crab ban for winter league

Think your right Jags. Well Done on the League win by the way

fair piont ste. but it wasnt just about joe perry even though he did prove you can win without crab. it was that as you said new match anglers joind the club and not everybody likes match anglers
and still today i dont understand that stigma. yes your right crab didnt make any differance acccept the attendancies dropped . and the lack of quallity fish and the old moan that the match anglers keep winning .even though we all had the same baits drew pegs . as a member and in a league i try my best to get a result. thats the piont of having a winter league and a cup to win. i know alot of members will not be fishing the winter league this year because of the match angler. and more so now the crab has been lifted . even though as you know we are only as good as the peg we draw. its a shame really you can be a victim of your own succses in clubs
i can see our winter league being a low turnout this year.
like yourself i will be concentrating on more opens this year. as for is it time to go ste. it is for me after this year
tight lines m8

Interesting words Shaun, i beleive the ban was put in place to stop Joe Perry from dominating the League because he had crab. They Banned it and Joe won anyway( with top quality other baits) I personally dont mind if we fish without crab. I'd like to think i can compete whatever the format is. I've fished bait ban competitions before (SAMF) and dont know if it makes any difference. I think it can lead to other things getting banned ie pendulum casting, wading, lures, braid, anything that people think gives an advantage.
Heard that the pirates are having a bit of drama about the so called match anglers. Its suprising that 3 of those match anglers are relatively new to the match scene and are already beating more established club anglers who dont fish the matches. I think those anglers will eventually leave and just concentrate on opens. Something i'm pondering myself- is it time to go?

the pirates had the crab ban last year .and it was a poor fishing and didnt improve on attendances. in fact some matches was poor compaired to the previous year. its not about the difficulty in getting crab or the affordabillity . alot of angler dont even try in summer to get crab free or freeze crab most crab used in winter is frozen from the summer. everyone can get lug fresh or frozen @ £3.75 a pack most anglers get 2 packs ie £7.50. then a box of squid £2.35.plus mackie say £2.30 so theres nearly £12 quid for a typical winter match

we had anglers saying we carnt get crab or afford crab . rubbish in the summer you dont really need squid or mackie so with the money you saved not buying that pick up 5/10 crab and freeze it

most anglers go out and about in summer theres plenty of marks for free peelers . crabs are not the be all and end all in winter but they can take fish were other baits fail . you carnt turn up for a match with a packet of frozen lug and moan about it after . your in a match and a lot of anglers put there time money and effort in gaining there baits for winter . everyone can do it . some just carnt be botherd in our league that is. i have bought over a 1000 crab this year half of that going to members who carnt get out for crab or who just dont know were to get it . so they can freeze it for winter. and early this year i got first batch of devons from ebay 2 of us clubbed together for a bulk perchase they were dear but if your match fishing it payed dividens earning me treble what i paid for the crabs. but thats only my opinion
as a match angler . a crab ban did reduce fish and the bigger fish did not show last winter to other standard baits
also taking in mind distance and rigs and hooks all play an important part in catching fish regardless of bait .

the mpsac have lifted the crab ban this year. and it will be ineresting to see how it differs from last year

totaly agree crab should be banned from winter match,s lets be fair to thoses who cant get them,or afford them.

I must admit i agree with steve it doesnt really put people on even pegging our welsh qualifiers are bait supplied an still the same names get in the team each year, it did wonders for billys 2dayer though alot more turned up with the crab ban.

dont think it would make that much difference. the anglers who get the crab would just direct the same amount of effort getting other top baits white rag, maddies, king rag ,black lug, blow lug, razors, fresh mussel. where do u stop at bait bans? Rather than banning baits why not make it lug, mack and squid only. Anglers saying they cant get hold of baits are not putting any effort in . ALL baits can be bought, just go on ebay or go to a decent shop. just got 25 crab from stanley tackle and bait, how hard is that? ordered on tuesday picked them up today
On another tack, maybe a bait ban would do good for the club. I would hope anglers dont think success is all down to 1 bait. Its about the whole package- rigs, tackle, experience, casting , tactics every aspect of your game. one thing i do know,. the anglers who arent catching still wont catch -crab ban or not. i have fished events that have had bans in place and the best anglers still do well. it doesnt bother me either way- just have to service me pump anyway . Good idea maybe.

Mark, what a thought i don't think it will happen though, but it would put a lot more men on an even keel not every one can get crab bait that easily,gut give it a try see what happens. Tim

What do our anglers think of a crab ban for the winter league?