I for one think that numbers of fish should descide a match and NOT weight of fish.
Searching for big fish on large waters is possible but you carn't stalk them so surely the size of the fish caught is down to luck.
Now this one really gets me say when anglers fish the same water with nearly the same flies and methods yet one of them can have two less fish and win the match then have the bare faced cheek to stroll around like Mr. Fantastic in all his glory, it's utter rubbish in my opinion, two many anglers over the years have been denied their rightfull success due to this process.
Whats your views ????
Fred.

Hi Fred not like you to get all upset,must have been a rough night m8.
back to your post though,i agree wholeheartadly and any compy we hold we allow say for example select 3 fish to weigh and any fish returned to the water gets 2lbs weight bonus added and a ticket signed for each returned fish for tally up at the end.This way its not always the guy who catches the biggest fish that wins the day but the person who catches well.Which is by far the fairest way for all.
There is one thing which has come up in other threads which I am dead against and as a competition angler yourself,would you be happy that someone fishing against you used a fish finder to find fish rather than skills and knowledge?I think myself it gives them an unfair advantage and should they win beause of it,I would not consider them to have won fairly myself.Only my opinion this, but I wont change it.
But I agree with what you say.
kevin

__________________
Kevin

I agree with you Fred.

Just look at that Troutmasters comp. Anglers with 13 odd fish over the period of the day losing out to someone who caught way less fish (I think it might have been 4 on one occassion).

I still cant work out how that happened. But I feel sorry for the guy with all the fish

OO

__________________

Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate
YOU DONT NEED EYES TO SEE YOU NEED VISION

I think i've personally had more fish than the winner in 3 t.m. finals mate, one year it was won with 4 fish and i had 8 but it's the sessions that count for T.M. that year was a 2 and 2, were as i had a 7 and 1.
Mind you buddy i blanked in one year, i wasn't fast enough to catch those stokies .
All in all the T.m. finals is a great day out and more importantly it's FREE

Still doesnt seem fair though. You caught 8 fish and winner caught 4

In my opinion you proved without a shadow of a doubt that you were the better of the 2 anglers on the day.

Were his 4 fish much heavier than your 8.

OO

__________________

Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate
YOU DONT NEED EYES TO SEE YOU NEED VISION

I think fish finders are banned for most praccy days mate but i agree with you they shouldn't be used to gain a match advantage.
I don't bother with them especially after a few years back when big John Sutton bought one for contour use, { pleasure fishing } and the machine showed no fish in an area that we were catching in

Yes mate bag weights have bothered me for a number of years now, i can remember reading many results in the mags. etc and seeing 2nd and even 3rd placers with more fish, and then getting the winners story regarding the super duper flies/methods and approch he used.
I've lost many matches this way and it stinks well it does, on the other hand i won at match at Stocks once with less fish than Ian Barr, i had to accept the win but i didn't want to, Ian had 2 more fish than me in that match and in my eyes was the rightful winner.
Sorry for the rant.

They must av bin big uns if they did mate
Na, the winner fished a different group to me, e.g. he fished against 60 or so anglers in his group and his points were awarded and i fished against a different 60 in my group for my points, i think i ended up around 24th or something with loads of 2s and 3 fish above.

The way we do our comps has worked alot better than just bag weights and its took a few different trys to get it alot fairer,but i think its as good as we will get it now and everyone seems to prefer it and it means that one big fish isnt going to walk away with winning bag against someone who has had more fish.Plus we cap any fish over 5lbs and it makes things alot more competitive and fair and you have to think fishing rather than just hit a pod of stocked fish.
I agree also the TM is something which all anglers should fish at least once in their lives as its a great day out and an experience never forgotton.I need a few more boxes of flies yet to go to it got any spare in that truck of yours and peters? Your welcome to any of our comps Fred Im sure you will have a good day.see you soon m8

__________________
Kevin

I can see your arguement , and similar arguements will go on as usual re time bonuses , etc . I think the valid point is if you enter a match you agree to abide by the rules in place, if you dont like it dont enter.

Question , what in anybodys eyes makes the better angler , 8 fish(stockies) very quickly , or finding some big overwintered fish but only having 5 or 6 fish.Each to there own me thinks.

__________________
its not how you tie your flies , its how you tease your flies

If you read my opening thread properly , you'll see the point i was making. ' if two anglers fish the same water area with similar methods and one catches more than the other yet the other wins due to the luck of his lesser amount of fish being heavier in weight ,then has he fished better ?? no, he just got lucky and took away the other chaps deserved win.
So, two guy's in a boat nymphing up at manton, same rigs, one catches 10 fish and the other has 7 all on the same techniques, the fella with 7 has two clonkers in that bag and wins by weight, did he nymph better to get two clonkers ??
Any experienced angler will tell you that even searching the overwintered specimens doesn't guarantee big fish, i've won many matches targeting overwintered fish with nymph and dry methods but not on the weight of them.

As for time bonuses i think they should be done away with.