Match fishing - any point entering without a pole ?

[smiffy]

To be brutally honest? No, not on the open circuit.
Theres plenty of times you can do damage on other rods etc but most often you will need a pole to compete week in week out, commercial or natural.
Club fishing may be different but you’re always going to be at a disadvantage. In my opinion?

 

[The Hitman]

Last couple of Matches I've been on at Meadowlands, one won on the Method, the other on the bomb. In the summer it's different. When i have pleasure sessions there i will only take my feeder or bomb rods in the winter. Nice steady fishing.

 

[Jonathan Sutcliffe-Bland]

I’m getting the itch to fish matches again - it was bound to happen eventually even though I promised myself it wouldn’t and I was only starting back up to teach my son and pleasure fish.

The thing is the more match reports I read and the more videos I watch the more I am convinced that without a pole there is no point.

Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to be pools fodder - I have been in the past plenty of times - but the thought of going into a match with little or no hope because of a lack of kit doesn’t appeal.

Do people regard a pole as a match essential or am I being overly swayed by what I’m reading ?

I'm a certified canal angler with poleitus. About five or six years ago I fished the Northern Maggot Drowners Fur & Feather at Pool Bridge farm. I made the decision to leave the pole at home and fish wag N mag whilst feeding 4mm pellets every put in. In the first 30 minutes I had landed two double figure Carp (count as 10lb each and immediately returned). To finish 4th overall ?

 

[chefster]

Take the pole out of these match anglers hands, then give them a waggler to use. I wonder how many of them would just stand there scratching their heads wondering what it is and how to use it.

That’s rubbish, Not many, they all know how to fish all methods, not just pole !!!!

 

[Peter]

How do you think anglers won matches before poles made an appearance?

Unlike your good self Pete, most on here aren't so ancient as to remember back that far. ? ?

 

[ukzero1]

Unlike your good self Pete, most on here aren't so ancient as to remember back that far. ? ?

Eh? I'm only as young as a recycled teenager, my dad Noah told me that.

 

[Silverfisher]

I wonder what percentage of matches are won with the pole against rod n reel these days. Most anglers would probably think pole but, I think we’d be surprised.

Thought that a good question so had a look at my clubs results for the last couple years. On the river the pole won about a quarter but on Stillwaters it won about three quarters.

 

[Total]

That’s rubbish, Not many, they all know how to fish all methods, not just pole !!!!

Our Pete is referring to the 'tonkin' pole.... .......(Page 265, sub section.......)

 

[tipitinmick]

That’s rubbish, Not many, they all know how to fish all methods, not just pole !!!!

Ukzero1 at a club meeting and on a local club match. ??

 

[alsur]

It depends where you go take Gold Valley middle lake now full of F1s all matches now won on Pole, Syndicate and Gold it's still Carp and many matches are won on running line.

 

[Total]

Ukzero1 at a club meeting and on a local club match. ??

....And prolly out of frame....Up a church roof?

 

[chefster]

Ukzero1 at a club meeting and on a local club match. ??

Ha ha I reckon that was the last time he fished a match ?

 

[Total]

Ha ha I reckon that was the last time he fished a match ?

...........Imagining the length of the 'minutes' from that first photo above!

 

[bettsfan]

I couldn't manage 17.5 metres!!! Perhaps I would have to hire Sly and get the island dragged a bit closer !!

 

[Me and my lad]

No you do not need a pole...on commercial fisheries at least. I wouldn't go to a lincs river or drain without one. I guess it depends on species. Carp no. Roach yes

 

[JLK]

Jamie Harrison has fished a few of the silver fish opens at fleets dam using the tip rods exclusively, while most folk who have framed have used either a combination of the pole and tip but in the main the pole has been king.
As an example on the above venue you can catch a few pounds of rudd or perch close in tight up to the reeds or under the trees down the edge on most pegs and to use a waggler or tip rod to do this isn't the best way. In fact it's completely impractical.
Which is probably the same on other venues that require a bit more of a finesse approach.

 

[robert d]

I’m getting the itch to fish matches again - it was bound to happen eventually even though I promised myself it wouldn’t and I was only starting back up to teach my son and pleasure fish.

The thing is the more match reports I read and the more videos I watch the more I am convinced that without a pole there is no point.

Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to be pools fodder - I have been in the past plenty of times - but the thought of going into a match with little or no hope because of a lack of kit doesn’t appeal.

Do people regard a pole as a match essential or am I being overly swayed by what I’m reading ?

A pole certainly helps on certain days, especially when fish are further up in the water ,but as said by many good anglers on this thread not a necessity. You can use a rod as a pole if they are feeding closer in ,with the clutch set correctly. Waggler, bomb,and various shapes and styles of feeder can work brilliant on many occasions . If you are going to fish matches all the time a nice responsive pole does have its advantages on certain days ,for example jigging ,dobbing, up in the water at speed ,fishing tight under a tree or tight to far banks although a feeder and bomb in the right hands can be as good if not better to the far bank . In my opinion not a necessity but a good weapon in your armoury .

 

[OldTaff]

@OldTaff .......Opens or club matches?

Definitely start with club matches

 

[chefster]

Definitely start with club matches

I would say you have a very good chance of winning some club matches, providing, you get to know the venue,get very proficient at casting, be efficient with your time, etc

 

[OldTaff]

Match yesterday - which was, admittedly, rather dictated by the weather - saw first place go to a guy fishing the feeder, second on the feeder/waggler and third and fourth on the pole.

On our club matches there are some who never fish the pole (don't own one), some who rarely use it and some suffering from advanced poleitis using it when other methods would be far more suitable. All have framed at some time or other and, as others have said, that's very venue dependent.

You can pick up a cheap margin pole for a hundred quid and that will at least give you a few more options on commercial fisheries.

Simon

I have a margin pole - yet to be fished as I’ve been learning the method feeder.