It has been announced that the 2012 event is to take place from 23 to 25 May on the River Ebro, Catalunya and will see even greater numbers of the top catfish anglers from around the world assemble to battle it out for the Title of World Catfish Classic Champions 2012.
The river lived up to its reputation in the first event in 2011 with a huge 203lb catfish landed by the French team. The event itself could not have been closer with the Dutch pair of Arnout Terlouw and Ron Beugelink just pipping the Americans Phil King and Tim Haynie by 600g in the last hour of the event to create a nail biting climax. The entire event had a tremendous atmosphere that was enjoyed by all and everybody who participated is looking forward to the forthcoming event.
There are going to be a few very slight changes for the next event and these are:
The draw at the opening ceremony will decide the competitors peg for the first day and the zone order for the event. There will be a draw on each night for the two following nights to see what the peg numbers competitors will fish the following day. The zones will be decided on the first draw and follow on from that so, for example, if peg B5 was drawn at the opening ceremony then on day 2 the competitors would fish in zone C and day 3 zone A.
* Change in possible angling combination: Pair (2 anglers) or Trio (3 anglers) but only 4 rods may be used.
* A clearly identified Team Runner will also be allowed in pairs combination.
* 50kg of bait may be used per day and this can be either squid, halibut pellets or boilies.
* If a fish is snagged competitors can call the marshall and it may then be allowed for one of the anglers to go out in a boat to free the fish from the snag. The rod must stay on the bank at all times. The freed fish will count in the event
The rest of the rules remain the same.
The organisers confirm that Berkley are the event title sponsor for the second year and welcome new sponsors Black Cat, Rod-Box and Carplove who will join PVTV as Zone Sponsors, Reuben Heaton as the official scales sponsor and a large selection of support sponsors. There will also be a tremendous £50,000 prize table for competitors to compete for.
In addition to outlining the rules and format of the event organiser Ross Honey went onto praise the work he and the event have helped to bring to the riverine environment itself. He commented:
“As part of our ongoing commitment to the environment, Friends of the Ebro will continue to campaign for clean riverbanks on the river and I look forward to reporting on the situation following last year’s massive clear up. Big thanks to all of those who helped last year. That was the start but there is still plenty more to do so let’s continue what has been started and make a difference responsibly.”
Ten places for Hungary and ten places for Romania have already been snapped up highlighting the interest that there is in the 2012 event. If you would like to secure your place in the event you may register now by visiting the online registration at the event website.
