Spawned by the devil says Fenboy! Mark Barrett agrees, and so do I!

Should caring pikers campaign the ACA to pull out of pike matches? Should the PAC pull out of the Marie Curie pike matches?

Personally I am convinced that the PAC is wrong to support a pike match, however well it is run. In supporting its own it is condoning the less well run matches of others.

Pike matches, with the temptation to allow deephooking rather than loose the big cash prize, fly against the very concept of pike conservation.

Angling Time's involvement with the ACA pike championship is of no great credit to that publication.

Both Marie Curie and the ACA need the revenue that these matches generate. But why choose a fragile fish that is unsuited to match fishing? There are other, more hardy species out there, choose one of them.

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Absolutely right, Peter.
There is no place whatsoever for competitive pike fishing. It is well documented that the pike suffers from angling pressure.
It is also well-known that pike runs, when left, result in deeply-hooked fish.
It is my contention that many competitive pike anglers deliberately leave runs for an excessive length of time in order to hook pike deeply, rather than risk the fish coming off.
Make no bones about it: this is so they can win. Whether it is for financial gain or mere kudos is immaterial... it happens.
Why has a blind eye been turned to this scandal for so long. Is it because of ACA involvement? Is it because of AT involvement?
Is it because the PAC has always turned a blind eye?
In fact, in the very earliest days of the PAC, the then committee (Cambridge-based) supplied stewards to help with the unhooking and weighing at AT British Pike Championship events. This was a damage-limitation exercise... ie, experienced pike anglers present could hopefully prevent abuse.
Unfortunately, a whole army of experienced pike anglers cannot stop match-style pike anglers from deliberately deep-hooking pike.
Are we capable of putting our own house in order? Can we start on the long and possible painful process of getting competitive pike fishing outlawed?
I do hope so.
But, while making our views clear on this forum is great for articulating what so many of us feel, and getting a shared grievance off our chests, we must look to the powers-that-be to do something.
Come on, PAC...

In the late 80's/early 90,s I ran a local fishery complex.I put on a series of AT Pike Championship qualifiers for a couple of years.My incentive for this was two fold,to help raise funds for the ACA and to raise the level of Pike fishing awareness in my area.They were run on the basis of the pike being weighed and recorded by a steward (one for every 5 anglers) and returned immediately.I was some what suprised at the lack of knowledge and suitable equipment those attending showed.Ah these guys are just supporting me and making up numbers I thought.At least my able crew of stewards were able to assist in unhooking and pass on good tips to these people...so I thought any way.In all fairness I never saw any intentional deep hooking.

The last year that I ran any of these several of my syndicate/club members had qualified for the final,my self included.They persuaded me that we should all go up to fish the final on the 20'near Ramsey.Not really my cup of tea but the "club outing" idea did apeal.To cut a long story short both my mates and I spent the bulk of the match unhooking other peoples fish both lightly and deep hooked! The stewards there having no idea at all.The standard of angling horrified me,christ all these people had quallified to fish the final so what were all the others like?Non of us ever bothered to fish a pike match again and I never ran one again.I decided that if this was the standard at the final what were the other qualifiers like? Since then I have concentrated on raising money for the ACA by organising teach ins.This way both my initial aims are achieved without condoning the bad practice I had seen.I being very nieve had to learn the hard way.Pete and Fenboys comments are totally correct.

Steady on!!!!!!!
Whilst I most certainly and fully agree with the sentiments above, I, and it has been stated on here very recently by others too, respect how other people wish to fish, like it or not, they have a right in angling law. I know what I am saying here puts a bad taste into the mouths of some, but we have had these kind of posts before, live/dead baiting, killing Zander etc. Talk of banning is ammunition for you know who, and they would just love it .
I say let's not talk of a banning, let you know who, fight their own corner, let's not do it for them from within. Education is the way to go, far less confrontational, and far less likely to shoot our selves in the foot.
A very hard thing to achieve I know, but don't start a full frontal attack. :confused:

You raise a very good point Nugg.Whilst no longer participating in or organising these matches I would not openly campaign against them.As we often say each to there own,the only quaver of guilt I have here is that Pike matchs in general are not good for pike or the image of pike fishing.

Yes BUDGIE, as I stated I fully agree with the sentiments, it's a crying shame that it goes on, and yes it would do Pike and angling in general, no harm whatsoever if something could/can be done about this unfortunate side of the pastime we enjoy.
But we must be wary of how to go about it.

The PAC has been trying to educate for 25 years now, and bad piking practice is probably greater than ever.

Perhaps Nugg is right in saying we shouldn't ban things. Perhaps it would be much better if we stopped organising the blessed things though. Better that the PAC and ACA stopped rubber stamping them.

Perhaps if they were changed from any method matches to lure only matches the risk of deep hooking would virtually disappear?

You have a vested interest Tim! As much as I would like to agree with you, US style tournaments sound good, I can't see that anyone can say 'yes' to one and 'no' to another legal style. I agree about deep hooking though. Sometimes wish dear old Fred Taylor and his mates had never popularised deadbaiting , but thats another story, another thread, maybe!

I'm not very interested in fishing matches of any type, competing with the bloke at the other end of the boat or the other anglers on a trout water open day is enough competition for me.