Opinion Piece – More on Fishing Competitions

It’s true, we all have the chance to voice an opinion on the forum, but the forum is read by a only fraction of those members who read the editorial part of the site.

If you have an interesting opinion, and want it read by the maximum number of visitors to FishingMagic, then this is the place for it. The debate will still continue on the forum just the same, but it gets a hell of a bigger kickstart when it begins life on the front page.

If you have an interesting opinion about anything to do with fish or fishing then send it to me at graham@fishingmagic.com. Make it at least 500 words and a maximum of 1500.

The posters and members seem to polarise around the yes and no camps, although I feel nobody seemed to question the rationalisation behind why competitions exist.

According to a long held sociological theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs, all people need to fulfil self centred needs which become more ethereal the higher up the ladder they go. There are five levels to this hierarchy:

1.Basic physiological needs (food and drink).
2.Shelter, home
3.Companionship, belonging
4.Esteem
5.Self Actualisation.

Maslow also considered that each level had to be fulfilled before a person could strive to achieve the next level.

It can be seen that fishing could satisfy the first need, and this is undoubtedly where the roots of our sport lie, although it has now graduated to catch and release, I feel that large proportion of anglers gain satisfaction that they could provide food for themselves and families, should they be called upon to do so.

A summer study of a breathtaking 22lb 8ozs common carp. The largest in the small East Staffordshire syndicate lake, taken on two 12mm boilie cast early morning to a heavy fish rolling I heard, rather than saw, down the margins

The final level of human need, that of self-actualisation, is described as fulfilling your own potential to yourself. In other words, achieving a feat because you want to, not because other people will value or devalue its merits.

Having read the posters, it appears that there is predominance of anglers fulfilling levels three and five on the forum, in that a number of people such as Phil Hackett, for instance, fish on their own terms for what they view as success or failure and do not seek reward or accolade for it. However, I do know that Phil used to be a match angler. I presume, therefore, that he passed through levels three and four on his way to five.

Other anglers enjoy the forum for the comradeship and familiarity and do not feel ready to reach for level four. Think positively about this, as I would guess that 90% of people will never desire or achieve the jump to level four. Without these people the forum would wither and eventually die, as have other Internet forums, where posters have been made to feel outsiders and do not belong. In this instance, the posters have looked elsewhere for their belonging. Who knows, may be lots of people have ended up here on this site because of it!

My own feeling is that the introduction of competitions to an already popular site like FM must be very carefully considered, as I have no doubt Graham has. A problem with any competition is that it attracts those who wish to be held in higher esteem by their peers, and this will inevitably lead to acting outside the spirit of the event, if not outside the letter of the law. This could then alienate the ‘level three’ers’ because they will feel they cannot compete, as well as the ‘level fiver’ers’ who will deem the winners as below their consideration. Should this occur, the site will be left only with those who wish to enter the competition for the winnings sake, whilst the others will leave to look for somewhere else to lodge.

The family enjoying an Easter Break and the capture of the largest known fish in the lake, a mirror of 25lb 8ozs. Caught from an East Staffordshire Syndicate lake on a groundbait stick mix with maize hookbait

Angling competitions also seem to polarise people on their idea of merit. The recent spate of requests for a regional contest looks promising, although I immediately start to wonder to what extent this should go. Locally there are two pits next to each other. One has a genuine 40lb carp. If I should catch the largest fish in the lake next door at 17lb and compare that to the captor of the second largest fish next door at 35lb, which has more merit? I confess that I personally have no idea! The problem is that no-one without good local knowledge would be capable of making that judgement.

That’s an example on the same complex, never mind the same region. I do not believe that regionalisation can work. If anything it would lead to even more criticism than now.

If the idea of the competition is to increase participation within the site, which will lead to increased membership, which leads to increase revenue for advertising, which leads to increase spending on the site, which leads to higher profile, which leads to increased participation and there we go again, then how about this for an idea.

Set up a ‘Catch Report’ gallery (as opposed to personal galleries, where you have to point people to a picture to gain recognition), run it for a month without announcing in advance what the prize will be. Any photographs must have an accompanying brief write up about why the captor is proposing the photograph (note; not necessarily the capture) then let Graham, or a select group of respected members, choose a top three and then open it up to a week of voting by individuals. Then publish the number one selection on the home page, along with the prize. Contact the member and check whether they want the prize and away you go.

Would it work? Let me know what you think!

It could be a good idea to read these two forum threads first