It is all change as far as the regulations governing the World Feeder Championships are concerned with alterations made to a couple of areas which proved to be controversial during the course of the inaugural 2011 event.
Under the new rules teams will now be able to prebait their swims ten minutes before they start fishing and the minimum 50cm hooklength rule, which proved so controversial this year, has been scrapped altogether.
England Feeder Team Captain Tom Pickering said:
“This is great news as they’re the two things I really wanted changing for the event. The prebaiting rule is a sensible move and the hooklength rule caused a lot of controversy this year with different countries’ interpretations leading to accusations of cheating.
It also means teams will now be able to fish the method feeder and, as this is the World Feeder Champs, I feel it’s a method that should be allowed. The England team are probably more advanced at using the method than anyone else so it may give us an advantage. However, the other European countries really know what they’re doing so it won’t take them long to learn.”
It is understood that the ten minute prebaiting rule will come into force for the 2012 championship but, due to some teams having already held trials for next years’ event, the all-important hooklength rule change will not come into force until 2013.
