavior, Team Scale Breakers, Team Blacklisted, and every competitor who made the trip to Benton.
Every team brought a unique approach to the event, from boat layouts and power systems to scouting strategies and shooting styles. That variety and innovation are part of what make championship bowfishing so interesting.
Thank you to everyone who stopped to visit with us, shared photos, discussed their boats, or allowed us to photograph their tournament rigs. We are honored that so many teams chose to include Swamp Eye Lights in their setups, and we are grateful to play even a small supporting role in a community built around skill, hard work, and time on the water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the BAA World Championship in Benton, Arkansas?
Team Complete Chaos won the BAA World Championship with a 612.4-pound Big 20 total.
Who finished in the top five at the BAA World Championship?
Team Complete Chaos finished first, Team TKO Bowfishing finished second, Team Outdoor Revolution — RECFAB finished third, Team Bad Behavior finished fourth, and Team Scale Breakers finished fifth.
Who won Overall Big Fish?
Team Blacklisted won Overall Big Fish with a 75-pound grass carp and Youth Big Fish with a 38.5-pound grass carp. Their kicker boat was equipped with battery-powered Swamp Eye Silent Series Bowfishing Lights.
What bowfishing lights were used at the BAA World Championship?
Competitors used several lighting configurations, including generator-powered Swamp Eye HDs, battery-powered Swamp Eye Silent Series Lights, and compact Swamp Eye Gen 2.X Light Bars.
What lights did four of the top five teams use?
Four of the top five overall finishing teams competed with Swamp Eye HD Bowfishing Lights.
Which Swamp Eye light is best for tournament bowfishing?
The best option depends on the boat and power system. Swamp Eye HDs are commonly used with generators, the Silent Series is designed for battery-powered operation, and the Gen 2.X provides a compact light-bar format. At this event, four of the top five teams used Swamp Eye HDs, while the Overall Big Fish winners used the Silent Series.
Why does lighting matter in a bowfishing tournament?
A well-designed lighting system can help competitors identify fish, judge depth, reduce dark spots, and make more confident shots. However, tournament success still depends on scouting, boat control, teamwork, and shooting ability.
