SPORTFISH MASTERS 2016: SWEDISH PIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MASTER
104
WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM
BAITERS
teams are new to these waters and are anxious about today’s outcome, we see a change in attitude from last night. Eyes are more intense; faces are almost stern. Everyone is focused on the competition and competitors don’t have time for distractions. Friendships formed last night are now acknowledged only by a quick greeting before moving on. Have we correctly planned our spots? Did the weather change during the night? Is there any new information from the HQ? Before starting, we hold a quick morning meeting to bring everyone the latest updates. We then sing the national anthem together and release some stress with boisterous cheering and some laughter - before jumping into the boats and preparing for the start. Once the start is signalled, the teams head out to sea. We rush back to the HQ and take a seat behind one of the live reporting stations where we will assess every single incoming catch in real time. The first day starts according to plan - at least for the crews. The weather has been relentless with pouring rain and heavy winds making the first day of the final a rough challenge for the teams, and for our scouts and camera crew out on the waters. The catch reporting is starting to blow up around 9:30am; during peak hours we are receiving an average of 3.2 catches per minute - and this goes on for almost four hours before dropping to a more manageable one catch per minute and slowly easing down to a few catches per hour - right on time for 4pm when that day’s competition ends. As the crews verify the last catches, the first returning teams show up, and are soon enjoying the “After Fish” on the hotel’s outdoor seating, next to the docks. Discussions are going on everywhere and everyone seems to be having a great time, despite having had to endure the relentless weather only moments earlier. Where are we going to fish tomorrow? What baits did you use? What colours worked for you? Are you switching tactics for tomorrow? During dinner the majority of the teams look like they have forgotten all about the cold and wet weather and are getting back into a friendlier mind-set, sitting down and making new friends or cultivating the friendships they made last night. But it’s not all laughs, as many teams use this time to exchange information with other teams to fine-tune their plans for tomorrow. At this point, we are off to bed to enjoy five hours of sleep before the 6:30am wakeup call.
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it’s clear that the main topic of discussion is about fishing, fishing, fishing … New gear, new waters, new techniques. It’s not just a hobby, it’s a way of life.
Saturday
The second and last day of the final starts cold and raining. The teams are scurrying to check their equipment and fetch batteries from the charging station. Now we start seeing competitive moods and looks again. Teams who did great yesterday look at bit more relaxed as they are confident about improving their result - but the teams who didn’t do so well yesterday are anxious to get out on the water and try to catch up. In any case, they are not very keen on socializing this morning. It’s all business now. After the mandatory morning meeting and national anthem, the teams head out on the waters with the camera crew following closely. The catch rate is slower today but the mean pike is longer. Last night many teams were overheard discussing their plans to focus only on the big ones today, to have a shot at winning. At 3pm the “After Fish” opens and the few teams who unfortunately had technical issues and aborted early sit down for a chat and a few laughs. Some look like they have forgotten about the disappointment, while others are indicating