World Predator Classic 2014 official magazine

PACKED INSIDE YOUR WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC MAGAZINE

INSIDE Page 5 Welcome to The historic first edition of The World Predator Classic from Ross Honey, Event founder and organiser.

Page 6 & 7 World Predator Classic Event Team Presentation

Page 8 Welcome from the Mayor of the Host Town, Hellevoetsluis.

24 Page 77 ‘Seeing is Believing’

Page 9 Welcome to the World

Raymarine

Predator Classic from Title Sponsors Shimano & Rapala.

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Page 10 – 13 Nitro Boats “Born to

Perform’ A detailed look at Nitro Boats providing a comprehensive answer to the question ‘what makes them so good?’

Team Event Competitors List

Page 84 – 87 A timeline of Shimano

Page 16 – 17 Rapala the choice

development

of champions. A presentation of a selection of Rapala’s world famous lures.

Page 24 – 26 Mercury Rising Page 28 – 29 World Predator

Classic Event Itinerary. Where, what and when things will be happening!

Page 89 Wim de Vries ‘Fishing in the Netherlands’

Page 48 – 50 Contender Willem

Stolk with ‘Beat the best of the rest’

Page 51 - 53 Spotlight on Host Town Hellevoetsluis

Page 55 ‘Sudden Impact’ A local perspective of the World Predator Classic

Page 56 – 57 Official World

Page 64 – 65 Phoenix Club at Hooked on Rock

gefangen!’ Dietmar Isaiasch

Page 34 – 36 World Predator Classic

Page 73 “Power Hungry’ Portable

Page 37 Streetfishing Contestants list and event rules

Page 38 – 41 Frederick Jullian explains what it takes to prepare for a big event like the world Predator Classic Page 42 – 44 The Kayak Angling Event, the rules and Participants list Page 45 The Youth Predator Course and Wellantcollege Sport-fishing Academy

Page 46 – 47 Introducing the Event Marshals

Page 96 – 97 Elite Lady Predator

Angler, Carmen Klein: ‘Mit herz und Verstand’

Page 98 – 99 A year in the limelight

Page 68 – 71 ‘Gut imitiert ist halb

Power solutions from Powertraveller

of EFFTEX

Page 102 - 103 In High Spirits: Angling Spirit

Page 104 – 105 ‘Making a difference responsibly’ Ross Honey

Page 106 – 107 The Future of the World Predator Classic

Page 108 – 109 Schools project: Involving the next generation of anglers?

Page 110 The last word: Chris Leibbrandt

Page 74 – 76 ‘Biting Chance’ by Luc Coppens

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WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Romana, the unique holiday resort and choice of the World Predator Classic

Kock introduces the Streetfishing event in ‘Word on the Street’ contestant, Dan Sissons of England rightfully claims ‘Every fish a predator’

Christian Biereth

Page 101 Jean Claude Bel, President

Page 62 – 63 ‘Roman Holiday’ Città

Page 32 – 33 Organiser Ralph de

Page 92 – 93 Competitor in focus;

Page 58 – 59 Official Global Event

vissen in Hellevoetsluis en omgeving

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of Rueben Heaton

for the World Carp Classic champions 2013

Page 60– 61 Het Voornse Kanaal,

Competitors list

Page 90 ‘Event Horizon’ Andy Race

Predator Classic Competition Map Partners Het Voor

Page 29 – 30 World Predator Classic

Page 80 – 81 Ron van den Bergh Page 82 – 83 World Predator Classic

The Event Prize Table

Dam with a fascinating and insightful piece entitled ‘Made in America’

world rely on Navionics to catch big fish ‘Fish, Photo, Leaderboard…’

Page 14 – 15 Everyone a Winner:

Page 18 – 22 Elite angler Kevin van

Page 78 – 79 Anglers around the

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A WELCOME FROM EVENT FOUNDER ROSS HONEY

Welcome..

to the first World Predator Classic

I would like to take this opportunity of welcoming you to the inaugural World Predator Classic, less than a year after making the announcement that my company Angling Spirit would be staging the event.

The fantastic location of Hellevoetsluis and the Haringvliet, which is steeped in history, has extended such a warm and friendly welcome.

Hellevoetsluis was the home port from which the greatest Admiral of the Netherlands fleet sailed his way into battle and it is very appropriate that there will be a tremendous battle on the water now involving anglers from all over the world.

The top companies that have given there backing to the event and the global partners, Rapala and Shimano, have enabled us to provide a truly amazing prize table.

We are delighted to reveal that we have had an awesome, custom-made NITRO boat from the USA sent over as one of the top prizes, thanks to SWAT Germany, the distributor for NITRO Boats in Germany.

Mercury will be providing an incredible 115 EFI to accompany the boat: The Highest Displacement Engine with Advanced Four-Stroke, fuel-efficient performance.

Ray Marine will be providing the full electronics package including top specification navigation and fish-finding features and they will also be providing the VIP boat and Head marshals boat.

Holland based company, PEGA, will be providing a custom made trailer for the NITRO boat, and Citta Romana will be the host for providing event accommodation and the site will be the hub for the captain’s briefings, the welcome meal on the opening evening and the official event accommodation.

Navionics will be providing the event with vital, platinum+ sonar navigation charts, because, quite literally, we would be going absolutely nowhere without those!

It is fantastic to have established such a great relationship with the Dutch National Fishing and Local angling associations, who have been incredibly helpful and accommodating.

The vision that I had for this event really is like no other that I have founded… This is the Formula One of angling and that is evident by the amazing boats, fishing machines and equipment that will be used by competitors in the event. Whilst there were events being run in Europe, I could see that there was nothing like the one that I wanted to create. I wanted to introduce truly cutting edge technology that linked many things together, to be used in a way that had never been done before and

thanks to the hard work of a very skilled team, we have achieved this.

In the future, The World Predator Classic will expand to include qualifying events all over the world. To have so many countries represented in the first event highlights the fantastic opportunity there is to grow and establish this as a major event in the global sporting calendar - and with a lot of hard work this is achievable.

So many doors have opened so much faster than I had anticipated, that it has enabled me to add lots of the elements to this year’s event that I had only aspired to and planned for in future years.

The schools initiative, that involves an angling academy teaching about respect for the environment and best practice catch and release angling. I.e, The World Predator Classic streetfishing event, which has the water in Hellevoetsluis as it arena. The World Predator Kayak competition, the Hooked on Rock music festival and fund raising for a cancer charity.

Over the 4 days of the event, all of the elements will come together to ensure that there is something for everyone and of all ages. Huge media attention will have Hellevoetsluis, the Haringvliet and the Netherlands in the spotlight.

I am very proud of the great team that have been working to ensure that this world class event is a great success, hopefully creating fantastic memories and friendships that last a life time.

TOURNAMENT FOUNDER

‘‘

So many doors have opened so much faster than I anticipated, it has allowed me to add many elements to this year’s event that I had only aspired to

Event Founder

I am proud to present to you my team, the hard working individuals who are involved in the staging of the World Predator Classic. As you will perhaps recognise, there is an amazing range of skills required to stage an event of such magnitude.

This multifaceted event, being on its inaugural appearance on the world stage, needs to hit the ground running and, without question, I place my utmost faith in my team to ensure that this World Class event merits its title.

It has taken a tremendous amount of hard work by everyone involved to bring the vision that I had to reality. I would like to thank each and every one of my team for their dedication and involvement. Without their efforts, this event would not be possible

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

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WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC 2014

Ross Honey

EVENT TEAM

Head of Event Organisers

Marianne Guillois Alex Boom Event Director

Head Marshal

Official Media & Photography Andy Steggall Producer

Luke Burnwood Camera Operator

Sarah Yuen

Camera Operator

James Edwards Camera Operator for Cameras 4,5 and 6

Catalin Toader

Official Photographer

Chris Leibbrandt Event PR

Event Support & Co-ordination

Danielle Colapicchioni Event Support

David Richards

Riccardo Battisti Event Support

Ben Joel

Event Support

Event Support

Phoenix Club

James Kelly, Andrea Succi, Danny Mc Mahon and Daniel Canvin

DJ Kjetil-Hansen

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC: MEET THE EVENT TEAM Other Event Organisers Jeffrey van Duijvenvoorde Streetfishing Co-ordinator

Jesse Cuperus Streetfishing Assistant

Kevin Cartwright Event Logistics

Ron Van Den Bergh

Gero Priebe

Debby De Kock Local Event Co-ordination

Social Media and Event Magazine Glen Jeffrey

Media Co-ordination

Wilbert Mosterd Fishing Academy Co-ordinator

Event Marshals Boat Marshals

Max Kenny Herbert Social Media

Steve Howard Magazine Editor

Lucy Allsopp

Magazine Art Director

Tom Dunn Social Media

Robert Kiss

Dinus Herrewijnen

Media Provider

Live Programming, Editing and Sound Sam Moles

Assistant Producer/Editor

Alex Cullen Director

Ruby Kelly Vision Mixer

Felicity Diehl

Live Stream Operator

Steve Hogg Producer Live programming

Sofy Bazzini

Assistant Producer/ Editor

Jade Reader

Camera Operator

Megan Maddex Camera Operator

Jack Fenner Video Engineer

Hooked On Rock Event

Chris Patmore Video Engineer

Adam Fontaine Sound Engineer

Stage Presence Billy Wizz

First Response

Marcel landman Stefan Visser Guido Merlijn Carey van kints Wim van Amen Kevin van Amen Jeroen van Rijn Mark Traas Rene ’s Gravemade Arie van der kamp Kevin van Vught

Event Marshals Tom Mainwaring-Evans Harry Evans Jonathon Greenwood Nick van Elst Rafael Exposito Willem van den Heuvel Chris Vaughan Dennis Ludwig First Response Swen Otto Tim Pluimers Joshua Reep Paul Sloot Glenn Timmer Radjiv de Waal Thomas Zwetsloot Jelle van Dijk Floris Oomens Bob van de Wetering Jarno Breukel Jaap Iversen Myron Mebius First Response Christian van Tilborg Bart de Witte Yannick Janssen

Event Catering

David Joel, Peter Standring, Stellio Jones and Mark Letley

Erwin Valkenburg and Sas Kuiper

Hooked on Rock Crew

Nat Shervington: Bass & Guitar tech Alexander Smith: Guitar tech Adam Cook: Monitor Engineer/ Lights Jake stone: Drum tech Chris Smart: Driver

Kayak Event Co-ordinator

Special thanks goes to the following people who have contributed to the production of this magazine:

Sophie & Victoire Honey

n Steve Howard as Magazine Editor n Lucy at Bang the Drum Designs n Everyone that provided photographs & articles

A WELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF HELLEVOETSLUIS

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Hellevoetsluis’ and the typical dutch mill ‘De Hoop’. If you are interested in historical ships you should visit De Buffel, De Bernisse and the Noordhinder. The fully restored city walls and Jan Blanken’s Dry Dock are definitely both worth a visit. Guided tours of these sites are also available. And, of course, you can enjoy our nice restaurants, bars and terraces.

We are pleased to see how excited everyone is about the angling possibilities of the Haringvliet, nowadays separated from the sea by a large dam.

But just imagine the possibilities of spending some extra days around the event. What about hiking and cycling in a picturesque landscape? Or would you rather prefer slightly more excitement and action?

There are many sports to choose from, e.g.

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‘‘

Dear participants and visitors, welcome to Hellevoetsluis! I am very proud that our city will host the first World Predator Classic.

Hopefully this will be the start of a long-term relationship.

For all participants and visitors, Hellevoetsluis offers the ideal starting point for a wonderful stay near the sea. You can choose between luxurious furnished holiday homes or well equipped camping sites. In an area with dunes, nature reserves, water (of course!) and many historical places.

Hellevoetsluis is not only an interesting fortified town, but also the former homeport of the Dutch navy.

Celebrated naval heroes connected with this old port are De Ruyter, Tromp and Piet Heyn, all left their unique mark on Dutch history. Within the city’s fortified walls a number of interesting museums can be found, e.g., the National Fire fighting Museum, the local historical museum ‘Stadsmuseum.

kite surfing or water-skiing. However, why not kick back and relax at one of the beaches after three days of intensive battle at the waterfront, dreaming of large fishes...?!

I am sure that the surprising mix of culture, history, nature, the beach and water sports will guarantee a successful and enjoyable visit. I wish the organisation Angling Spirit and Ross Honey and all of the participants of the World Predator Classic a good tournament and a pleasant stay in Hellevoetsluis. You are very welcome!

RAPALA AND SHIMANO: AN OFFICIAL SPONSORS’ WELCOME

‘‘

On behalf of Shimano and Rapala we’d like to warmly welcome you all to the World Predator Classic 2014.

This blue ribbon event will be the most exciting and keenly followed media European predator angling event ever.

With highly sophisticated GPS tracking, minute by minute video footage in real time via the internet and massive column inch in the printed media it will raise the profile of lure angling to unprecedented heights.

As main joint brand partners Shimano and Rapala recognize the huge importance of the WPC which will create a paradigm shift in the psyche of hundreds of thousands of predator anglers all over the world.

It will undoubtedly inspire and encourage many anglers to take up the fascinating art of lure

angling and fire up the imagination of those who already enjoy this growing sector of our sport.

Our respective products are world renowned for quality, robust, durable and designed to cope with long term hard work on a regular basis, cast after cast, fish after fish and session upon session.

Whatever the outcome and whoever wins the coveted WPC 2014 champions title it will be down to many factors such as sheer determination, hard work, skill, experience and the desire to be the best.

All of these qualities make up the life-force of champions and the ethos of Shimano & Rapala products too, and we are extremely proud to be involved with World Predator Classic 2014.

Good luck, enjoy and have a fantastic event.

SHIMANO/RAPALA

‘‘

As main joint partners Shimano and Rapala recognise the huge importance of the WPC

BORN TO

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

PERFORM

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Sometimes, it’s easy to pigeonhole a boat’s performance capabilities into just a couple of rather obvious points: how fast it gets on plane and how fast it’ll go when pushed to the max (in perfect conditions, of course).

Steve Mason, Freshwater Product Development Manager explains how NITRO Boats take a different approach when defining how a boat performs

‘‘

There are a lot of things that make the boat perform,” Steve Mason, Freshwater Product Development Manager, points out. “It’s things like top end, of course, holeshot, turning and fishability. All things under the ‘performance’ umbrella that we strive to achieve, not just top end.”

Fishability, he explains, is everything the boater needs to have the most success while fishing, including how the boat tracks while trolling, the maneuverability on the decks and in the cockpit, the stableness of the platform and the ability to access gear and accessories inside.

Lance Williams, Senior Product Engineer for NITRO Boats, backs that up

when pointing out that NITRO boats are fishing boats first and foremost. So, when designing a performance boat, they don’t look at just speed, holeshot and handling. They also consider safety, comfort, the dry and soft ride and more. All to provide an enjoyable experience on the water.

So, in an industry where numerous performance boat brands are vying for anglers’ attention, what sets NITRO apart from the pack?

The hull designs, Mason says, which feature a combination of innovative touches to provide NITRO boats with a smoother, dryer ride, better stability and faster holeshots, among other benefits to the anglers onboard.

CHAMPION’S BOAT: THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE

Deadrise The first of the key aspects of the NITRO performance boat design is the variable deadrise hull design.

While a boat that has a very flat deadrise will run super fast, it will be exceptionally difficult to drive and produce an extremely rough ride. On the other hand, an extreme Deep V design will result in a soft, nice ride, but slower top end.

The sweet spot is 16 degrees at the bow that transitions to 10 degrees at the keel. While most of the bass boats are designed with those measurements, the Z-6 numbers vary slightly, while still keeping the basic ariable design.

The combination produces a soft, dry ride, while still allowing for exhilarating top-end speeds.

Patented RPS System Another contributor to the renowned performance of a NITRO boat is the Rapid Planing System (RPS) transom, a patented design originally developed for the MAKO 18 LTS bay boat.

The engineering and design team realized it was a perfect fit for a NITRO performance hull, and worked it into the design.

“The boat has a natural vacuum to it that wants to pull the boat down,” Mason explains. The stepped design of the RPS transom breaks up that vacuum by letting in air and helping the boat lift at takeoff. The result is a quicker holeshot, less bow rise and better planing in shallow conditions.

The RPS transom breaks up the vacuum of the hull, allowing for a quick holeshot.

The port and starboard pods add flotation aft to counteract the weight of the motor, allowing for even flotation and better tracking.

BORN TO

PERFORM Extended Pods Also at the rear of the boat, take note of the “pods” extending past the transom.

They add extra flotation to counteract the heavy motor on the transom, while also adding buoyancy to create level flotation.This way, the boat floats more level and won’t rock as much when anglers are moving around. It also allows anglers to reach areas other boats can’t.

“You can trim that motor up and get into super shallow water,” Williams says.

The fact that NITRO boats sit more level at rest means they present less “sail area.” When the winds are heavy, there isn’t as much boat above the water to get blown around, so the boat tracks and controls better with the trolling motor.

Concave Design

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If you look at a NITRO bass boat from the front, you’ll notice how the hull is cupped, or concaved, on either side of the deadrise.

This design results in aerodynamic lift, getting the boat farther out of the water while running and adding to the boat’s top-end abilities.

“That’s what makes building bass boat hulls and high-performance boats so difficult,” Williams explains. “When you do airplanes, it’s all air. But when you do boats, you have two mediums— air and water.”

It’s a unique set of features that has been engineered and perfected through years of development, testing and input from a variety of sources, including the NITRO Professional Fishing Team.

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Rick Emmitt, Manager of NITRO Angler Programs/Pro Staff, is a 28-year veteran of Tracker Marine Group, and one of the few who has driven every NITRO model built.

He talks about how the hulls have evolved through the years.

“I drove the very first NITRO Pro Series boat after we [TMG] purchased the company in 1989. The hull was 18’ 10” and very fast, but pretty tricky to drive,” Emmitt says. “I used to have to go out in the field and teach customers how to drive their boat. We realized we needed to re-design the hull and make them more stable for the average customer. Over the years we have developed a hull that features tremendous all-around performance— good holeshot, smooth and dry roughwater ride, good top-end speed with stability and easy handling. We may not be the fastest, but our overall performance is difficult to beat.”

So, how does one go about crafting the ultimate performance hull?

First, the boat is computer designed in-house to achieve certain performance characteristics. Then, a plug” is made. The plug is ultimately what the mold for the final boat will be made from.

The mold is made, and testing begins.

“The test method we use to validate what we’re doing is key,” Williams says.

“Some people call it trial and error, but it’s actually scientific method.”

The team spends months working on the boat, testing it and making changes to maximize its performance abilities.

Deadrise, pad angle, transom angle and more are all looked at and heavily evaluated. And it’s not controlled conditions the boats are tested in.

Instead, the team takes the boats to Lake of the Ozarks, a Missouri lake with a range of “attitudes,” including heavy winds and chop.

Williams says the team tests every boat in best- and worst-case scenarios to ensure optimal performance in every condition, from an Elite tournament to a weekend outing with family. It’s a challenge to achieve perfection, but one that pays off for the anglers who depend on NITRO. Professional angler Edwin Evers is definitely impressed with his boat.

“When I’m in a tournament, I know I have the total package. I have speed.

I have shallow-water floating ability.

A great rough-water ride. Organized storage where everything is at my fingertips. The best livewells. The most fuel capacity.

“I have every advantage possible fishing tournaments in my NITRO bass boat,” he says.

Emmitt says it’s not just the professionals who are impressed.

He takes passengers in NITRO boats on photoshoots through the Florida pigtrails, where the waterway is only a foot or so wider than the boat, and not much more than a foot deep.

“I have to have total trust in the handling of our boats. The trails have sharp turns, and the NITRO responds quickly to keep the boat tracking in a straight line,” he says. “I get a kick out of the expression on the passengers’ faces when we first start to make these runs.

They look at the trail and the helicopter pushing the boat around, and it’s a bit scary at first. Once they see how the NITRO performs, though, they become relaxed and enjoy the exhilarating ride.”

‘‘

Before we go to a production tool, everything is validated on the water

LANCE WILLIAMS

CHAMPION’S BOAT: THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE

Built to perfection:

a unique set of features has been engineered and perfected through years of development, testing and input from a variety of sources, including the NITRO Professional Fishing Team

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Top prizes from world top names ..

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We are delighted to say that we have an incredible, customised NITRO Z6 boat to offer as a major prize in the Event.

The boat, built in the USA, was sent over as one of the major prizes thanks to SWAT, who are the distributor for NITRO Boats in Germany.

This amazing prize really does have it all... with its sleek firbreglass hull, specifically designed for speed when on the move, cannot fail to impress.

However, where tournament boats are concerned, speed is one thing, stability is another. The Nitro Z6, excells in all aspects, both at high speed and when in fishing mode. Not only is the Z6 incredibly stable in fishing mode – providing high-level comfort in all conditions for those aboard – it’s superior design provides all manner of additions to facilitate the angler. With a large array of storage space in its water-tight lockers, ranging from livewells, secure tackle and rod storage, safety and boat equipment plus other, very useful compartments, any time spent aboard the NITRO Z6 is assured to be enjoyable and comfortable.

And that’s not all ... The NITRO Z6 that you will all be competing for, has custom paintwork that will no doubt cause heads to turn. With the words “World Predator Champions” emblazened on its hull, along with the iconic WPC logo and event branding, it is sure to catch the eye. Looks aren’t everything, we know, but this particular boat not only looks the part, it IS! To compliment this already fantastic prize, Mercury will be providing an incredible 115 EFI to accompany the boat. Full specs on Page 26 UK based company, Ray Marine will be providing the full electronics package including top specification navigation and fish-finding features, plus, Holland based company, PEGA, will be providing a custom made trailer for the NITRO boat to complete the package.

EVERYONE A

WINNER Here are just a selection of the great prizes that will be awarded at this year’s event. The value of the prize table has already increased twice since the launch of the event thanks to the amazing support that we have had from our partners.

Overall Champions n Trophy & Title of “ World Predator

Classic 2014 champions” n Custom made World Predator Classic Champions Nitro Z6 Mercury 115HP fourstroke motor: FourStroke 115 EFI: The Highest Displacement Engine Advanced FourStroke power with clean, quiet, fuelefficient. n Custom Made PEGA Trailer: The PEGA boat trailer guarantees many years of pleasure. The base of all PEGA boat trailers consist of an extra solid frame, so that you can rely on your trailer even in very heavy conditions. n Champions VIP Rapala Factory Visit

l Flights to Helsinki and a day’s factory visit. l Meeting with Rapala PD team to design

and colour own lure (one colour) for a

selected lure model. Rapala will make production run of that special colour and use it as the promotional lure for 2015. l Champions presented with 100 lures. l One day fishing with Rapala Pro guide n 2 Fully equipped top of the range Shimano Bikes n E165 Mutifunction Display system: The E165 is a powerful multi-tasker with three processors – a dual core processor and a third dedicated graphics processor – providing stunning graphics and brilliant video, along with instantanious chart redraws. n CP100 sonar with CHIRP Down Vision:

The CP100’s CHIRP DownVision Delivers a photo like view of the world beneath the boat,allowing you to image bottom structure with amazing detail and target fish simultaniously provides stunning graphics. n Evolution Pilot:

The Evolution autopilots perceive their envionmemnt and the instantly calculate and evolve steering comands to maximise performance. The result is precise and confident course keeping regardless of vessel speed or water conditions. n T200 Thermal Camera:

The T Series is Raymarines premium line of maritime thermal night vision cameras.

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC 2014 PRIZE TABLE

Daily prizes Saturday, June 21 Daily prizes Sunday, June 22 n Winners of zone 1,2 & 3

2 Trophies 40 Rapala Lures, l Powertraveller l Navionics platinum + chart l l

n Longest Pike of the day l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures

n Longest Zander of the day l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures

n Longest Perchof the day l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures

2nd Place Overall n A78 Multifunction Display:

Daily prizes Friday, June 20

Powerful go anywhere navigation; a series multifunction displays deliver the speed and simplicity of Raymarine’s technology in a sleek compact touch screen display featuring CHIRP downvision photo realistic images of fish and structure. A matching transducer will also be provided.

n Winners of zone 1,2 & 3

n T200 Thermal night vision camera:

l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures

The T Series is Raymarines premium line of maritime thermal night vision cameras.

3rd Place Overall n Dragonfly Sonar GPS Chartplotter

with Downvision: CHIRP powered Duel channel sonar with high resolution Down Vision to view structures images and target fish with CHIRP sonar Simultaneously using dual sonar mode. n Hand held Thermal night vision

camera: The new Raymarine TH-Series cameras give boaters the power to see clearly in total darkness.

Best Overall Team n Sponsors’ prizes

2 Trophies l 40 Rapala Lures, l Powertraveller l Navionics platinum + chart l

n Longest Pike of the day n Longest Zander of the day l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures

n Longest Perchof the day l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures

Daily prizes Saturday, June 21 n Winners of zone 1,2 & 3

2 Trophies 40 Rapala Lures, l Powertraveller l Navionics platinum + chart l l

n Longest Pike of the day l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures n Longest Zander of the day l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures n Longest Perchof the day l Trophy and 30 Rapala Lures

Event Sportsmanship Award This prize will be awarded to the best act of sportsmanship seen or reported to the event Organisers over the period of the event

RAPAL World famous lures for World Predator

Scatter Rap

Ideal for perch and zander The Scatter Rap®Crank starts the series. With the Classic crank body profile, this bass and multispecies bait is cast and retrieved to impart the aggressive, evasive, erratic sweeping action that is Scatter Rap

Jigging Rap

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Ideal for perch and zander

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Traditional minnow profile bait, the Jigging Rap swims in tantalizing circles when raised and lowered. Quick snap of rod tip darts lure in sporadic motion. Excellent results both hard & soft water applications.

With meticulous precision, every lure made by Rapala swims with perfection right out of the box. Lauri Rapala, our founder, demanded it.

Since 1936, each and every lure made lives up to this promise.

Hand-tuned and tank-tested, anglers the world over count on Rapala lures for consistent success.

BX Series

Jointed and Minnow ideal for Pike and Zander.

This Series of lures combine the lively, responsive action our balsa lures offer, with the option to fish them in the most extreme, rugged conditions.

Recognized by Field & Stream as “Best of the Best” 2013 Lure, they’re the liveliest, yet toughest balsa core baits ever. Balsa on the inside, each is encased with a durable copolymer shell for unbeatable toughness. As a bonus, this construction allows the most incredible, life-like finishes, unlike anything seen before.

Proud sponsors of the World Predator Classic

It was the 1930s when a simple fisherman made an observation of simple genius: Big fish eat little fish, especially little fish that are wounded.

So begins the greatest fishing story ever told.

As Lauri Rapala fished the waters of Finland’s Lake Päijanne, he quietly rowed and watched.

And what he saw was how hungry predator fish would dart into a school of minnows and attack the one that swam with a slightly off-center wobble. Over and over again.

Lauri realized that if he could craft a lure that mimicked the movements of a wounded minnow, he could catch more fish and not spend time constantly baiting lines. So Lauri set to work. He whittled. Carved. And shaved.

Eventually a lure began to take shape. Using a shoemaker’s knife and some sandpaper, he created his first successful lure from pine bark in 1936. Tinfoil from chocolate bars formed the lure’s outer surface, melted photographic negatives the protective coating. But most importantly, it perfectly imitated the action of a wounded minnow.

That first lure was the forefather to the lure that has helped more fishermen experience the thrill of more big fish than any other: the legendary Original Floating® Rapala.

As fishermen around the world began to catch more and bigger fish with Rapala’s lure, it became clear that what triggered them was the lure’s tantalizing wiggle and wobble. Big fish hammer wounded little fish. That’s why Lauri tested each lure to make sure it swam true to the unique “wounded-minnow action.”

It wasn’t the fastest way to make a fishing lure. But it was the only way to make a Rapala. To this day, all Rapala lures with a swimming lip are hand-tuned and tank-tested to swim perfectly right out of the box. It’s an action as distinct to a Rapala as a fingerprint is to a person. An action no other company has been able to duplicate.

Because we at Rapala are fishermen first, we know not only what our fellow fishermen need, but what they can’t live without.

There’s a reason more fishermen around the world put their faith in Rapala. It’s a confidence that stretches through 140 countries and is validated each year by the millions of Rapala lures sold. Simply put, Rapala products make better fishermen. Nothing rushed to market, but carefully crafted from years of experience. No shortcuts. No gimmicks.

LA

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: TOP PRIZES COURTESY OF RAPALA

Champions

Max Rap Fat Shad Here is a lure that can be fished with it’s new aggressive “Slashbait®” technique, and on the very next cast be retrieved with the classic Rapala wobble. The angler is able to define the cadence for maximum effectiveness. Every X-Rap model is loaded with features from tip to tail and each is hand-tuned and tank-tested to ensure top-performing action from the very first cast.

Ultra Light Crank Ideal for Perch

Jointed

Ideal for Perch and Pike Slight exaggeration of Rapala’s unique baitfish in distress action. Can be fished like the Original Floating, top to bottom. It is the perfect choice after a cold front.

Designed to offer big action in a small bait.

Buoyant body easily backs out of cover when paused. Small in size, but weighted to cast like baits 2–3 times its size.

Husky Jerk

Ideal for Zander and Pike Perfectly balanced, the Husky Jerk can be cast or trolled at any speed and still run true. The rattle chamber transmits sound waves that amplify through the water. Metallic, natural or glass patterns.

Rippin’ Rap

Ideal for Perch and Zander Some copy to go into this space in here as a brief description of the Rippin’ Rap lure. Something about this leng would be great thanks very much indeedy and a wee bit more perhaps to fill, ta!

Clacking Series

Ideal for Zander and Pike It all starts with the Signature Clackin’ Cadence Rattle. The “metal-on-metal” single ball, steady beat, noise maker that fish can’t resist.

Hallmark external discs create maximum sound transmission.

The Clackin’ rattle, legendary Rapala actions and the translucent textured body with internal holographic foil combine to create a fish attracting sound and flash that shout this one won’t be going back in it’s box.

Deep Tail Dancer Ideal for Zander and Pike

This “banana-style” lure swims with a pronounced “wide-tail” style without sacrificing that classic Rapala action.

The Deep Tail Dancer features an enlarged, extreme diving lip that plummets the lures as deep as 30 feet unassisted.

Proud sponsors of the World Predator Classic

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WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

THE BIG INTERVIEW: ELITE BASS ANGLER KEVIN VAN DAM

MADE IN

AMERICA

As a long time lure fisherman who has spent much of his fishing life looking to the USA, it’s not often that I get the chance to talk to a real life fishing legend from the States. Recently, however, I had that very chance to talk to the man himself, Kevin Van Dam, and I grabbed the opportunity to chat on his long drive to yet another competition.

For lure and predator anglers who have been living in a cave for the past 20 years, Kevin (KVD) is, quite simply, the most successful Bass elite angler ever, earning more than $5 million throughout his career. Up until February 2012 he had won four Bassmaster Classic titles in 2001, 2005, 2010 and 2011 and seven Toyota Tundra Angler of Year titles in 1992, ‘96, ‘99, ‘08, ’09, ‘10 and ’11.

The Bassmaster Classic is where the best of the best compete and Kevin has competed in 24 consecutive Classics since 1992 when he became a full-time professional angler, the longest run of qualification successes by any angler. In Bassmaster events, Kevin has been in the top 10 over 100 times, with 13 second places and 20 wins.

Kevin, 46, who grew up in Michigan fishing for a variety of species including muskies, pike, salmon, trout and walleyes says: “You can learn a lot about different species in the diverse variety of lakes and rivers we have in Michigan, but bass is my first love.”

I kicked off the conversation with a question about the tackle trade.

WPC: “I’ve been in the tackle trade around 25 years or thereabouts, and I’ve done a lot of product development, I was wondering what’s changed that’s affected your career? In my view, braided line has been one of the biggest deals in the last 20 years, how do you see that?”

KVD: “Well, there’s a lot of things but, no doubt, all of our equipment has got a tremendous amount better, not just the introduction in braided lines but the quality and diversity of lines out there.

Fluorocarbon was another huge step in a forward direction for fishing lines to pretty much now 99% of what we use is

fluorocarbon and braid in competition in the USA. Monofilament is now used very little any more.

“Electronics have been another huge area of improvement, I work very closely with Hummingbird, you know, I feel sorry for the fish. Of course, you can find them with the equipment, but it’s a different thing altogether to get them to bite. The 360 and side-imaging being one of the biggest advances that I’ve seen in my fishing career, and also down imaging, and then with the advent of GPS with mapping abilities where you can see the actual bottom contours of the lake. It’s also the accuracy of it, where you can literally mark a brush top or a stump and that can bring you back right on top of the feature.

“In the past you might have been lucky to get within 20-30 yards away. So the advancement in that area is huge, for us to fish big bodies of water accurately, you just couldn’t do it before.

“Along with that, the rods, reels, lures and boats, outboards and electric trolling motors are all better. I’ve been doing it professionally for 24 years now and you just take it for granted how reliable the stuff is and how much easier it makes doing your job as a tournament pro. Every year I go to ICAST and I am amazed at the new, innovative gear there is and how the manufacturers keep improving. You just can’t imagine how they can improve stuff, but every year they do.”

WPC: “Looking at the engines that drive your boat and the Mercury aspect of this, getting from point A to point B, how much do you notice the advances in that side of the technology of boat fishing?”

KVD: “In the last 10 years the advances made in the performance is the amazing thing. On a bass boat it’s important to have low end torque and good top end speed. How reliable they are is something I don’t even think about - never having an issue with my engine is vital because every

‘‘

Pretty much now 99% of what we use is fluorocarbon and braid in competitions in the USA

MADE IN

AMERICA minute is so critical - performance is not just speed its the total package and having that unmatched reliability.

“What is stunning is the fuel economy, the two stoke engines where you have gas and oil to think about and the four strokes in the same advancements there too. Unmatched reliability and fuel efficiency and they just get better every year, it’s kind of mind boggling.

“Where I live in Michigan, my brother has a large dealership, and I’ve been involved in the marine sales side for more than 25 years. I’ve been to tech school at Mercury and to the plant many times. What is amazing, is seeing how they are striving to improve things in all aspects, all the time. What they have accomplished, and continue to do in that time is incredible.

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

WPC: “Looking at the other aspect of what we’re doing from a competition point of view, what do you think the American scene will make of what we’re doing over here?”

20

KVD: “Tournaments are definitely very mainstream over here and bass tournaments are definitely at the forefront of that, but there is competitive fishing at all levels and all regions of the country. There are a lot of different salt water circuits, redfish, kingfish, offshore fishing for marlin and sailfish, and there’s also walleye, crappie and catfish.

Competitive fishing has really grown from pretty much one or two species and regions to a national thing where there is space now for many species and levels of anglers, from big boat offshore saltwater anglers to bank fishermen, there’s something for everybody.

“I don’t think anybody’s going to be surprised or amazed because it seems like a natural progression of the growth in fishing to us over here in the USA.” WPC: “So, do you see competition fishing assisting the industry?”

KVD: “Absolutely, without any doubt, competition fishing is what drives innovation in all products from boats, engines, lures, lines, rods, reels and in all aspects. Competitive fishing is the heart and soul of innovation.

That’s the motivation to come up with better equipment, better ideas, better tools, better ways, better patterns, better thinking to catch fish and gain a competitive advantage. I’ve been a part of that my whole career and there’s no question that that is what drives the industry.”

WPC: “Looking at what we’re doing with the fishing academy, the children, the school and the environmental aspects of the World Predator Classic, how important do you think it is that we’re trying to get the next generation of anglers to come through?”

KVD: “It’s very important, it’s a big deal because compared to other sports, we’re

talking about a very precious natural resource in our lakes, rivers, streams and oceans. A very valuable resource and its something that is renewable if we do a good job of taking care of it. It can be improved, a lot, and that is something that is extremely encouraging here in the US. Fishing and fish populations and opportunities have never been better.

People talk about the ‘good old days’ and how it used to be 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, well, the ‘good old days’ are right now. The lakes, rivers and streams are managed better now than they ever have been.

We’re a lot smarter from an environmental standpoint, on all aspects, from pollution to bag limits, creel lengths, regulations

‘‘

People talk of the ‘good old days’ and how it used to be 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago .. well the ‘good old days’ are right now

and seasons, so we’re sustaining these resources and it has never been better in the States than it is right now. It continues to get better because people understand our impact on these fisheries and do a lot of things to enhance them. The opportunities have never been better than they are right now.

“What I see is that when you have success in managing a certain lake, river, stream or fishery, or any environmental aspect in one area, people in other regions take note of it. They learn from the positive things, but also they learn from any mistakes or things that come up in order to prevent them from happening in the future. We’re doing a much better job of that whole process right now.”

WPC: “One of the things that we are going to be developing over the next few years is a European and Rest of the World team to take on the might of the USA. The winners of the World Predator Classic, and different categories of that, will form the team over the next two years. Then, we’ll have a selection process and structure where we identify the USA team to fly across from the States to the initial event in Europe.

Then, every two years, the next one in the States so they’ll be alternating between the two continents.

“We’ll have the two captains in their control centres, watching exactly where the boats are all the time and then

THE BIG INTERVIEW: ELITE BASS ANGLER KEVIN VAN DAM

there’ll be different formats every day, a bit like the Ryder Cup in golf, where the captains decide who will fish against whom. How do you think that will go down when we introduce that… what sort of feedback do you feel there will be from the American team?”

KVD: “I think it will be pretty well received. There’s a lot of competitive fishing in the States that are team type events, then there’s a lot of individual ones. To me, it makes sense to have that format. One of the most important things is to have that live leaderboard. Here in the USA, Major League Fishing, where 24 of the best competitive anglers compete against each other, head to head with live scoring and information, judges and officials have GPS tracking on all the boats. The leaderboards are updated all the time and it’s very intense. I’ve actually been to a Ryder Cup tournament before and it has that same feeling, every hole is critical and every match-up is really important. It’s so different from a regular golf tournament because of that team format and the scores shifting constantly from day to day. That’s what makes it intense for the competitors and that’s what draws the fans to the event. I think it’s going to be a very big deal, no doubt.

WPC: “The WPC is a multi-species event and I was wondering if there is anything like that in the USA, because I know you’re quite specialised in what

you go after. We have bass in southern Europe, and although that’s not something that is part of our first few events it possibly will be once we move the event around Europe. Would that add a bit of spice to it in that you have to catch say northerns, our version of walleye and our version of perch?”

KVD: “There have been certain events that have been multi-species like that, pike and walleye are quite a bit different, it adds a different element to it. It really doesn’t matter how you set the competition up, it’s the same for all the competitors. The challenge in fishing, over other sports, is that there is definitely a ‘home field’ advantage for the people from the area that know the body of water. That being said, many of the top anglers that I know in the States in the walleye and ice fishing world are that good, it won’t take them long to figure it out. You’re going to have your hands full, I can tell you that. It’s going to make it fun.”

WPC: “The competition is set up with the three best zander, three best perch and the best pike each day that count.

With anglers fishing different zones on different days. Every day there will be all the information available to everyone about where fish have been caught.

We are looking to make it engaging for everyone, from the point of view of the audience, fans and the competitors point of view.”

‘‘

What I see is that when you have success in managing a certain lake, stream or fishery, people in other regions take note

KVD: “Well, you’re going to create a bit of drama out on the water there, by doing that, giving away anglers locations, they’re very secretive, with the anglers butting heads. It might be good for the fans, but they won’t like that at all!”

WPC: “The anglers will always be 100 metres from each other, so we won’t need to worry too much about that.

When a fish is caught it’s measured, photographed and returned. That photograph automatically updates the leaderboard and goes to Facebook and Twitter. It also provides the exact location of where it’s caught.”

KVD: “Wow, are you planning on having an official on every boat?”

MADE IN

AMERICA WPC: “No, we have marshal boats in every zone out on the water and when we see via the GPS that boats are getting within 100 metres, we can send a warning and move them apart.”

KVD: “OK, yes that’s good and will save any butting heads. In the bass world we go by weight, and in the Major League Fishing - just google MLF, that’s a series once again sponsored by Nitro Boats and of course Mercury, so we have many of the same support people. In that series, we have an official who weighs the fish and a cameraman in every boat.”

WPC: “Doesn’t that make the boat crowded?”

KVD: “Well a little bit, but there’s only one angler in each boat, it’s not a team event, it’s interesting. It may pay you to have a look at that to see how we are doing things.”

WPC: “Yes, we’ll certainly do that, for the future. Some days, boats will go out with a single angler, some days as a pair, team events and matchplay just like the Ryder Cup. There are lots of possibilities.

You won’t be able to buy your way into the team. There will have to be ways of qualifying for the pride and honour of representing the Stars and Stripes.

That’s all something to talk about to officials and administrators of the USA fishing world.”

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KVD: “Yes, there’ll have to be a set of criteria that needs putting together, you have to earn your way there, no doubt.

I think that there’ll be a lot of interest in that.”

22

WPC: “So, when you are fishing a massive event and you know you’re doing well, up in the rankings or in the lead, what is the thought process going into the last hour of the event?”

KVD: “Well, when you have a leaderboard like that, you really know what you have to do. Say somebody catches a really big fish and jumps you, then you know you have to fish more offensively. If you have a big lead you maybe a little bit more conservative in your risk and reward strategy. There’s so much more to it, the time of year, where you’re fishing, there are so many variables.

But, the main thing is, it’s always better to be at the top of the leaderboard and not the other way around.”

WPC: “Well, from my point of view, as somebody in the trade, that’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.Very often we have a bit of an issue getting the USA products into Europe because we don’t understand them too much. I think a product like the WPC and you guys looking at it and deciding on coming to fish it will do the USA tackle trade a lot of good in Europe.”

KVD: “The biggest challenge for US competitive anglers is it’s a big time commitment to make the trip and also

financially it’s a big commitment. Our tournament schedules here make it very hard to do that. It’s very hard for me to have a 10 day window.”

WPC: “That’s a very good point, when would be the best time to organise that for the USA team?”

KVD: “That would probably be in the fall, October, for most of the bass and walleye fishermen, early spring and the summer months are all booked up. It’s a little slower mid-September to October.”

WPC: “Well that would be absolutely perfect to look at that, especially for southern Europe and the fishing is good then too.”

“So Kevin, we’ve taken up plenty of your time, do you have any message for the anglers fishing the WPC?” KVD:“Of course, we want everybody to do well. We’ll definitely be watching over here in the States to see how it plays out.

We’re very competitive over here and we’ll be coming to your backyard, and very soon!” n

‘‘

If you have a big lead, you’re maybe a little more conservative in your risk and reward strategy

FIT FOR A CHAMPION: MERCURY MOTORS

MERCURY RISING If you’re an avid angler, you might think, “Just give me the biggest, baddest, fastest engine and propeller that money can buy so I will beat my competition to the best fishing spot!”

That’s not always appropriate for everyone, according to the experts at Mercury Marine. Different boats call for different engines, and different engines require different props to maximize performance.

Mercury gurus recommend you evaluate several factors when selecting an outboard motor and corresponding props – everything from the type of boat you have and how you will use it.

Power with a purpose Jim Hergert, an outboard category manager and 17-year veteran with Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, U.S.A., says to ask yourself these questions before making any decisions: Do you like to fish. If so, for what species? Are you an offshore or onshore cruiser? Is your intent to go waterskiing, wakeboarding or tubing?

“Selecting the right engine is extremely important to ensure that boat and motor packages perform safely and properly,” said Hergert.

Generally speaking, there are two types of powerboats, according to Hergert: displacement hulls and planing hulls. Displacement hulls are designed to push a boat through the water, “displacing” water in proportion to the weight of the boat. These boats often require more horsepower to push the vessel.

Planing hulls are engineered to glide on the water’s surface where there’s less friction and less resistance.

Maximum horsepower is typically determined by the boat’s designer and manufacturer.

“Planing boats need enough power to push the boat to the top of the water and keep it there,” said Hergert, who recommends selecting an engine at or near the top – but not higher than – the boat’s horsepower rating.

Another factor that affects outboard selection is load (i.e., what you’re actually putting ON the boat).

Load includes items such as fuel, passengers and gear.

“It gets very heavy very fast,” Hergert maintains. “You need to give a lot of consideration to the overall weight of the package.”

Distance also matters. If you travel far to reach a desired location, select an outboard that offers more speed.

If, however, you own a small boat and fish lake systems, speed might not factor and the maximum-rated horsepower might not be necessary.

You might decide to add a kicker motor to the transom. If you troll, the speed of the boat and lures is of critical importance. Using a lowerhorsepower engine intended for trolling will allow you to tailor the boat’s speed.

“Mercury’s 9.9 with a four-blade prop allows anglers to finitely control boat speed and keep the boat running at the pace that’s right for the fishing conditions,” Hergert said.

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

They say that size matters, but, contrary to the popular adage “One size fits all,” selecting the right outboard motor and propeller for your boat requires a bit of care and planning, and it can result in a world of difference in terms of performance.

25

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

MERCURY RISING

26

Prop properly

Mercury Prize Specifications

Once you’ve selected the appropriate outboard for your boat, an important step in ensuring performance is selecting the right propeller.

Too often, people select a prop based solely on making the boat go faster. That can be a mistake, according to Mercury experts.

Boats are frequently over-propped, which can cause a boat to run sluggishly and damage the engine’s gears, says Dirk Bjornstad, brand director for Mercury Propellers. When it comes to prop selection, “Determining the correct pitch is the most important thing,” Bjornstad says. “It’s crucial to performance.”

In order to ensure the best performance, pay attention to factors such as pitch, diameter, blade geometry and the number of blades (three or four).

Three-blade props are typically good for general purpose, providing decent acceleration and good top-end speed, Hergert says, while four blades enhance acceleration and mid-range handling and get the boat on plane faster.

n Model

Consider conditions In order to select the appropriate prop for your engine, Bjornstad says, think about the way you boat – everything from weather, wave conditions, humidity and the water type – fresh or salt. freshwater versus saltwater.

You also must consider the material used to create the prop. The two main types are aluminium and stainless steel.

As a general rule, outboards of 150hp should be outfitted with stainless steel

Fourstroke 115 EFI 115 hp (84.58 kw) n Dry weight 181 kg n RPM ranger 5800-6400 n Displacement 1732 cc n Cylinder layout In-line n Number of cylinders 4 n Starting Electric n Alternator system power 630 watt n Trim positions Electric Hydraulic

Power Trim and Tilt n Induction system 4-valve dual

overhead cam design n Gear ratio 2.33:1 n Steering Remote - Big tiller optional n Fuel type Gasoline n Fuel requirement Unleaded 90 RON min. n SmartCraft Yes n Engine technology 4 strokes n Alternator type Fully regulated Belt-Driven n Horsepower

props, while those below 150 typically run safely on aluminium.

Selecting the wrong prop material for a certain engine can hugely impact its performance. On high horsepower engines running aluminium props, there can be too much flex in the blade, causing the engine to feel “blown out.”

Because stainless props are significantly more expensive than aluminium, customers often choose aluminium, a choice that can be detrimental to the engine’s performance. n

n Official opening of event l Prize presentation to children from local schools l Zone draw & presentation of competitors prize l Competitors welcome meal followed by entertainment overlooking the event arena at Aquarius

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Friday, June 20

28

n Competitors boat and

safety check

l Interviews in the competitors prep area l Live TV event coverage l Competitors prepare in holding zone to proceed to starting line l Announcements through PA system Firing of Cannons to signify the start of the event l Live boat tracking system activated so that all boats will be visible l Live leaderboard turned on l Social network system activated l Competitors go to allocated zone and commence fishing l TV Commentators commence event coverage l Reports from VIP & Marshall boats l Competitors return to Port at end of competition to be greeted by welcome party l Announcements made on PA system covering the returning competitors. l Official boat return check l Boats moored on allocated berths complete with full competitors details and sponsors branding l Competitors interviews with media l Results verification by officials

ITINERARY

n Competitors registration: l Competitors Allocated Berth for boat.

l Initial boat & equipment safety check by officials

l Competitors Launch boat and have a day to explore the competition arena

l Live TV event coverage begins

l Official boat flag Parade: Official Flag Parade through Hellevoetsluis lead by the Children from the local Schools and bands and involving the local community.

Official competitors briefing

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC

Thursday, June 19

This three-day battle will push the limits of anglers from all over the world ... but don’t panic, if it all gets too much, there’s always a good excuse for a party!

n Party time…

let the Rock festival begin

l The bands start to perform

l Competitors announced to audience and welcomed on stage l Presentation of prizes made to the 3 zone winners and the captors of the biggest Zander, Perch and Pike caught during the day. l Rock festival continues: Competitors have an evening to mix with fellow competitors, media and spectators

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC: KICKING OFF WITH A BANG!

l Boats moored on allocated berths complete with full competitors details and sponsors branding l Competitors interviews with media l Results verification by officials

n Party time‌

let the Rock festival begin

l The bands start to perform

l Prizes presented to the 3 zone winners and the captors of the biggest Zander, Perch and Pike caught during the day l Rock festival continues l At Midnight a drum Roll and a huge 12 Rockets launched to coincide with the countdown. l Competitors have an evening to mix with fellow competitors, media and spectators

Sunday, June 22 n Competitors boat and

safety check

l Interviews in the competitors prep area

l Live TV event coverage

l Competitors prepare in holding zone to proceed to starting line l Announcements through PA system l Firing of Cannons to signify the start of the event l Live boat tracking system turned on so all boats can be seen l Live leaderboard turned on l Social network system activated Competitors go to allocated zone and commence fishing l TV Commentators commence event coverage l Reports from VIP & Marshall boats l Competitors return to Port at end of competition to be greeted by welcome party l Announcements made on PA system covering the returning competitors. l Official boat return check l Boats moored on allocated berths complete with full competitors details and sponsors branding l Competitors interviews with media l Results verification by officials

n Party time‌ let the Rock festival begin

l Live leaderboard activated

l Social network system activated

l The bands start to perform

l Prizes presented to the 3 zone winners and the captors of the biggest Zander, Perch and Pike caught during the day l Prizes presented to the overall winners and the inaugural champions crowned l Competitors Champions banquet at Aquarius overlooking the event arena l Rock festival continues l Competitors mix with fellow competitors, media and spectators

Saturday, June 21 n The longest day: Competitors

boat and safety check

l Interviews in the competitors prep area

l Live TV event coverage

l Competitors prepare in holding zone

to proceed to starting line

l Announcements through PA system

l Cannons fire to signify the start

of the event

l Live boat tracking system activated to

enable all boats to be visible

Perfect location: Hellevoetsluis is l Competitors go to allocated zone steeped in history, making it the perfect and commence fishing venue for the battle to l TV Commentators commence event claim the World coverage Predator Classic l Reports from VIP & Marshall boats Champion’s title l Competitors return to Port at end of

competition to be greeted by welcome party l Announcements made on PA system covering the returning competitors. l Official boat return check

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC

PARTICIPANTS Austria

WPC REF WPC14-032 CAPTAIN Roman Konopitzky VICE CAPTAIN Rene Himmelbauer SPONSOR HarreitherFox

Rage Austria

Belgium WPC REF WPC14-005 CAPTAIN Luc Coppens VICE CAPTAIN Jeremy Staverman SPONSOR WPC REF WPC14-006 CAPTAIN Bert Degrave VICE CAPTAIN Ludovic Arnaert SPONSOR WPC REF WPC14-017 CAPTAIN Wim van de Velde VICE CAPTAIN Chris Bloemert SPONSOR Shimano

Shimano2 WPC REF WPC14-035 CAPTAIN Chris Boxberger VICE CAPTAIN Marc Hoeben SPONSOR Citta Romana WPC REF WPC14-037 CAPTAIN Jean-Marc Brison VICE CAPTAIN Johnny Kindt SPONSOR Mercury

Mercury1

WPC REF WPC14-051 CAPTAIN Robbie Smeets VICE CAPTAIN Bart Mylle SPONSOR Mercury

Denmark WPC REF WPC14-011 CAPTAIN Franz Bodum VICE CAPTAIN Morten Beck Nielsen SPONSOR Rapala

Rapala2

England WPC REF WPC14-014 CAPTAIN Jan Porter VICE CAPTAIN Willem Stolk SPONSOR Shimano

Rapala3 WPC REF WPC14-022 CAPTAIN John Cheyne VICE CAPTAIN Gary Palmer SPONSOR Reuben Heaton WPC REF WPC14-049 CAPTAIN Chris Leibbrandt VICE CAPTAIN Steve Collett SPONSOR

Finland

WPC REF WPC14-013 CAPTAIN Elias Jaaskelaien VICE CAPTAIN Mika Vornanen SPONSOR Mercury

Mercury1 WPC REF WPC14-038 CAPTAIN Markku Tiusanen VICE CAPTAIN Harri Hotti SPONSOR Rapala

Rapala3

France WPC REF WPC14-010 CAPTAIN Arnaud Briere VICE CAPTAIN Laurent Vrignaud SPONSOR Rapala

Rapala1 WPC REF WPC14-039 CAPTAIN Christophe Huwarts VICE CAPTAIN Jimmy Pletinckx SPONSOR Mercury

Mercury2 WPC REF WPC14-040 CAPTAIN Philippe Neuville VICE CAPTAIN Eugene Vanhaut SPONSOR Mercury

Mercury2 WPC REF WPC14-030 CAPTAIN Frederic Jullian VICE CAPTAIN Sven Vervloesem SPONSOR Sensas

Germany

WPC REF WPC14-015 CAPTAIN Dustin Schone VICE CAPTAIN Jurgen Haese SPONSOR Shimano

Shimano1

WPC REF WPC14- CAPTAIN Arek Knabe VICE CAPTAIN SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14-018 CAPTAIN Markus Brill VICE CAPTAIN Gerrit Broders SPONSOR Shimano

Shimano2

WPC REF WPC14-026 CAPTAIN Helmut Schoddel VICE CAPTAIN Mathias Trapp SPONSOR Nitro/Nitro1

WPC REF WPC14-027 CAPTAIN Soren Panse VICE CAPTAIN Florian Berger SPONSOR Nitro/Nitro2

WPC REF WPC14-028 CAPTAIN Rene Lehrheuer VICE CAPTAIN Gregor Pauly SPONSOR Nitro/Nitro2

WPC REF WPC14CAPTAIN Stefan Blum VICE CAPTAIN Detlef Plomacher SPONSOR Nippon-Tackle

WPC REF WPC14-017 CAPTAIN Wim van de Velde VICE CAPTAIN Chris Bloemert SPONSOR Shimano

Shimano2

WPC REF WPC14-042 CAPTAIN Ralf Klement VICE CAPTAIN Markus Kleen SPONSOR Elchinger

WPC REF WPC14-029 CAPTAIN Dietmar Isaiasch VICE CAPTAIN Carmen Klein SPONSOR Fish-Skill

Fox Rage

Lithuania WPC REF WPC14-050 CAPTAIN Evaldas Skablauskas VICE CAPTAIN Ivan Vanpraet SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14-025 CAPTAIN Christian Biereth VICE CAPTAIN Thomas Bohringer SPONSOR Nitro /Nitro1

WPC REF WPC14-047 CAPTAIN Thomas Engert VICE CAPTAIN Marc Ptacovsky SPONSOR

Luxemburg WPC REF WPC14-016 CAPTAIN Herman Schuurman VICE CAPTAIN Jan Boomsma SPONSOR Shimano

Shimano1

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC: LIST OF COMPETITORS Netherlands

Romania

WPC REF WPC14-015 CAPTAIN Mark Tigchelaar VICE CAPTAIN Arnold Bilijam SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14-002 CAPTAIN Wim van Vliet VICE CAPTAIN Arno van Vliet SPONSOR Dragon

Predator Tackle

WPC REF WPC14 CAPTAIN Rob Luchies VICE CAPTAIN Adrie Linden v/d SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14- CAPTAIN Jaap Uithol VICE CAPTAIN Jan Uithol SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14-008 CAPTAIN Erwin Markwat VICE CAPTAIN Bart van de Walle SPONSOR www.biwaa.com

WPC REF WPC14-043 CAPTAIN Jelle de Jong VICE CAPTAIN Jaap de Jong SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14-044 CAPTAIN John Knaap VICE CAPTAIN Raymond Brederoo SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14-046 CAPTAIN Jan Rolff VICE CAPTAIN Marcel Sekreve SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14 CAPTAIN Miguel Driessen VICE CAPTAIN – SPONSOR –

WPC REF WPC14-021 CAPTAIN Rob Kraaijeveld VICE CAPTAIN Frank Schoovers SPONSOR Reuben Heaton

WPC REF WPC14-024 CAPTAIN Volkmar Strikers VICE CAPTAIN Hendrik-Jan Verheij SPONSOR Raymarine WPC REF WPC14-031 CAPTAIN Erik Westerhof VICE CAPTAIN Willem Wigboldus SPONSOR Citta Romana WPC REF WPC14-033 CAPTAIN Michel Huigevoort VICE CAPTAIN Marcel Asbroek SPONSOR Beet Rovers WPC REF WPC14-036 CAPTAIN Junior Boerhave VICE CAPTAIN Thijs Koopmans SPONSOR Nippon-Tackle

WPC REF WPC14 CAPTAIN Luc Vermeerbergen VICE CAPTAIN SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14 CAPTAIN Michael Bockman VICE CAPTAIN – SPONSOR –

WPC REF WPC14 CAPTAIN Arie van de Camp VICE CAPTAIN – SPONSOR -

WPC REF WPC14 CAPTAIN Jeoren Harms VICE CAPTAIN – SPONSOR

WPC REF WPC14-045 CAPTAIN Marian Bogdan Popa VICE CAPTAIN Constantin

Claudiu Tofan SPONSOR

Russia WPC REF WPC14-012 CAPTAIN Alexander Katkov VICE CAPTAIN Andrey Donskov SPONSOR Rapala

Rapala2

Sweden WPC REF WPC14-009 CAPTAIN Mathias Holgersson VICE CAPTAIN Kris Broeckx SPONSOR Rapala

Rapala1

USA WPC REF WPC14-019 CAPTAIN Larysa Switlyk VICE CAPTAIN Patrick Crawford SPONSOR

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC

PARTICIPANTS

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

WPC REF WPC14-048 CAPTAIN Ralph De Kock VICE CAPTAIN Rocky Van

Duijvenvoorde SPONSOR Biwaa

WPC REF WPC14-042 CAPTAIN Ralf Klement VICE CAPTAIN Markus Kleen SPONSOR Cafe de

Vrienden Live

WPC REF WPC14-003 CAPTAIN Dorian Dubovoi VICE CAPTAIN Ovidiu Ristivan SPONSOR Romania

WPC REF WPC14-004 CAPTAIN Lucian Constantin VICE CAPTAIN Cristian Rizea SPONSOR Romania

31

WORD ON THE

STREET There’s a new, cool style of fishing that’s rapidly gaining popularity throughout many of Europe’s city streets and you can be part of it during the World Predator Classic

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

During the World Predator Classic there will be another fishing event taking place on Saturday the 21st of June: Streetfishing Hellevoetsluis WPC-Edition!

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Streetfishing is an upcoming type of fishing that breaks with the general idea that non-fishermen have about fishing. The WPC will show that fishing is more than just an activity for retired people. Same way with Streetfishing!

Streetfishing is fishing for predator fish in an urban setting. Streetfishing started in Paris where it’s only possible to fish in the Seine. This same river is an excellent habitat for predator fish. A lot of

event details..

Saturday 21st of June

youngsters didn’t have the transport to go to one of the lakes or rivers outside of Paris and they could only fish in the river of ‘the city of love’ among thousands of tourists.

Catching big zander, perch and even 2 meter + catfish are not an exception! Can you imagine the look of the faces of the tourists?! The popular streetfishing was born!

Nowadays, streetfishing is trending in The Netherlands, Belgium, France, German and other countries in Europe. As the WPC is situated in Hellevoetsluis, which has several marina’s, the Haringvliet and canals downtown with a variety of predator fish this is an excellent chance to show the world what streetfishing is.

A streetfishing event is to be held on Saturday the 21st of June. n

10:00 Welcome to all Streetfishing

competitors at the WPC 10:30 Briefing SF competitors 11:00 Part 1 of fishing of SF Event 13:30 Lunch by the Main Stage 15:00 Second part of

Streetfishing Event 18:00 End of second part 19:00 Results and prize giving of

Streetfishing Event

on WPC Main Stage

Ralph de Kock

Organiser Streetfishing Hellevoetsluis World Predator Edition 2014 Dutch Streetfishing Association

STREETFISHING HELLEVOETSLUIS WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC EDITION

LRF changed the rules of lure angling overnight and I was instantly fascinated by the light tackle, tiny lures and the sport but mostly by the fact that it turned every fish into a hungry aggressive predator, for no longer was lure fishing about casting plastics to the horizon and waiting for something to bite it was about finesse and skill. All of a sudden, with soft plastics we could target anything that swims, from Mullet to Sea Scorpions and everything inbetween and I couldn’t, and still can’t, get enough!

Despite having 30 odd years angling under my belt, those early lure sessions were full of “firsts”. My first Black Bream on a lure and my first Plaice on a plastic are captures that stick in the mind as, up until then, I had thought catching these species on anything other than bait impossible.

Knowing that no species of fish could not be targeted with lures opened up infinite possibilities, all I needed now was that

PREDATOR

34

EVERY FISH A

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

It was five years ago when I first came across modern lure fishing as we know it today. Very much the first angling niche born of the internet, Light Rock Fishing or LRF has since become the focal point, in the UK at least, for a the new generation of lure anglers and an inroad into lure fishing generally.

Nailed! Hook, line and ... lure!

right rods, reels and lures to suit the style and for that I had to go to France. It was here that, while I was busily emptying my wallet, the real bonus of lure fishing showed itself.

As a kid, fishing was a lot of things but cool wasn’t one of them. Yet, at the Salon Peche en Mer in Nantes 2010, I was knocked back by how the whole lure scene was, well, cool! Using the Japanese model and tailoring it to the French market they had somehow made angling something that everyone wants to have a go at. Fun enough to get youngsters involved and technical enough for adults to immerse themselves into lure fishing really has something for everybody. Promoting fish welfare, safety around the water and all the core values of angling wrapped up not in an old fishing smock but a hoody that loudly declares “rockfishing is not a

THE LURE OF STREETFISHING: BY DAN SISSONS

EVERY FISH A

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

PREDATOR

36

crime”. Yes, the French model was one that the UK would soon follow.

While at that first expo I watched several promotional videos of Streetfishing, anglers wandering inner city canals or harbours with a small bag of lures and a light outfit catching Perch and Pike. That was a ëlight bulbí moment and pretty soon I was using the same kit that I would use to catch Wrasse, to catch Perch and Pike. Rods rated to 5g with 3lb braking strain line, makes even the smallest of Perch nothing but fun. I took a lot of what I learned from fishing around the coast into the canals such as fishing in shade and under cover, or matching water colour to lure colour to induce a take, it’s all interchangeable. The thrill of a big old Perch on a light set up is every bit as enjoyable as similar sized Bass at sea, I love it all!

It’s not all about long days out of course.

Finesse lure fishing lends itself to a travel rod and a bag of plastics while on holiday or an afternoon with the kids down the local estuary catching mackerel. It’s as easy or complicated as you want to make it but it’s nothing if not accessible.

Fast forward to the present day and with 5 years worth of solid lure fishing under my belt I’m now one of many anglers that does not distinguish between Salt water and Fresh water, I just lure fish. Simple.

What I learn in one I use in another, a hard days Pollack fishing working shads pays off when Pike fishing, always learning.

Whether it’s Streetfishing, Rockfishing, Bass fishing or Zander fishing the core principles are the same. Choose your lure,

Your choice: Choose your lure; drop it where you want it and induce the take

drop it where you want it and induce the take, and it’s the take that we fish for, the reward.

I never rule any fish out and lure fishing gives them all the credit they deserve.

Match the tackle to the quarry. Balance is the key. Lure anglings most basic rule though is “every fish a predator” it’s what keeps me going back for more and to this tremendous event. Showcasing all freshwater lure fishing in one weekend is something I never thought I’d see, let alone take part in.To wet a line in the Streetfishing event will be a learning experience in style and skill which underlines the fairness of lure angling. I’m sure this will go from strength to strength and be the beginning of something special. It certainly feels that way. Find. Fun. Fishing. n

‘‘

To wet a line in the Streetfishing event will be a learning experience in style and skill which underlies the fairness of lure angling

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC STREETFISHING EVENT COMPETITORS

STREETFISHING

PARTICIPANTS It’s clear to see that Streetfishing is fast becoming an international event with competitors competing from all over UK

Netherlands REF

NAME

REF

NAME

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 16 17 18 19 20 15 22 26 30 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 41 48 49 50 53 55 56 58 59 64 73 79

Dominique Kleijwegt Michael Schaefer Haakon Nadorp Mike Mieremet Dennis Horvath Arjan de Barendrecht Marcel van der Zwan Niels Muijs Marco Nieuwenhuize Andre Breukel Bart Elfering Peter Visser Rutger Sellies Sander Hilverink Henrik Sellies Sjors Piek Arthur Langstraat Ron Stevens Steven Blonk Sander van ‘t Hof Anja Becker Gerrit Van Dijk Henri Nijenhuis Tinus David Rutger van Iperen Aldo Schaap Alexander van de Vreugde Martijn De Rijk Jan De Rijk Cecile Knoppen Rico Stougie Mischa van den Boom Mark Lubberts Mike Slingerland Peter Van Raaij Willem Boersma Richard Evers Rik Bekema Klaas van Opstal Jan Willem Wijers Stijn Alferdinck

14 21 24 27 28 42

Adam Kirby Trevor Gunning Dan Sissons Adrian Walker James Dobie Andrew Mytton

Israel REF

NAME

25

Michael Gurevich

Belgium REF

NAME

39 40 51 52 60 61 63 65 71 80

John kempeneers Marc Pellens Martin Roger Daan Bicke Wouter Deflem Tarsi Veltmans Jasper Demesmaeker Erik Persijn Simon Plaetinck Jan Constales

Germany REF

NAME

29 33 23 47 57 66 67 68 69 70 72

Torsten Rohl Michael Eggers Ceccon Joe Sascha Gerber Matthew Hills Alexander Woitschischin Eduard Reicherd Wadim Metzger Oleksandr Karmelyuk Paul Hauschild Finn Kemper

Italy REF

NAME

75 76 77 78

Andrea Fusignani Giacomo Pozzi Tommaso Bargellini Fabian Ronconi

Streetfishing rules n Streetfishing is CPR (Catch Photo

Release) and every fish caught must be handled with care. n You must fish with artificial lures only and

flyfishing is not allowed.

n Competitors will be coupled randomly but each competitor fishes for himself. A scorecard for each competitor is held by the other competitor. n You may have two rods, but you may not

fish them both at the same time and you must not fish two or more lures at one rod. n Couples need to be together during the

time of fishing and must keep an appropriate distance between eachother. n Always contact a referee if there are any

disputes or problems (phone number is on the scorecards). n The length of the fish in cm (if bigger than

the legal size) and that is the number of points the fisherman will get. If the length of the fish is smaller than the legal size it’s worth 5 points.

There is a quotum of 15 perch There is a quotum of 10 zander There is a quotum of 10 asp There is a quotum of 5 pieces of other fish caught n There is NO quotum for pike. If the

number of fish with a quotum (zander and perch) is more than the quotumnumber then the fish caught above the quotum is 1 point per fish (also if its more than the legal size) Example: 20 perch of 25 cm are caught.

Total points (15 x 25) + (5 x 1) = 380 points.

The competitor who has most points wins the event. n All legal size fish need to be photographed

with the fisherman and his scorecard.

Legal length: Perch 22cm; zander 42 cm; pike 45 cm; asp 0 cm; ide 30 cm; ruffe 0 cm; trout 25 cm; catfish 0 cm; seatrout 40 cm. Fish that fall on the ground is 0 points.

n Fish must be alive when they are released. n The score of a undersize fish can be writ-

ten on the scorecard by the other competitor of the couple. The score of a legal size fish needs to be written on the scorecard by a referee. n No alcohol and/or drugs n It’s not allowed to fish during lunch. n It’s not allowed to walk on boats n Respect the property of others n Do not fish outside the

marked track

THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION

After years of competing in the French National Championship and in the Eurobass Cup against the top anglers of the bass world, about an important tournament: you must have a plan! And die with it!

PREPARING FOR A WORLD CLASS EVENT: BY FREDERIC JULLIAN

‘‘

After some years competing in the French national championship and in the eurobass cup against the top anglers of the bass world there is one thing I know about an important tournament: you must have a plan!

And die with it!

A 3-day tournament is very different than a year-long championship. We don’t play safe in such an event - it is all about taking the risk to go big, from zero to hero!

When you study a fishing zone a month in advance you’re going to select a number of spots that, potentially will hold fish at that time of the year. Your first work is to classify each type of spot by “type of structure”. I want to know when I read my navionics map what I’m looking for: weed beds, drop off, sunken boat, trees … etc. This is the inventory of the past information we have been collecting ourselves or with our team.

This part is often underestimated by fishermen but when, like me and other tournament anglers, you travel a lot, you need a clear view of which type of spot you can expect. This is playing a role in the type of rods and lure I will select for the D Day.

there is one thing I know

places if the temperature is right. So every spot you mark must be related to the surroundings for a clear understanding of the potential movement of the fish. If not your sweet spot will only deliver fish in the same conditions as fished while training and you will lose the fish when they move to sheltered places.

To understand what is going on I spend many hours cruising to have a clear view of what is going on around a spot and to be sure to remember every spot months after marking them by taking a screen capture on your SD card. Doing this, your unit is keeping those memories for you. Store those pictures on your computer and name the files by waters.

In a big area like the Haringvliet your type of boat is going to play an important role for many reasons.

I have chosen my ranger 188VS powered by the 175 Verado because it can handle rough water everywhere and go fast to any spot even in super shallow waters. With this rig all options remain open in any weather conditions. Of course safety must always be your main concern and life vest and “kill switch” must be on every time you hit the water.

Bass boat, with a low profile on the water can get your feet wet on big waves but who cares when you get the perfect drift on high wind. Plus slowing down the drift without

‘‘

Fishing fast on the edge allows you to explore every opportunity that most fishermen will miss

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Let’s take an example: if I fish Pike in lake Annecy (France) I will not select any texas rig since pike are positioned around deep drop offs.

On the opposite shallow grass bed are going to be key spots during the WPC and we will have at least 2 rods rigged texas style! One sweet spot will hardly stand the pressure of 3 days of tournament and deliver enough to win. This is something I have learned from Mike Iaconelly when touring with him years ago and I saw him studying the next tournament spots on the map of the hummingbird unit in his Toyota tundra.

Having all that information on our map we will start searching active fish weeks before the tournament. More than the fish, it is important to identify the structure that will hold them during the tournament and, even more importantly, the purpose of training is not to hook a fish but just getting the bite.

Every fish caught during pre-fishing time is potentially lost for the tournament and you don’t want to educate or wound your potential winning fish. Hours after hours we are going to investigate and make a rating on the type of spots who produce fish… and we need many of them in order to have plan A, plan B and C, that will hold good for 3 days.

In your plan the weather forecast is going to play a big role as well since it will influence greatly the activity of the predators.

Under cold front conditions the fish are going to go down a bit to find stable temperature, or the strong wind could push them up to feeding frenzy on shallow

39

PREPARING FOR A WORLD CLASS EVENT: BY FREDERIC JULLIAN

‘‘

covering the same waters with our cast.

While fishing docks, for example, one could go fast exploring open waters for active fish with blade or small minnows. while the one on the rear deck could fish deeper wacky rig or drop shot targeting fish ambushed in the shades of the structures. Of course, when you identify a pattern you should both fish with it!

Organising your boat is also a great issue in your preparation… you don’t want to lose time searching in your box for the next bait when you drift toward the spot and miss that winning cast with your crank bait on that rocky point.

You don’t want to harm your fish because you have forgotten your pliers, and you certainly don’t want to lose a big pike next to the boat because your partner is all tangled with rods on a messy deck!

If you are not the most organised fisherman or, like me you’re short of time, try to make some spare time the day before the event and make a checklist of what you need.

Finally, this is the D-day ! I will not tell you what my plan will be for that day but I will give you a bit of advice. You must trust yourself and your fishing skills in order to “execute” right and fast.

You have a plan? Stick to it ‘til you die and never give up! n

On fishing day.. n All licences needed and

insurance papers.

n Safety equipment for the boat

and for the fishermen.

n Net, measuring board, pliers,

control of your live-well.

n Rods and reels newly spooled

plus spare rods for the main techniques you intend to fish with.

n Storage of your tackle boxes

according to your fishing plan. n Control and list all terminal

tackle you expect to use ( super glue, leaders, snaps, scents ...).

Organising your boat is also a great issue .. you don’t want to lose time searching in your box for the next bait and miss that winning cast with your crank bait on that rocky point

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

drifting socks allows you to fish longer on the strike zone and that is what I need to hook more fish.

The difficulty (attractively) with the rules of the WPC is that to have a chance we need to target at least 3 species. But at this time of the year they will not hold in the same type of spot. Another difficulty lies in the national fishing rules for Dutch waters.

For some obscure reasons you are not allowed to have on your deck more than two rods rigged with lure per fisherman.

One way of adjusting quickly while fishing and increase the real fishing time (when the lure is in the water not in your box) is to have up to ten rods ready to fire.

In May, we are going to switch techniques from jerking, cranking, swimbaiting, drop-shotting, Carolina, Texas, wacky and sometimes on the same drift we will use them all. Fishing fast on the edge allows you to explore every opportunity that most fishermen will miss. Let me explain!

Whilst on the boat you must be complementary and fish as a team. For example my partner, Sven, has very strong skills for walleye and perch fishing so I will probably explore more pike fishing. On a drift we will also take care to fish the shoreline with different angles to maximize the efficiency of every cast not

41

KAYAKS AT THE WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

READY

42

The World Predator Classic Kayak Open, organized in cooperation with Hobie fishing, is an exciting addition to the portfolio of events being staged in conjunction with and alongside the World Predator Classic Street Fishing event and the World Predator Classic Boat event.

Kayak anglers, as excited by the prospect as we are ourselves, will be coming to participate in this landmark event from as far away as the USA to provide a true international flavour.

The World Predator Classic Kayak Open rules will mirror those of the World Predator Classic boat event and anglers will need to catch 3 perch, 3 zander and 1 pike each day.

The event will be held over 2 days and will start 1 hour later and finish 1 hour earlier than the World Predator Classic boat event. Competitors will have a similar live leaderboard to the Boat event and, similarly, they will be required to measure and photograph each of the fish they catch. The photographs will be uploaded and visible immediately on the internet and the leader board to follow and enjoy.

We are delighted to add, The World Predator Classic Kayak Open is to be staged at the same time as the World Predator Classic this year. The addition of this event, along with the children’s angling academy and the World Predator Classic street fishing event, means that there will be something for all levels and all ages to enjoy, either as a participant or a spectator.

There are some great prizes to be awarded, including a Hobie Mirage Sports Kayak. These will be presented on stage each evening at the ‘Hooked On Rock’ concert, in the full glare of the international media at Hellevoetsluis.

There will be no entry fee for this event but participants will be asked to donate a minimum of 50 EUR to the event organisers nominated cancer charity. 100% of the money raised will be presented to the charity.

INTRODUCING THE WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC KAYAK OPEN

Kayak event rules Sportsmanship..

Anyone caught cheating could receive punishment by law and receive lifetime bans from other kayak fishing events and tournaments.

Safety..

Each angler must have a valid fishing license for the days they will be on water.

All participants must wear their life vest through the duration of the competition. At the morning Check-in the competitor will be issued with a numbered key tag that will be the anglers starting and competitor number for that day only. Anglers will be issued with a different tag number each day. All competitors MUST return their key-tag to the tag board when they return to the event site at the end of the fishing day regardless of whether they are measuring fish or not.

In the event of an angler not returning their key tag to the board by the specified finish time, the event organisers will commence a search for the missing competitor/s.

Kayaks..

Anglers must be fishing from a non – motorized Kayak. All competitors must make their way to their desired spots by pedal or paddle-power. Only sit on and sit in kayaks are allowed. All anglers are eligible to enter with any kayak.

Briefing..

Attendance at the Competitors Meeting (June 20th) and daily briefings are mandatory for all competitors. See event Information sheets for briefing times.

Check-in..

Exact check-in times will be announced at the Competitor Meeting. ALL competitors must collect their key tags before the start of each day and must have their key tags on the board by the nominated finish time.

Failure to do so will result in time penalties at the rate of 1cm per minute late (or part thereof) and disqualification of the bag for returns over 15 minutes late.

Fishing.. n Competitors must abide by all of the

state fishing and boating regulations. Be prepared to show your current fishing licence (Vispas) at registration and have it with you all times while fishing. n ALL events are expected to start at 10.00 am and finish at 04.00 pm. n All fish must be taken with a fishing rod, line and hook on the day of the tournament. No other methods are permitted. n ALL three species must be the minimum state legal length. Fish below the minimum size should be immediately be released alive. No pictures to be taken, no points of score. The legal length are as follows: n Pike: 45cm, Zander 42 cm, Perch 22 cm n 3 Zander, 3 Perch, 1 Pike will be the daily target and species. n Only 1 rod may be used at a time n Cast-and-retrieve only – Lure fishing only – no live baits, no dead baits and no trolling. n Any indersized fiah will be disqualified from the angler’s bag.

KAYAK OPEN

PARTICIPANTS

Please maintain high standards of sportsmanship on and off the water and respect others launching or fishing in similar areas to you. It is the angler’s responsibility for the well-being of the fish.

Digital photography

Germany WPF REF

COMPETITOR

WPCK14-013 WPCK14-014 WPCK14-015 WPCK14-016 WPCK14-017 WPCK14-018 WPCK14-021 WPCK14-022 WPCK14-023 WPCK14-024 WPCK14-025 WPCK14-034 WPCK14-036 WPCK14-037 WPCK14-038 WPCK14-039 WPCK14-040

Marco Schmidt Robert Staigis Philipp Barthelmess Sven Vogt

Dennis Kieselhorst Erik Lorenz

Franke Holger Kai Rabiger Ralf Weber Jens Juergens Christian Juergens Dirk Hackenberg Marcus Mouheln Frank Buchholz Kevin Wizgall Christoph Schoszarzek Sebastian Kummerer

England WPF REF

COMPETITOR

WPCK14-009 WPCK14-010 WPCK14-011

Rob Appleby Goudberg David Morris Ian Harris

USA WPF REF

COMPETITOR

WPCK14-029 WPCK14-030

Chris Fowler Brad Smudzinski

Belgium WPF REF

COMPETITOR

WPCK14-019 WPCK14-027

Raf de Graef Ronny Helaers

n Participants may only use mobile phone cameras. n Internet access is requierd to enter the ranking. n Do not digitally alter or enhance them in any way. n Entrant must load up the picture to the official

online leaderboard to score. n Anglers are responsible for a proper internet connection to ensure that their photos may be uploaded – No upload, no scoring! n Judges have full discretion on open mouth and where the tail lies. If there is a questionable photo, judges can ask tournament director to make final ruling.

Netherlands WPF REF

COMPETITOR

WPCK14-001 WPCK14-002 WPCK14-003 WPCK14-004 WPCK14-005 WPCK14-006 WPCK14-007 WPCK14-008 WPCK14-020 WPCK14-026 WPCK14-031 WPCK14-032 WPCK14-033 WPCK14-035

Daniel van der Post Bram Hullekes Johan Vis

Ronald Traas

Tom Verbunt

Johan van Kooten Marco Nieuwenhuize Rob Buisman

Tim Bruininx Dave Teunissen Hans van Duivendijk George Ekkelenkamp Arie Honcoop Alex Van Der Niet

Finland WPF REF

COMPETITOR

WPCK14-028

Vesseli Sirvio

France WPF REF

COMPETITOR

WPCK14-012

Cedric Lartigue

Scoring: size does matter! n The event uses catch-photo-release scoring

determined by the length of each species (Pike, Perch, Zander), combined in the case of an “Aggregate”. Each angler will be issued a “uniform measuring device” and unique scoring marker. n Fish must be photographed in or on the boat and

on the provided measuring device, clearly showing the length of the fish with the scoring marker and boat visible. Fish must measure above the state minimum to count. n Fish must be lying flat, facing left to right, with mouth closed in a natural resting position centered

against the vertical portion of the Trough. The fish must appear in a natural state. Any manipulation of the fish will result in a disqualification of that fish. The tail will be measured as it lies. n Only the anglers’ hand can hold the fish down on the board. Use of bands, grips, stringers, etc… Will result in a disqualification of that fish. n Competitors may enter seven (7) fish per day into the tournament, with a total aggregate number of centimetres of 1 Pike, 3 Zander, 2 Perch. A minimum of 1 target fish species is needed for the ranking.

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC: EDUCATING FOR THE FUTURE Wellantcollege Gorinchem Sport Fishing Academy As a professional angler you are faced with many different issues...What about the fish and water quality? Which rod and technique is most suitable for fishing in rivers? How do you organize a large sport fishing event? And, what is the most sustainable way to grow fish?

At Wellantcollege Gorinchem we prepare our students with all the training to deal with these issues and more.

Sportsmanship, sustainability, recreation, outdoor activities, nature and the environment, animal welfare, water management, flora and fauna legislation and contacts with people and organizations are our keywords.

This type of training leads to jobs within in three or four years, for occupations that are directly or indirectly related to sport fishing. It is a broad education with

Course of action: Getting to grips with our future anglers During the WPC (World Predator Classic), there will also be a youth predator course.

n Course

content:

During the 2-hour course, we begin with a little bit of theory. This will be through an interactive PowerPoint of 30 minutes.

The following components will be covered: l What predators do you know? l Biology l Technology; Lures, drop shot l Dealing with the fish: unhooking pliers, unhooking mat, gill grip etc. l Fishing spots (boats, bridges, water plants etc. )

n

Practical exercises:

With the help of experienced counselors, there will be practice casting with a fishing rod, however, the experienced predator anglers go directly to the waterfront.

The children will be placed in a square and then they will cast at a can.

This takes about 20 minutes. n Continued

in practice:

The students will then be divided into groups of three or four kids to one supervisor and a parent for a bit of security and extra hands!. Where there are children with ADHD / Autism, there will be one supervisor and two kids. They will have about 1 hour fishing with an experienced predator angler .

a focus not only for sport fishing, nature and water management, but learning that sport fishing is central.

Practice makes perfect ..

The course contains many practical moments. We cover inventory, reporting, practical resource management, green maintenance, measuring water quality, building cormorant cages etc. Additionally, we also practice different fish disciplines.

Internships..

Students follow internships in various training companies. ‘’Sportvisserij Nederland’’ and other federations offer internships with interesting assignments.

There are also internships at tackle shops, water management, landscaping, culture centres and carp and trout ponds.

There is also the option to follow an Internship abroad. We are delighted that we have a large project in Sweden, with leading Swedish Sport fish academy in Forsagha. We also have a partnership with “ Carp Connections” that offers our participants a foreign internship in France.

Water management..

Wellantcollege Gorinchem already has the training for Sports fishing. With the advent of training Water management and Land, Water & Environment (September 2014) it is our wish to make the area of “water” completely realized. Educationally this may relate to land or water, but also maintenance and quality of fish or drinking water. In short, if you seriously want to get started with water and / or sport fishing, Gorinchem is “ the place to be!”

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Within any city or town, you are bound to see youths fishing for roach, sometimes carp and lots of pike and perch. Youth is now comparable with a local fishing guide because they generally know the places where you need to go to catch fish. Unfortunately, not many youngsters know what to do once the fish is hooked. How do you grab a predator? What is the gill grip?

How to unhook a fish? How do you take a good picture of your catch? How do I let the fish go back in the water?

That’s why this course is so important! If young anglers do not learn how to handle a fish ... then, how can they catch a pike of a meter long in the future?

This is a tailor-made course that they will never forget and for which they will be awarded a diploma.

Being part of and respecting nature (picking up the litter that lies everywhere) After the theoretical part, the groups will go outside, where it will be determined whether they have, or do not have, experience with fishing rods. If so, whether they have caught predator fish such as pike and if s, more than 10?

In advance, the groups will be divided into three levels. l No experience l Experience with spinning rod but no predatory fish caught l Experienced predator angler l

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Having lived near and fished those waters for the bigger part of my life I am well known with its possibilities and potential of the area.

Having fished on a lot of different waters abroad I can say that The Haringvliet and Hollands Diep are possibly the best multispecies waters in Europe!

And the water is famous for its huge perch and the amount present, next to the good amount of Zander and Pike.

Although it’s not an easy water to fish in, its sheer size alone is a challenge; if you know how to fish you can have incredible catches.

To briefly introduce myself, my name is Alex Boom, I am 41 and I live right on the boarders of the Hollands Diep in a town called ‘Tonnekreek’ with my girlfriend Karen. I have been working Vipmedia Publishing and Services as Commercial Executive for the last 13 years.

I have been fishing from the age of 5 going from just fishing into specializing in carp fishing to fly fishing and then finally I found my true passion; Predator fishing!

I have experienced the thrill of competitions up close, together with my fishing Buddy Carey van Kints and I have entered multiple predator competitions – our lowest position ever was 6th, and our biggest achievement was winning the Predator tour in Sweden in 2012.

The World predator classic Will be so much more than just a predator fishing competition. It will connect fishermen worldwide, the community of Hellevoetsluis and its surrounding area’s, giving non Fishermen an insight into the exciting world of fishing, with multiple projects surrounding the event like Hooked on Rock, streetfishing and the Kids Fishing academy.

The Event Ross and I talked about early last year has now become an event that truly is what it name states; The World Predator Classic…

I am proud to say that we have a very capable team of referees that are all very anxious to make this event happen for the fishermen in the best way possible!

Together with the aid of the GPS trackers and the support of the WPC Catch Registration App, this will be a competition that will set the standards for future events to come. My view on the World predator Classic is a simple one; Fish fair, fish hard and have fun.

MARSHALS

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

When Ross Asked me at the start of 2013 which water in the Netherlands could house a big predator competition, only one area came to mind; the Haringvliet and Hollands Diep.

MEET YOUR

HEAD MARSHALL: ALEX BOOM

‘‘

The experienced marshalling team have a very important role in the success of the event and will be on hand to help all participants

Wow, I’m going to experience the World Predator Classic up close!

My name is Guido Merlijn and I feel very honored that Alex Boom has asked me for a contribution to the WPC. As a referee I hope to help take this beautiful and spectacular event in the right direction. I will be present on the water to keep an eye on the angling and regulations during the tournament.

Besides a single street fishing match, I have no experience with fishing contests. In my spare time I like to fish for (mostly) predatory fish such as pike, zander, perch and asp. I live with my wife Saskia and our two children in Deventer along the beautiful river IJssel. I’m working as a senior HR consultant at a large hospital.

My boat, which I’ve owned for two years now, is a Quicksilver 450SF which I acquired from René van den Brug in 2012. My boat is equipped with an electric backtroller and fish finder (HDS7 old model). I’m really looking forward to not just the tournament, but the whole event!

INTRODUCING THE WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC MARSHALS

Carey Van Kints: I couldn’t resist I have fished with Alex for the past 3 years at the Predator Tour and would have made it this year, but when Alex asked me to be a marshal this year, his enthusiasm motivated me to participate. It’s a great opportunity to experience this event close up.

I could see the approach is very professional and the people around the organization sympathetic. This becomes not just a fishing contest! This is much more...

I started fishing not far from the crib – for the last 30 years I’ve fished with the boat mostly on large bodies of water such as Haringvliet ,Volkerak, Spui ,Oude Maas and Waal . The target is fish with teeth, the exception of course is the toothless but still very welcome Aspius Aspius. I have fished the asp over the last 10 years very intensively.

Stefan Visser: up close and personal with angling pros “My name is Stefan Visser. I am 29 years old and I have lived in Hellevoetsluis my whole life.

I Grew up just a stone’s throw away from the Haringvliet. And when such a big competition is being held right at your doorstep, that’s simply amazing.

When I was asked to assist in the WPC as a marshal I immediately knew that this was a golden opportunity to see all the pros in action from up close. So I am definitely exited to be there.

I’ll be assisting the competition in a Placom boat. My grandfather bought it way back in 1979. And despite it’s age, the boat still is in very good condition. The brand new Mercury F40 EPT EFI helps greatly with that. When fishing I use a Minn Kota Traxxis 55. And a Garmin Echo 500c and Humminbird 587i serie GPS to look for pike and zander.”

Van Amen: Father and son marshalling team My name is Wim van Amen, I am 55 and married to Annette. We have a son Kevin, 26, and a daughter Dyrhona, 21.

I have run a textile printing company with my brother in Hellevoetsluis for the last 30 years. We supply and print all kinds of textiles, from T shirts and polo shirts to Decoration banners and flags I have been an active member of the local fishing club “Het Voornse kanaal” in everyday management and as chairman of the Vis and water management.

Fishing for me is relaxing, just being outside in the fresh air fishing a lure or watching a float. It is something that really takes my mind off busy everyday life. Fantastic!

I love the talks afterwards – about that beautiful strike, lunkers that got away and of course the fish-tales of my fellow fishermen I am looking forward to the World Predator Classic, and I will do my utmost to contribute to make this event a great success.

My name is Marcel Landman and i have been fishing since I was a kid, and no species was safe.

For the last 5-6 years I completely focussed on fishing for Zander and Perch, mainly casting and vertical fishing from my boat, a Trident V14 with a 15 HP Yamaha outboard.

I like to fish the bigger waters such as the Haringvliet together with my wife Linda, who often catches more fish than me!

From the moment Alex Boom asked me to join the team of marshalls, I am getting more excited the more I see and know about this event. As a marshall I will do my best to make this a perfect event, but I don’t think that will be a problem as best practice angling and fairplay are the pillars of this competition!

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

WILLELM

STOLK

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Beat the best of the rest

‘‘

Fishing for predators is a story without end. Fishing on a huge area like Haringvliet and Hollandsdiep is a one-of-a-kind experience because huge species are there. Perch over three kilo, zander up to 10 kilo and pike above 15 kilo. Huge species that are hard to catch, but that is our main goal. Beat the best of the rest.

Huge river delta From eastern Europe water flows into Holland and the rivers Waal, IJssel, Merwede, Oude Maas, Spui and lots of others, come into the river delta near Rotterdam.

Fist they come into Hollandsdiep to Haringvliet and then go into the North sea. This area is unique and predators like zander, pike and perch in these waters grow big. Sometimes they are easy to catch, but average fishing is hard work.

And there is nothing wrong with hard work.

I fished 17 days in a row and daily it was different. A story without an end! One day I caught perch with ultra lights – and the next day I had to jig in the deep. Not one day is the same and predators are swimming all the time. That’s also the reason that this water is so unique.

Set your mind The nice thing about the WPC is that lots of techniques can be successful. Drop-shot, jigging, cranking are all good techniques that will ‘catch’ the three species.

The challenge will be to catch them on all three days. And of course also some luck is welcome. But, together with Jan Porter we did lots of preparation –and this must help us to beat the best of the rest.

Naturally, we keep both feet on the ground because Jan is also not quite 100%.

His cancer will not make fishing not easy for him. But, we will do all we can to not just be part of WPC, but also be on the main stage. It is nice to dream about

In it together: Willem and Jan Porter looking forward to competing

winning and make this dream reality.

Working hard for this is what we do and what we like.

Together we practice all techniques for months and with the help of friends we will go for it.

Casting small ultra light Rapala’s or stay on a spot to do some drop-shotting; we will be ready. On top of this we will meet and greet others from all over the world.

Share our passion and let the world know

K

WILLEM STOLK: TIPS ON FISIHING HELLEVOETSLUIS

WILLEM

STOLK

that being on the water is a great experience.

The World Predator Classic is also a huge opportunity for the local area and to be part of this is fantastic. We are ready to set our mind and focus.

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Hollandsdiep or Haringvliet?

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Haringvliet and Hollandsdiep are different from each other. The structures are different and also the clearness of the water is not the same.

Often Hollandsdiep is better for zander and Haringvliet for perch and pike. The water colour and aquatic vegetation are the main reasons for these Differences, but both are most interesting to fish on.

Sometimes, all predators are in the shallow and in June that can be the story. But, if there is a lot of rain it can be something else entirely. Daily it can change and therefore it is unique to be there. Also the sea level and tide are something to follow. If the water (tide) is dropping then predators are more active.

Casting or vertical jigging?

Lots of people ask me if vertical jigging is better than casting the shallows.

The only honest answer I can give, is that this changes all the time. During matches we fished on these waters vertical jigging did well for zander and when pike and perch are target fish, casting the shallows was the best approach. We won several matches during zander fishing, but this was mainly zander orientated. The best technique to catch the other species was casting, casting, casting.

Hundred, thousands times better. But, also fishing on half water can be the trick. Often there are the bigger fish. It is also hard work, but doable. During matches, where 80 boats are involved, between 200 and 500 fish were caught on one day, and not everybody is fishing the same technique and with the

same lure. Find the right rod, reel, lure combination and you will be successful.

Also there must be fish in the area were you fish otherwise it will be useless. June can be a very hard period if the spawning was early and loads are baitfish are available.

Therefore it will be a story without an end…

WPC will be hard anyway. The list of teams is interesting and each and every participant has good skills.

I hope that it will be a successful event for all of us. For the participants, sponsors, local community, world wide exposure and we can show the world that passion for angling is a great thing. Enjoy nature, being on the water using the best materials there are available, and just go for the best Result you can achieve. For me and Jan it is a special event anyway, because we also show the world that having cancer is not the end of the world. Together we have a goal – a goal to participate all three years of the WPC and live with cancer and take every single day as a gift of nature. We are not ones to sit and wait, we will go out there, we will be there for the WPC in Hellevoetsluis Netherlands. n WILLEM STOLK

‘‘

Haringvliet and Hollandsdiep are different from each other .. but both are most interesting to fish on

WELCOME TO HELLEVOETSLUIS

Host to the first World Predator Classic

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

It is believed that the first settlers in Hellevoetsluis dates back to the Iron Age (around 800 BC), followed by the Romans around 12 BC, both having had an agricultural nature.

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Voorne-Putten was abandoned after the 3rd century AD and people continued to leave until new settlers returned during the 11th century, occupying the area which is now Hellevoetsluis.

Houses were built and polders were created (low-lying tracts of land enclosed by embankments) because VoornePutten often flooded. This polder became Hellevoetsluis.

The area also featured a small natural harbour which was used by the inhabitants of the 15th century village known as Nieuw-Helvoet. The fort of Hellevoetsluis was built in the 17th century – its primary purpose to strengthen Dutch position when it came to warfare and trade.

Hellevoetsluis was the naval centre for the Admiralty of the Maze, and during this time, it was the place where Piet Hein unloaded the captured Spanish treasure.

A dry dock and sea lock were constructed in 1798 on the orders of Jan Blanken. The channel through Voorne, created in 1830, led to Hellevoetsluis becoming an important trade port en route to Rotterdam.

Things started to go downhill when the When the Nieuwe Waterweg rendered the Voorne kanaal useless, things started to go downhill and this intensified once the naval port was moved to Den Helder in the 1930s. The navy retained a presence in the area until the 1960s, providing a mine sweeping service.

Since 1960, the focus has been on renovation and expanding the fortified city through the creation of new builds on the west side of the Large Dock and through the renovation of the historic bunkers littered throughout the citadel.

Ram ship HMS Buffel Built between 1867 and 1868, HMS Buffel was originally a ram ship, where the front of the ship extends further forward than in most ships and is reinforced. The central tower can be rotated, which was useful for the canon upon it as it meant they could be pointed in the right direction and so defend the Dutch coast.

After seventeen years of active service, the ship was turned into a lodging ship. The canons were removed, it was fitted with berths for 350 men and was stationed in Hellevoetsluis, Den Helder and Amsterdam between 1896 and 1974.

In 1973, HMS Buffel was fully restored to its original state and became a

museum. It has now been visited by more than 3.5 million people since its return to Hellevoetsluis in October 2013. You can visit it in the harbour near the dry dock.

The National Fire Service Museum Hellevoetsluis’s National Fire Service Museum is the beating heart of fire service history. Displaying many historical objects, a magnificent picture is painted of the changes in the fire service during the past centuries. The main attraction is the fantastic collection of old fire engines, with hand operated pumps to the high pressure water mist pumps.

Droogdok Jan Blanken In 1787, Jan Blanken developed plans to modernise the naval settlement in Hellevoetsluis. The most ambitious being the dry docks which are deemed extremely effective when it comes to the repair, maintenance and construction of ships. We recommend a visit to the visitors centre located inside the fortified city walls.

Lightship 12Noord Hinder Described as a floating lighthouse and probably Hellevoetsluis’s most iconic landmark, the lightship helps seafarers determine their position at sea accurately

A BACKGROUND TO

HELLEVOETS

HELLEVOETSLUIS: AN AMAZING CITY IMMERSED IN HISTORY

A dive into the past: Dry Dock Jan Blanken

– even at night, or through fog, mist and poor visibility. It’s light has its very own ‘character’ and its foghorn blasts a distinct penetrating sound. A radio beacon transmits signals in Morse code, which enables ships equipped with a direction finder to determine the position of the lightship.

Prinsehuis Built in the middle of the seventeenth century as a home for the customs and excise officer, this grand house was also the lodgings of the States of Holland and West Friesland. The council’s job was to supervise, construct, maintain and exploit the citadel’s port. The customs and excise officer who was responsible for tax collection and appointed by the council, lived here permanently and used it as his offices. Today, The Prinsehuis is used for the day-to-day running of Hellevoetsluis. You can visit the Pinsehuis

LUIS

on Open Monumentendag (part of the European heritage days).

City Museum Hellevoetsluis The City Museum displays everyday artefacts from daily life in Hellevoetsluis over the past two centuries. Some relate to Hellevoetsluis’s past, others, divided into theme groups, concern agriculture, toys, the smithy, education, occupations and shipping.

Corn Mill ‘De Hoop’ A stone tower mill, built in 1801 where flour carts could pass under the crown wheel for loading or unloading. This passage was restored to its former glory during the mill’s full restoration in 1961 and 1962. You can visit the mill during the high season, which starts on National Mill Day and ends with Open Monumentendag in September.

It is open every Saturday and Sunday between 12.00 and 16.00 hours and when the blue pennant is out, or if you make an appointment. n The Visitors centre is open on Saturdays and Sundays during July and August.

Dry Dock Jan Blanken is the oldest preserved stone dry dock in Europe and still in business.

Designed and built by Jan Blanken between 1798 and 1822, it is still used for the construction, maintenance, and repair of ships, boats or other watercrafts.

A dry dock is a narrow basin that can be flooded to allow a ship to be floated in, then drained to allow the ship to come rest on a dry platform.

Dry Dock Jan Blanken was the first stone dry dock in the Netherlands. The length of the whole dock is about 157,80 metres and the width is 31,20 metres. When both docks are filled with water there are about 55.000 tons of water in the docks!

This unique, so-called double dry dock which consists of two docks next to each other can work independently. One part is called the keel dock, where ships could be repaired and the other part is called the carpenters’ dock which was used to build new ships. There is one main entrance – a beautiful preserved Bateau-porte, a big ship door which can be moved by pumping the water out to let it float and move away. The recent ship door is made out of iron but the original ship door was made of wood.

The Dry Dock organization is a foundation. “It is very much like a community within a community. It functions with the help of many people.

Very few are paid staff and then there is a group of 40 volunteers,” explains Ruud Meijer, principal of the Dry Dock Foundation.

“Generally people become involved because they have an interest in preserving marine history, and they enjoy serving their large community by helping to keep the dry dock open, operating and expanding. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all of our volunteers, sponsors and friends who support us.

Dry Dock Jan Blanken is open the whole year! In the period from 1 April 2014 – 31 October 2014 Monday till Friday from 10.00 am till 5.00 pm and Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 1.00 pm till 5 pm. The admission is free and the cost of a guided tour is: adults 5 euros and kids 3 euros (up to 12 years old). Our address is Dokweg 5, 3221 AE Hellevoetsluis, The Netherlands.

OFFICIAL HOST VENUE 2014

THE WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC: A LOCAL’S PERSPECTIVE

SUDDEN

IMPACT

I almost couldn’t believe it when Ross Honey and Mick Paine walked and told me that they were going to bring the World Predator Classic to Hellevoetsluis!

Unbelievable, right on my doorstep.

De Catfish: Mario is joined by Ross Honey at his Hellevoetsluis tackle shop (above).

it’s still in its infancy despite the number of tourists who fish the Voornse Canal each year.

Thanks to the World Predator Classic, Hellevoetsluis and its fishing will leap straight onto the international map, especially as the WPC has committed to a 3 year use of the location. Super!

I think that many businesses/ entrepreneurs will be pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the World Predator Classic in Hellevoetsluis. For me as a Fishing Tackle Shop owner, it’s a unique opportunity to promote both the fishing in the region and my own business at the same time. Just the thought of such a major fishing event taking place here gives me shivers down my spine, it doesn’t get better than that! Many thanks to Ross Honey for making this possible.

MARIO ROOBOL EN MIRABEL NUIS

‘‘

Thanks to the World Predator Classic, Hellevoetsluis and its fishing will leap straight onto the international map

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

What a great chance to put Hellevoetsluis and its great fishing opportunities on the map!

Of course, choosing this location is very understandable, there is so much suitable water to fish. The Haringvliet is a water that offers all types of fishing. Predatory fish and all the usual fish are here in abundance, even carp anglers get their own particular buzz here.

I can’t say that it’s an easy water to catch pike, but the possibilities are certainly there.

The water has been getting clearer here over the last few years, which has greatly increased the number of pike. Perch also do extremely well.

Catching zander is always possible, although the average size isn’t great.

As to the sizes and numbers of the different species; Pike of more than a meter in length, perch of 50cm and zander of 80cm will definitely be caught, it’s not possible to know how many fish will be caught, but I fully expect about 300-350 of the targeted fish to be netted during the competition.

There is also always the chance of a bonus ide, asp or sea trout to spice things up!

I’m really pleased that Angling Spirit has chosen our city as the location for this great event.

Hellevoetsluis, as an historic fortress and naval city, is already quite well known, especially with regard to sailing, but in the field of fishing

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OFFICIAL WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC COMPETITION MAP

OFFICIAL GLOBAL EVENT

PARTNERS

The organisers of the World Predator Classic would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Official Sponsors and Support Partners who have helped to make this inaugural event possible

Main Sponsor: Rapala

Rapala has been the world’s favorite fishing lure since 1936. Today, Rapala lures, knives, tools and accessories are trusted by fishermen in over 140 countries... “Better than it has to be” is the standard by which we measure our products. www.rapala.com

Official Electronics Partner: Raymarine

With its roots firmly set in 1923, Raymarine has branched out and over the years to become one of the tallest trees in the forest. Their innovative, high-end quality products have earned the company many glittering awards. www.raymarine.co.uk

Official Weights & Measures: Reuben Heaton Founded in 1857 by its namesake Reuben George Heaton, the Warwickshire, England based manufacturer produces high quality scales and weighing equipment and other angling products. www.reubenheaton.co.uk

Main Sponsor: Shimano

Globally recognised giant, Shimano, founded in 1921, launched the sale of fishing tackle abroad in 1978, from which time the company has earned a worldwide reputation in the world of angling for its superior quality products. www.shimano.com

Official Trailer Partner: Pega BV In 1955, on the outskirts of Rotterdam, PEGA began life as small manufacturer. The company now developes, produces and supplies boat trailers and is now a leading international supplier of boat trailers. www.pegabv.nl

Official Boat: Nitro

As part of the Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Marine Group family, NITRO Boats takes decades of top-tier innovations, quality and performance and weaves them into every single model to produce a line-up of performance fishing boats absolutely loaded with value. www.nitro.com

Official Communication: Powertraveller

Designed in the UK and tested to destruction in some of the world’s most inhospitable environments, Powertraveller’s are capable of charging anything from cell phones and iPods through to Sat Navs, GPS systems, iPads and laptops. www.powertraveller.com

Official Chart: Navionics

Navionics changed the way people navigate by bringing to market the world’s first electronic chart device in 1984, called the Geonav. Navionics quickly established an early lead in marine cartography and continues to be a leader in quality, coverage and value. www.navionics.com

Official Suppliers: My GPS Tracker

Based centrally in Bunschoten, the research for absolute perfection in tracking devices is an ongoing process for us. For our current solutions visit mygpstracker.nl

Official Accommodation Provider: Citta Romana

The spacious resort is sited amid plenty of water and greenery just 15 to 20 minutes by car from the Europoort, Maasvlakte, the Botlekgebeid and the Tweede Maasvlakte. www.cittaromana.com

Official Host venue Official Media Partners: Southampton Solent University Providing the World Predator Classic with the technology, skills and equipment to enable global livestreaming of the event. www.solent.ac.uk

The vast Haringvliet inlet has played an important role in the history of Hellevoetsluis; earning it the name of a ‘Fortification town on the Haringvliet’.

The Vesting fortress with its harbours and fortifications is steeped in history. www.hellevoetsluis.nl

Official Engine: Mercury

Since 1939, Mercury has consistently emphasized quality, performance, innovation and reliability. Today, that pledge remains as strong as ever. The success of Mercury Marine has not occurred by chance. www.mercurymarine.com

Second hand phones.com

A UK Company based in Barnstaple, North Devon. We specialise in the resale of quality used Mobile Phones and Smartphone devices. www.second-handphones.com

P&O Ferries

– Providing first class cross channel services that remain the premier choice of Angling Spirit. For routes and timetables. www.poferries.com

Plano

Plano appreciate the passion outdoorsmen possess because we are a company built on that same passion and love for the outdoors. www.planomolding.com

THE WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC: SPONSORS & PARTNERS

Anheuser-Busch InBev

Producing popular brands, Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck’s, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Jupiler and other well-known drinks, we are certain you will be delighted to learn that this establishment is the official brewery of the World Predator Classic. www.ab-inbev.com

Beet Anglers Magazine

If angling is your passion; Beet is a ‘must read’ for you. www.beet.nl

Hertz

Providing a wide range of vehicles to meet all of your requirements, Hertz has a worldwide reputation for its premier services that are second to none. www.hertz.co.uk

World Predator Classic Support partners

The Dutch National Streetfishing association

Learn more about this fascinating genre by visiting www.streetfishing.nl

Hobie Fishing

Since 1950, from our headquarters in California, Hobie Cat Company has manufactured and distributed an impressive collection of watercraft worldwide. www.hobiefishing.com

Camping ‘t Weergors

Hengelsportvereniging Het Voornse Kanaal

Aqua Splash Park, Hellevoetsluis

Local Fish federation

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Hellevoetsluis. Our website just gives you a foretaste of everything we have to offer you. www.weergors.nl

is the only open water playground in the Netherlands and it has enjoyed overwhelming success in all respects. www.aquaparksplash.nl

International Pairs Golf

In January 2010 International Pairs and Globalgolfers.com merged to become the largest grass roots amateur golf company in the world. www.golffrontiers.com

De Catfish

A well established tackle shop located near to the Voornse Kanaal, Hellevoetsluis, to meet all of your angling needs. www.de-catfish.nl

Dry dock Jaan Blanken

Following its restoration, dry dock Jan Blanken, more than 230 ships, both historical and contemporary ships have been docked here. www.droogdok.nl.

Hoi4u

Suppliers of professional stage equipment providing the sound and stage equipment for the Hooked on Rock event. www.hoi4u-rental.eu

t Schrijverke (schools project)

Involving the local community children, the Event seeks to encourage and nurture the next generation of anglers. www.obstschrijverke.nl

Sportvisserij Zuidwest Nederland

(Dutch National fishing Federation) promotes national and international interests of sport fishing. www.sportvisserijzwn.nl

Wellantcollage sportsvisacademie

(Dutch Fisheries collage) Providing the vitally important Event Marshaling Team. www.wellant.nl

Official Event Marina

Secure mooring in Hellevoetsluis for all participants’ boats. www.marina-capehelius.nl

Bars De Admiraal & BarBiertje Local bar and restaurant who will be providing Food and Drink. www.barbiertje.com www.brasserieadmiraal.nl

Angling Knots

Chasing big fish with big lures or fly fishing in high mountain streams? You should find the right fishing knots here. www.anglingknots.com

Cornwall College

www.cornwall.ac.uk

VOORNSE KANAAL Vissen in Hellevoetsluis en omgeving HET De VISpas Als je lid wordt van “Het Voornse Kanaal” krijg je niet alleen toestemming om in de eigen wateren van de vereniging te vissen, maar in ongeveer 85 % van alle binnenwater in Nederland.

Dit is mogelijk door de landelijke VISpas, die alle onze leden krijgen.

Onze hengelsportvereniging is namelijk aangesloten bij de hengelsportfederatie Sportvisserij Zuidwest Nederland. Deze vormt samen met zes andere Nederlandse federaties de landelijke organisatie Sportvisserij Nederland, die deze VISpas uitgeeft.

Bij de VISpas hoort een Gezamenlijke Lijst van Nederlandse Viswateren, waarin alle federatieve en veel verenigingswateren zijn opgenomen, zoals gezegd zo’n 85 % van het totale Nederlandse binnenwater.

Verder vormen wij met twee andere hengelsportverenigingen op Voorne-Putten de Commissie Sportvisserijbelangen VoornePutten. Dit is een samenwerkingsverband met de verenigingen “Ons Genoegen” Spijkenisse en “De Watergeus” Brielle.

Door deze drie verenigingen wordt ook het eigen verenigingswater gratis uitgewisseld, zodat de leden in het water van alle drie de verenigingen mogen vissen.

Commissies Sportvissers zijn vaak individueel bezig maar als u liever in clubverband vist kan dat ook bij “Het Voornse Kanaal”! Onze commissies houden zich bezig met onder andere het beoefenen van bepaalde disciplines die in de hengelsport aanwezig zijn. Zo zijn er commissies voor het witvissen, zeevissen, jeugdvissen, de veteranen en het karpervissen.

Deze commissies organiseren veelal onderlinge wedstrijden. De resultaten van de vangsten tijdens de wedstrijden worden verwerkt voor de hengelvangstregistratie ten behoeve van onze commissie water- en visstandbeheer. Met deze gegevens kunnen zij bepalen of en wanneer het nodig is om weer vis in onze wateren uit te zetten. De commissie water- en visstandbeheer zorgt ook voor het onderhoud van onze vissteigers en regelt de jaarlijkse schoonmaakdag in maart.

Een grote groep vrijwilligers is die dag op en rond onze wateren te vinden om alles weer schoon en fatsoenlijk bevisbaar te maken. De personen die hun rommel bewust achterlaten zouden eens moeten beseffen hoeveel vrije tijd van onze vrijwilligers geroofd word, zij gaan eigenlijk ook liever vissen of wat anders doen dan de rotzooi van anderen op te ruimen.

De hengelsportvereniging “Het Voornse Kanaal” heeft het visrecht in de wateren binnen de bebouwde kom van Hellevoetsluis. De leden krijgen de wettelijk vereiste schriftelijke toestemming om in deze wateren te mogen vissen.

De vereniging bestaat al sinds 1956 en heeft ongeveer 2.500 leden.

Een flink deel van deze leden - zo’n 800- zijn buitenlandse gasten die één of meermalen per jaar, voor korte of langere tijd, in de omgeving van Hellevoetsluis komen vissen.

Nachtvissen Omdat het binnen onze gemeente mogelijk is om met de VISpas van HSV Het Voornse Kanaal en een landelijk uitgegeven toestemming nachtvissen het gehele jaar legaal met een tent op redelijke korte afstand van bewoonde huizen te nachtvissen is er een belangrijke rol weggelegd voor onze negenkoppige commissie controle. Onze negen controleurs verdienen een groot compliment omdat zij bij nacht en ontij langs de waterkant gaan om te zien dat alles ordelijk en rustig verloopt. Dankzij hun inspanningen is en blijft het nachtvissen voor de karpervissers nog steeds mogelijk.

Jeugd karperviskamp Jaarlijks organiseren wij in samenwerking met De KSN ( the Dutch Carp Society ) een karperjeugdviskamp in onze grachten. De

jeugd wordt onder deskundige begeleiding van volwassen karpervissers de eerste beginselen van de karpervisserij, met de nadruk op visveiligheid bijgeleerd. Aldoende wordt de jeugd erop gewezen om de omgeving en de natuur waar wij als gast in aanwezig mogen zijn te respecteren en daarnaar te handelen.

Het grote water De bekendste grotere wateren in de omgeving zijn in de eerste plaats uiteraard het Haringvliet, waar de World Predator Classic gehouden zal worden. Naast het uitstekende bestand aan roofvis komen ook hier alle bekende soorten voor en dat in ongekende hoeveelheden en afmetingen !

Verder zijn er het Brielse Meer en de Bernisse, die wat kleinschaliger zijn maar waarvoor wat betreft visbestand hetzelfde geldt.Het Kanaal door Voorne geniet grote

THE WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC: FISHING IN HELLEVOETSLUIS

Unieke forelstek Het Oostvoornse Meer is uitgegraven voor zandwinning voor aanleg van de (eerste) Maasvlakte, nu een brak estuarium met diep en glashelder water, ook zeer in trek bij sportduikers. Jaarlijks wordt hier forel en recentelijk ook zalm uitgezet. Door het grote voedselaanbod gedijen zij bijzonder goed.

Veel vissers zijn er van overtuigd dat dit meer hiermee het beste forelwater van Europa is geworden !

Het zoute nat Door de ligging aan de kust en onder de rook

van de Rotterdamse havens kunnen ook de liefhebbers van het zoute water op VoornePutten ruimschoots aan hun trekken komen.

Behalve vanaf de stranden van Rockanje en de Maasvlakte zijn ook in de havens en kanalen van het Waterweg- en Europoortgebied prima vangsten van alle in de Nederlandse wateren voorkomende zeevissen mogelijk. Zo is er door de recent gereed gekomen Tweede Maasvlakte een nieuw, prachtig strand ontstaan dat naar inmiddels is gebleken een topstek voor zeebaars is !

Lid worden Wie deze ongekende hengelsportmogelijkheden binnen handbereik wil krijgen, is van harte welkom als lid van “Het Voornse Kanaal”.

Lid worden kan door je aan te melden

bij één van onze verkoopadressen, Hengelsport De Catfish aan de Oostzanddijk of Faunaland Luesing in winkelcentrum de Struytse Hoeck.

U betaalt dan de contributie voor het eerste jaar contant en krijgt dan een voorlopige VISpas mee, zodat meteen met vissen kan worden begonnen.

Ook is er de mogelijkheid om online lid te worden via onze website: www.hsvhetvoornsekanaal.nl .

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en zelfs internationale vermaardheid als wedstrijdwater. In vooral april en mei is het in verband met de paai grote getale aanwezige brasem dringen om hier een wedstrijd te kunnen organiseren, die dan ook tijdig moet worden aangevraagd bij de Federatie.

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ROMAN HOLIDAY Proud to be the official Event Accommodation for the World Predator Classic, Città Romana is a unique holiday resort that sits by the Haringvliet and the broad North Sea beach

It’s about a year ago now, since we met Ross Honey, founder of the World Predator Classic, while giving his exciting presentation at the Town Hall of Hellevoetsluis about the possibility of organising ‘a fishing event’ in Hellevoetsluis.

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At that time we did not realise how big this event was going to be and above that, we had no idea that fishing could be so exciting!

After a year of e-mails and meetings, we can now see that this is not just a fishing event, but so much more ... this competition is going to be an incredibly big and exiting international affair for the whole region of Rotterdam!

Fishing aside, there will be fast boats, live online tracking systems for the audience, rock concerts and school projects.

As the event is named the World Predator Classic it means of course, that people from all over the world – over 16 different countries – will travel to Hellevoetsluis to participate in the event. And for that, the organisation needed world class accommodation for their participants and sponsors to stay.

We are very proud that Ross and his team selected Città Romana. Our resort is now the Official Event Accommodation, meeting the high demands expected by the organization for their participants and sponsors.

The World Predator Classic team were very impressed with the quality of our holiday homes and central facilities of the Resort.

Not only was the accommodation itself crucial in their decision, but also the flexibility of how guests can book their holiday home per night and the wonderful friendly staff all

CITTA ROMANA: OFFICIAL EVENT ACCOMMODATION

contributed to the final decision points.

So, what can you find in Resort CittĂ Romana?

The Resort is spread over 16.3 ha of land with little lakes running throughout the Resort in between the holiday homes.

There are 5 types of holiday villas, of which 2 types have thatched roofs. Furthermore, every holiday home has its own free Wi-Fi and free satellite TV with 100 + (inter)national channels.

In the central building of the Resort you will find our reception, a heated indoor swimming pool and a private sauna, a cosy Pub, restaurant Duinhoek with a beautiful terrace next to the water, beauty salon and a massage studio.

We are really excited the World Predator Classic and really wish you all Happy Fishing and a wonderful stay with us at Resort Citta Romana!!

HELLEVOETSLUIS

ROCKS!

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

After being picked up by producer of Real World Studios, Marco Migliari who has worked with the likes of Stereophonics, Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel and Sigur Ros to name but a few, Phoenix Club launched their self titled EP at O2 Academy Bristol on January 10th, 2014.

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Phoenix Club use a song-writing intelligence to create hooks that sink into your subconscious, complimented by a playful disregard towards generic time signatures and genre-specific boundaries. This ability to write distinct arrangements leaves their new 3-track EP resounding in your head and fighting the urge to hit repeat.

The guitar-based indie-pop/rockers, have pulled off some impressive-sounding feats: playing at the 2012 London Olympics and headlining 02 Academy Main Stage, Islington.

Not bad for a band which only formed in February 2012. Hailing from Ireland, Italy and UK, they cover the guitar-shaped bases, from indie floor-fillers in Two Door Cinema Club and Vaccines style to more Snow Patrol-esque anthemia. Debut video ‘Don’t Lose Your Ghost’ notched up 79,000 hits on YouTube, as well as a slot on NME TV, while debut EP ‘Something From Nothing’ has garnered them plenty more interest. Ones to watch, in short.

In October 2011 Danny (vocals) was due to play a gig with another band. However, at the last minute the lead guitarist was unable to play the show and the band had to find another guitarist or else cancel.

A couple of days before, Danny had received an email from Andrea (lead guitarist), who had just moved from Italy to Bristol, and was looking to start a new band. Danny contacted him and they played that gig together. That one show was enough to build a strong chemistry between the two and they decided to start their own new project and call it Phoenix Club. A few weeks, James (drummer) happened to move into

Top international bands Phoenix Club, Billy Whizz and DJ’s Kjetil Hansen will be performing at the World Predator Classic on Friday and Saturday night to get Hellevoetsluis rocking. There will be plenty of catering and refreshments on site as well as lots to see in the sponsors Arena. At 21.00hrs each evening on the main stage there will be the daily prize giving to the participants in the World Predator Classic and on either side of the stage there will be TV Screens where highlights of the day will be played for all to see.

Andrea’s block of flats. They got to know each other and Andrea invited him to come meet Danny and jam a few songs in their practice room. Once again they instantly connected musically and started working on their original material right away. Several bassists replied to ads to join the band but it wasn’t until March 2012 that Phoenix Club found their missing link. Incredibly, it all happened in the same venue where Danny and Andrea met – and Dan (bassist) was asked to join the band. Phoenix Club were finally established.

‘After releasing our debut EP ‘Something From Nothing’ last year, we are now working on our first album. We are currently planning a tour of the UK, Ireland and Italy for 2014, as well as playing some festivals in England and have airplay on local and national radio stations.

We are really looking forward to performing at Hooked on Rock.’

HOOKED ON ROCK: FESTIVAL LINE-UP

The Whizz kids The Billy Whizz Band is a four piece guitar- based band made up of experienced session players who have performed with some of the biggest names in the business and specialise in playing songs that are known and loved across Europe.

Formed in the Mid 80s on the Medway Delta, Billy Whizz has earned a reputation for generating a good time atmosphere for its audiences (irrespective of scale or language!), whilst providing High Energy Pop and Rock covers. The band comprises of Dave (Guitar and vocals), Pete (lead guitar and vocals),Mark( bass Guitar and Vocals and Stelios (Drums and Vocals) Dave, the heart of Billy Whizz, is a memorable frontman with raunchy vocals and a guitar for every occasion.

Pete, also known as ‘Bleached Bone’ Straight from the Delta (Medway Delta) is the guitar powerhouse for the band.

He is a guitar god!

Stellios – half Welsh, half Greek, all Drummer! The unstoppable engine of Billy Whizz. Driving beats and MacCartneyesque Vocals. This guy does it all. And then there’s Mark – the ‘Cat in the Hat’ and the throbbing force that is Billy Whizz, with bass riffs to make your toes curl and great vocals too!

GUT IMITIERT IST HALB GEFANGEN!

In den letzten Jahren hat sich auf dem Gummi-Sektor einiges getan. Nicht zu letzt durch den starken Einfluss aus Japan, sondern auch dank Köderentwickler die ihre Produkte auf sich ständig ändernden Bedingungen am Wasser abgestimmt haben.

In diesem Beitrag verdeutlicht Dietmar Isaiasch wie wichtig es geworden ist vom Standard-Schema ‘F’ abzuweichen und gezielt etwas neues auszuprobieren - mit Erfolg!

DIETMAR ISAIASCH: WER NICHT WAGT DER NICHT GEWINNT

Noch vor wenigen Jahren musste man sich über die stetig besser werdende Wasserqualität und des sich daraus ändernden Nahrungsangebotes kaum Gedanken machen. Ein Stint am FireballSystem oder ein einfacher gelber Shad mit Wackelschwanz hat noch immer beste Dienste

geleistet. Wir in den Niederlanden waren schön immer zanderverwöhnt!

Erst wenn einer der beiden ultimativen Köder erfolglos bleibt fängt man an nachzudenken.

An erster Stelle wird nach unbeeinflussbaren Einflüssen und Ausreden gesucht, warum die Zander nicht gebissen haben - meist ist das Wetter schuld. Und man versucht sich halt damit zu trösten, dass die anderen Angler auch schlecht gefangen haben. Ich war noch nie jemand der sich so leicht geschlagen gibt, sondern suche solange nach einer Erklärung bis ich die Lösung gefunden habe.

Bevor ich auf den Punkt komme möchte ich,

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Geht nicht oder es beisst nichts, so etwas gibt’s nicht bei mir. Logisch, nicht jeder Tag wird mit Unmengen von Fischen belohnt, aber es ist die Konstanz in den Fängen, übers Jahr gesehen, die zählt. Um dies zu erreichen muss man zuerst sein Gewässer genauestens analysieren.

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GUT IMITIERT IST HALB GEFANGEN!

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

um alles noch deutlicher zu machen, und um zu zeigen in wie weit man sich Gedanken machen muss, einige Beispiele nennen und somit um Nachdenken anregen. Vor gut fünf Jahren haben Freunde von mir in Deutschland am Rhein in der Höhe von Kehl nur noch 1/3tel soviel Zander gefangen als die Jahre zuvor. Auch war die Fangsaison nur noch auf eine kurze Phase mit erhöhtem Wasserstand beschränkt. Die restliche Zeit waren Zanderfänge Mangelware. Dieses Phänomen ging einher mit der sich stark verbesserten Wasserqualität und Sichtigkeit des Rheins. An sonnigen Tagen kann man bis zu 1,5 Meter weit zum Grund schauen. Und was sieht man dann? Genau Grundeln.... doch dazu gleich mehr.

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Das selbe Schicksal hat auch die Maas ereilt.

Sie wird von Jahr zu Jahr klarer und verliert auch mehr und mehr an Fliesskraft.

Zwei entscheidende Faktoren, die dem Zander gar nicht gefallen. Zwar ist die Grundelpopulation dort noch nicht soweit wie am Rhein, aber sie wächst ständig.

Helles Wasser ohne Trübung und ein sich änderndes Nahrungsangebot sind die Faktoren mit denen wir es aktuell zutun haben. Viele Grossgewässer, die direkt in Verbindung mit dem Rhein stehen weisen dies auf.

Die Zander sind dort noch immer anwesend, allerdings haben sie ihre Fressgewohnheiten angesichts des klaren Wassers geändert. Dies gilt fürs Haringvliet und das Hollands Diep und besonders fürs Volkerak, die Zeiten der grünen Brühe im Sommer sind dort auch längst vorbei. Mit dem Resultat: weniger Blaualgen weniger Zanderanbisse! Ich sage bewusst weniger Anbisse und nicht weniger Zander. Die Räuber schwimmen dort noch immer, jedoch haben sie ihren Speiseplan und die Essenszeiten angepasst.

Dieser Prozess hat nicht lange gedauert, denn Mutter Natur findet rasch eine Lösung für ihre Kinder. Bevor der Rapfen sich in unseren Gewässern breit gemacht hat gab es Unmengen von Ukeleis für die Räuber.

Nach dem Rapfen kam gab es keine Ukeleiexplosionen mehr und weniger Futterfische für alle Beteiligten - alte Räuber wie Zander, Hecht und Barsch sowie neue Räuber wie der Rapfen. Ein grosser Teil der Rapfenbrut fällt jedes Jahr allen Räubern zum Opfer, aber sie reicht halt nicht das ‘Ukeleiloch’ zu stopfen. Und wie von Zauberhand, den selben Weg geschwommen wie der Rapfen kommt ein kleiner Grundfisch über die Donau und den Rhein zu uns ins Land.

Erst waren es nur einige wenige doch in den letzten zwei Jahren ist der Bestand

explodiert. Was gerade den grundnahen Räubern ideal in den Kragen, besser gesagt Schlund passt. Zander, Barsch und Aal sowie Waller laben sich an dem flinken Grundfischlein, was nunmehr Platz 1 auf deren Menükarte eingenommen hat. Die Schwarzmeer- oder auch Kesslergrundel genannt ist der wichtigste Beutefisch geworden.

Wobei wir beim Thema wären. Wer mich kennt, der weiss ich versuche alle meine Thesen mit Argumenten gut zu unterbauen.

Und da muss man nicht nur viel am Wasser sein und Fischen, sondern auch die Augen aufmachen und gut beobachten und experimentieren. Seit dem Sommer 2012 habe ich mich entschlossen mit meinen Ködern einen dieser typischen Futterfisch zu imitieren - nämlich die Grundel.

In den Flüssen zur Plage herangewachsen stellt sie bei den Räubern eine willkommene Abwechslung auf der Speisekarte dar.

Eiweissreich, einfach zu fangen und zudem noch in grosser Stückzahl erhältlich, und darüber hinaus scheint sie auch noch zu schmecken - also besser geht es kaum. Gesagt getan und so habe ich mir eine Nachbildung einer solchen Grundel in mühseliger Heimarbeit selbst gegossen und auf meinen Bleikopf gezogen in der Hoffnung ein neues Beissgefühl zu erfahren.

Und wie recht ich damit hatte. Die ersten Versuche waren reine Testphasen, wo ich dem Grundel-Shad in einer allgemeinen Beissflaute nur wenig Zeit gelassen habe sich zu beweisen. Jedoch mit fortschreitendem Erfolg, der sich nicht nur in einer höheren Bissfrequenz, sondern auch in stärker ausgeprägten Anbissen deutlich wurde, kamen Shads wie der Wiper oder Zander Pro immer früher zum Einsatz und blieb zudem noch länger dran.

Bis es soweit war, dass ich nur noch damit gefischt habe. Am spektakulärsten war ein Tag am Hollands Diep Anfang Juni wo ich mit einem Gast 85 Zander gefangen gefangen habe - alle auf einer solchen Grundel-Imitation.

Ein Tag wo ich bei vielen anderen Angler nur lange Gesichter gesehen habe. Es war sogar so besonders, dass wir Fische gelandet haben, die uns beim Abhaken frische oder leicht angedaute Grundeln ins Boot gespuckt haben. Hiermit war für mich der Beweis erbracht. Egal, wie sich Gewässer und Verhältnisse auch ändern entscheidend ist, dass man der neunen Situation folgt und seine Köder und Angelart darauf abstimmt.

Tunnelblick ist dabei völlig fehl am Platze, denn dass was jahrelang funktioniert kann heute oder gar morgen völlig anders aussehen und nicht mehr dem ‘Trend’ entsprechen. Deshalb sollte man stets viel probieren und experimentieren.

Ich bin sicher, dass auch bei der WPC so mancher Räuber genau auf solch eine Köderimitation gefangen wird und immer dann, wenn’s besonders schlecht läuft, dann bringt vertraute Beute immer noch einen Anbiss!

Ein Anbiss, der eine zusätzliche Fisch der, der nicht selten über Sieg oder Niederlage entscheidet. Viel Erfolg, euer Dietmar

DIETMAR ISAIASCH: WER NICHT WAGT DER NICHT GEWINNT

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Am spektakulärsten war ein Tag am Hollands Diep Anfang Juni wo ich mit einem Gast 85 Zander gefangen gefangen habe - alle auf einer solchen Grundel-Imitation

ON THE MOVE: PORTABLE POWER BY POWERTRAVELLER

POWER HUNGRY For the first time at an event of this type, competitors will be logging their catch and position as they go using a combination of a smart phone and a My GPS Tracker.

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Whatever situation you find yourself in, the Powermonkey expedition ensures your devices will never run out of power

This will not only enable fans to keep track of what is being caught throughout the competition, but will also enable competitors to see the catches, therefore adding a new dimension to the event. Powertraveller will be providing the offgrid power to keep these devices on the go.

The company’s Marketing Manager, George MacColl says “Powertraveller’s background in the outdoor adventure and tactical markets gives us the unique expertise to provide usable technology to events like the World Predator Classic for both competitor and spectator alike. ” Powertraveller will also be using the event as an opportunity to showcase their latest product to the angling community. The powermonkey expedition is a world-first in off-grid power generation, bringing together multiple ways in which to naturally, yet efficiently generate power.

Users can charge the internal 10,500mAh lithium polymer battery in multiple ways; via handcrank, solar, AC mains, wind or water power. Its revolutionary design even allows you to generate power via solar and wind simultaneously, giving

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

UK manufacturer of off-grid power solutions, Powertraveller, has teamed up with the World Predator Classic to provide portable power for the event and will play a key role in the competition

a full recharge of the battery in 5-8 hours in optimum conditions.

The powermonkey expedition has been cleverly designed so that additional charging options can be added at a later date. Alternative ways to charge the powerful internal battery in the future will include a steam turbine, gas and hydrogen fuel-cell, so whatever situation you find yourself in, the powermonkey expedition ensures your devices will never run out of power.

The first modules of powermonkey expedition, which will be the hand crank and the solar, will be on sale worldwide end of May. This will closely be followed by the launch of the wind module in September, which is currently going through the later stages of field testing.

Featuring both 12V DC and 5V USB outputs, the powermonkey expedition is capable of charging everything from two-way radios, satellite phones and smartphones, to GPS, head lamps and SLR cameras, plus a plethora of other devices. You can also charge devices from both outputs simultaneously while charging the internal battery, giving you the freedom to keep working.

With an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of 65, the powermonkey expedition is the culmination of Powertraveller’s expertise in portable charger manufacturing and feedback from extreme brand ambassadors using our products in the field; including mountaineers Squash Falconer & Kenton Cool plus legendary explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Powertraveller are currently looking to add a professional angler to their ambassadors team.

“When you’re in extreme conditions and off-grid, whatever you have with you has to be robust and something you know you can rely on”.

Ranulph Fiennes The powermonkey expedition will be available worldwide at the end of May 14.

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I just get a rush when a zander takes the lure that I’m casting.. I really feel that the strike is second to none on the right gear!

LUC COPPENS AND JEREMY STAVERMAN: A FORMIDABLE PAIRING

BITING CHANCE

As professional angling consultants, Luc Coppens and Jeremy Staverman are a formidable duo when it comes to predator fishing competitions. But this time, they’re going it alone and are more than ready to battle against eachother in order to be crowned the first World Predator Classic Champion at Hellevoetsluis

WPC: Can you tell us about your preparation for the WPC?

LUC: This competition obviously needs a whole different preparation than I’m used to as opposed to fishing the Dutch Zander Competition, NKS. For a serious change and to earn the WPC 2014 title we need to present not only Zander but also Perch and Pike. The key is not only to discover their hangouts but also how to seduce them. But finding time will be the biggest challenge!

Because my setup is optimized for catching Zander I needed to make some adjustments and acquire other stuff like specialized lures and rods.

JEREMY: It’s great fun for me to use other techniques. It’s been quite a while since I fished with Jerk Baits. The new Westin Swim proves to catch not only Pike but also Perch and Zander.

WPC: Can you share your thoughts on the competition with us?

LUC: Dutch and Belgian predator anglers are known in the rest of Europe for their fishing skills. This event gives us the chance to measure our fishing strength with an international crowd. It will be very tough but also great fun!

JEREMY: It’s a pleasure and a joy to witness the professional approach of Ross Honey and his team. I’m very

pleased with the arrival of a competition that lures top anglers from all over the world. The sheer challenge of it makes me even more excited by the prospect WPC: What will it mean for you to win the event?

LUC: The prestige that this international event involves will make winning it my crowning glory.

JEREMY: 2013 was great for us. After winning the Dutch Championship we also won the “Final”. Never before have both titles been won by the same team in the same year. Obviously winning the first WPC ever would make history again and we are very, very keen on doing that!

WPC: What is your favorite predator fish?

LUC: Zander, Pike and Perch. Sorry I cannot choose...

JEREMY: Zander!

Zander is mysterious as well as ferocious! You can catch them in so many exciting ways.

WPC: What are your records in the 3 species that are in the WPC? LUC: Pike 135cm, Zander 99cm and Perch 52cm

JEREMY: Pike 113cm, Zander 95cm and Perch 51cm

BITING CHANCE WPC: What is your favorite style of fishing?

LUC: For sure, casting with a wide variety of lures. I like large Jerkbaits for pike but also finesse stuff, like casting with lightweight jigs on fine braided lines which is one off my favorite techniques for zander. I just get a rush when a zander takes the lure that I’m casting. I really feel that the strike is second to none on the right gear! Very exiting, even after catching so many fish I still have a thrill with every single bite!

JEREMY: As long as the fishing involves a boat, lures and predator fish, I’m on!

But if I had to choose one style it would be Vertical Fishing for Zander. The strikes can be exhilarating or as our Swedish friend Jörgen Larsson says: “Karate Takes!”

WPC: Do you think the WPC will benefit the promotion of Predator fishing?

LUC: I hope that the scale this event has already taken on will bring the economic importance of sport fishing, and in particular predator fishing, to the attention of the powers that be.

JEREMY: Predator Fishing with fast boats on the big Dutch lakes is spectacular! In the US, Bass Pro Fishing gets a lot of media attention, I hope the WPC 2014 will be the platform that’s catches the interest of the general public.

Luc’s stats..

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

WPC: What do you think about all of the additional elements going on at the WPC with the introduction of the Street Fishing, Kayak fishing, schools angling academy and the environmental campaign?

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LUC: I think it’s a fantastic idea that’s never been seen in the Netherlands before! It’s an eye opener for a wider public and will show how exiting sport fishing is. I feel with these extra’s, Ross and his team will create an atmosphere that will make onlookers think: ‘I want to be like one of these guys and start to go fishing and respect nature and outdoor life!’

JEREMY: These extras obviously enhance the status of the tournament. But apart from that, it’s also a chance to bring extra attention to other important stuff like the youth and fishing and the link between fishing and environment. The latter two are

Jeremy’s Stats ..

Jeremy is well known as a freelance filmmaker and a keen predator angler.

In addition to his pike fishing skills, he’s also a really successful zander angler.

Luc lives in Belgium within casting distance from Holland has earned a reputation as one of the most skilled predator anglers in this region mutually dependent and can reinforce each other.

WPC: What are your thoughts on the World Predator Classic “ European and rest of the World V the USA event “?

LUC: Exiting is the first word that pops up, but there is a lot more. For me it’s a dream to fish a competition in the USA. But that’s still far away as it needs a lot preparation. Having this competition here in Holland starting in a concept like this is like having our own serious USA event. It’s something I wouldn’t miss for the world! Because it is the first event on this scale there will be small details needing to be adjusted along the way, it’s a learning process. With all the experience Ross and his team have I trust this event will set the standard for the future. I’m really looking forward competing against US Pro’s. This time they have to adapt to our conditions, fishing our species. Hopefully one day it will be reversed. I will be prepared!

An enthusiastic angler with an enormous drive he is a serious competitor on the highest level.

JEREMY: Great idea! I think this can lift the level of all involved. All Pro’s can learn from each other, especially when in competition.

Achieved the 2013 Championship Title together with team mate Luc Coppens

WPC: What is the funniest memory while you have been fishing together?

LUC: Fishing With Jeremy is always fun. I may be the captain but Jeremy is keeping

He has won the Belgium Predator Championship three years in a row with catches including a record pike measuring 133.6 cm. he has won the NKS zander competition in Holland – probably one of the hardest European fishing competitions – three times!

47 year old Luc Coppens Currently works as a sales representative selling carp fishing tackle for Nash tackle. the motivation and the positivity in the boat on difficult days. There’s a lot of strategy involved in a competition but no matter if we win or loose we both stand by our decisions.

But the most recent funny thing was maybe after winning the Title Dutch NKS champion. We went for a relaxing day fishing and Jeremy surprised me in the middle off the day with a real bottle of Champagne, proper drinking glasses and some toast served on a plate in the middle off the river.

Seeing the faces of the people who drove by was really funny, because they did not known what it was all about ☺

VISIONALITY: RAYMARINE

SEEING IS

BELIEVING Raymarine goes predator hunting with CHIRP DownVision™

So what exactly is that ... Fish?

Rocks perhaps? A large stand of weed? A wreck maybe?

Interpreting fish-finder echoes can be an art in itself. Years of experience and intimate knowledge of a specific area of underwater topography can take the guesswork out of that interpretation, but what if you are fishing strange waters and unfamiliar species; wouldn’t it make sense to use something to help you ‘see’ exactly what’s under your boat?

Raymarine sees innovation as the key to the highly-competitive Marine electronics market, so much so that the last two years have seen an almost continuous wave of introductions and improvements in both hardware and software throughout the Raymarine range and specifically in the fishing arena.

Last Spring saw Raymarine take a new direction in technology with the launch of the Dragonfly® - a highperformance, dual-channel CHIRP sonar and GPS combination that has taken the fishing world by storm; bringing the power and crisp detail of advanced CHIRP DownVision™ sonar to inland and coastal anglers at a very affordable price.

Dragonfly® utilises an all-

in-one dual-channel CHIRP transducer containing both CHIRP DownVision™ and CHIRP fishtargeting sonar elements in one housing. DownVision™ produces a 60° side-to-side and 1.4° fore to aft beam, enabling anglers to see underwater bottom structure with extraordinary clarity. The second element provides a conical-shaped beam for imaging fish targets.

CHIRP technology continuously transmits across a wide spectrum of sonar signals - the result is much higher fidelity sonar returns in both DownVision™ and fish-targeting sonar modes.

So, a year on from that first introduction, Raymarine has integrated CHIRP DownVision™ capability across the board with new formats and a wider range of transducers; aSeries touch-screen MFDs (multifunction displays) have the technology built-in in the a68 and a78 models; single display or networked cSeries, eSeries and gS Series systems can easily add CHIRP DownVision™ functionality in module form with the CP100 sonar module plugging directly into the network; and the latest addition to the range revisits the original

Dragonfly in a new 7” screen format – Dragonfly7 with a best-in-class 7” widescreen display and the added advantage of optional overhead mounting – ideal for smaller fishing boats.

Casual angler or tournament professional - with display sizes ranging from 6 to 16-inches and many advanced features, there is a Raymarine system for every boat and budget. For the inaugural World Predator Classic make sure you’re using Raymarine – you wouldn’t want to miss out on the winning predator.

Vision on: Raymarine CHIRP fish-targetting sonar captures a pike

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WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

WE HAVE THE

TECHNOL

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY: FROM THE MEN IN THE KNOW

Keeping your competition in sight

Ron van den Bergh: Fish, Photo, Leaderboard..

An event like the World Predator Classic needs a leader board, of course, where people can see who is in the lead.

For other ‘normal’ fishing events this means that at the end of the day the contestants need to hand in a sheet together with photo’s which are then manually compiled into a list that represents the leaderboard. The World Predator Classic event certainly cannot have something as archaic as that!

After looking at different solutions an app was created where the contestants can report their catch. The event itself is self-marshalling; meaning that there will be no one in the boat to check and report the fish that has been caught. So, when a fish has been caught, the contestants themselves need to put the fish on a specially created measuring mat and then, in the app, add the fish, enter the species and take a photo. Once the save button is pressed, the data is sent to the Internet and available on the leader board, including the picture. For visitors, the data will be viewable instantaneously on the World Predator Classic website.

Leaderboard rules The rules for the World Predator Classic leaderboard are: n For each competitor, on each day, the 3 longest Zander + the 3 longest Perch and 1 Pike will be added together to provide the combined total length. n The team that has the longest overall length for that day will receive 1 point the second place receives 2 points and so on. n The teams that catch no fish all get the

same points, according to their position. i.e. if they are all joint 10th, they will each receive 10 points each. n After three days these daily points will be added together and the team with the least amount of points wins. Of course, there are further rules that will come into play in case of a tie, but these are the basic and most important ones. n The leaderboard is for reference only, and all captures will be verified before the official result is confirmed. It is just a tool for followers of the WPC to see what is going on. The people in the lead and prizewinner results will be manually checked in headquarters so results may differ.

Another real novelty connected to the leaderboard is that a gps tracker will be installed on each boat.

On the WPC website you can see the location of each boat and this provides the organization a way to check if the contestants is obeying the rules (like fishing within 100 meters of another team or fishing outside the sector.)

Also, when a fish has been caught, this information is sent to the boat tracking software and an on-screen a message will display that a fish has been caught next to the boat. You can read more about the GPS in an article from Jarno de Vries, who is delivering the GPS trackers and the software.

All of this will give the people back home on site a good way to follow the event during the competition.

RON VAN DEN BERGH

LOGY

Wherever you go, ‘My GPS Tracker’ keeps your belongings in sight.

The cooperation between My GPS Tracker & The World Predator Classic brings competitive fishing to a whole new level. That is because the WPC is high tech. On the website you can view the leader board, catch information and even the locations of the competitors!

You may be wondering how it is possible to see the live locations of all WPC competitors on the website?

All boats are fitted with a My GPS Tracker that will send the live location of each boat to our web server. With this clever device, the WPC HQ can keep track of the location, speed and fishing zones of each vessel.

What is a GPS Tracker?

The My GPS Tracker is a tiny, smart personal GPS tracker that can be located through the web or the smart phone APP. Because it is waterproof, very small (67.5mm* 40mm * 21mm) and powered with a strong battery it can be used everywhere. There is a range of models suitable for cars, boats, personal tracking and object surveillance.

Easy to use The device is easy to use. Just turn it on, enter the activation code in the APP or computer and you are ready to go. The APP will keep you up to date and will send you a notification when the tracker travels too fast, the SOS button is pushed, or the tracker leaves the area.

Why do I need it?

Sometimes you just need an extra pair of eyes. When you are out on a trip or around the house with your kids, life can be hectic. With a GPS tracker you always know the location of your belongings, and that really does provide peace of mind.

Use the device to secure & track your fishing gear, car, or even your family. With the geo fencing function you will receive an alert when your tracker moves, so you can react right away.

For business applications we also have track & trace solutions for personnel tracking or company cars and machinery.

The GPS trackers work in Europe & the United States. Take a look at www. mygpstracker.eu for more information.

NKS and the World Predator Classic

For more than 15 years the Dutch NKS (National Championships Sander) has been the biggest and most successful competition in Europe.

More than one-hundred boats are entered into this event and, at the moment, three different competitions are active. Fishing for zander is extremely popular and participants from eight countries take part. To become more successful in the future, cooperation with WPC is a good option.

Digital measuring..

The World Predator Classic will start in June 2014. During this event a high quality measuring system will be in place and direct catch & release is possible. The software is tried and tested and by taking a picture of the fish it will be directly sent to a verifying step, to check details. After that it can be live on the leaderboard. Because of this it has more exposure value and catch & release is 100% in place.

NKS is measuring all the fish by hand in millimetres. This is done by marshals during a match. As always, there are some fish that do not survive because they are kept in a livewell. Also, the marshals are kept very busy and cannot measure every captured fish, and for the participants that is not perfect because they have to leave their spots.

TEAM

SPIRIT The Team event in The World Predator Classic adds an extra dimension and provides a further exciting element for the competitors and companies participating in it.

Win win..

For the next three years the WPC will be in the Netherlands. During this period, NKS will do a pilot with the same method of measuring and using leaderboard and measuring methods. In the future NKS matches can be WPC classify matches – and if not it is at least an improvement of welfare of the fish, but also easy to use.

Species monitoring..

Because WPC is only a three-day event it is not suitable to use the data for scientific use. But for NKS it is of big value because the series occur almost every month.

National federations can use this data to monitor the species in size and amount. By using this system the federations can make plans for future. For sure, it is a big opportunity to study the data for longer periods and that will certainly provide greater information about the species in different waters. Therefore, this is a perfect system that is helpful for all of us.

NKS & WPC are keen to work together. It helps the fishing industry to grow and make it more professional. Ross Honey and Willem Stolk will start a pilot scheme this year and updates about this cooperation will be published on regular basis. Already ZWN (Federation South West Netherlands) is interested in talking about their contribution in this project.

‘‘

A team will consist of Two boats which represents four participating anglers - and alongside the main event, they will also be competing in the Team Event for a separate, Team prize and trophy.

Winning the team event will require a lot of hard work and, of course, good teamwork. Past experience in other events organised by Angling Spirit tells me that the Team Event will be fiercely contested and the bragging rights for contestants and sponsors alike, will undoubtedly garner much satisfaction for the winning team. It will be really interesting to see developments over the 3 days of the event, starting at the event draw on the first night that will determine which zones and in which order they will be fished.

Will there be boats from the same team in the same zone?… and if they are, how are they going to fish? Will they going to fish together or will the tactics be to fish in different areas and then let the other boat know what they are catching?

This will be very exciting to follow as the tournament unfolds, not only for the anglers but also for the onlookers. Following one boat is fairly straightforward, but following two, simultaneously whilst tracking their progress against other teams, is sure to be dramatic! With four anglers in a team, all catching fish, fortunes can swing very quickly and we envisage that this event could go right to the wire on the last day.

The eventual winners of the Team Event will be determined by the total combined length of fish caught and recorded by each of the two boats over the 3 days of the event.

No health warnings will be announced prior to or during the

With four anglers in a team, all catching fish, fortunes can swing very quickly

WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC: TEAM EVENT

Team Mercury 2 WPF REF PLAYER 1 WPC14-038 Elias Jaaskelaien WPC14-040 Philippe Neuville

PLAYER 2 Mika Vornanen (FIN) Eugene Vanhaut (FRA)

Team Nitro 1 WPF REF PLAYER 1 WPC14-025 Christian Biereth WPC14-026 Helmut Schoddel

PLAYER 2 Thomas Bohringer (GER) Mathias Trapp (GER)

Team Nitro 2 WPF REF PLAYER 1 WPC14-027 Soren Panse WPC14-028 Rene Lehrheuer

PLAYER 2 Florian Berger (GER) Gregor Pauly (GER)

Team Rapala 1 WPF REF PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2 WPC14-009 Mathias Holgersson Kris Broeckx (SWE) WPC14-010 Arnaud Briere Laurent Vrignaud (FRA)

Team Rapala 2 WPF REF PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2 WPC14-011 Franz Bodum Morten Beck Nielsen (DEN) WPC14-012 Alexander Katkov Andrey Donskov (RUS)

Team Rapala 3 WPF REF PLAYER 1 WPC14-013 Markku Tiusanen WPC14-014 Jan Porter

PLAYER 2 Harri Hotti (FIN) Willem Stolk (ENG)

WPC TEAM EVENT

WPF REF PLAYER 1 WPC14-008 Erwin Markwat WPC14-048 Ralph De Kock

PLAYER 2 Bart van de Walle (NED) Rocky Van Duijvenvoorde (NED)

PARTICIPANTS Team Citta Romana

Team Reuben Heaton

WPF REF PLAYER 1 WPC14-031 Erik Westerhof WPC14-035 Chris Boxberger

WPF REF PLAYER 1 WPC14-021 Rob Kraaijeveld WPC14-022 John Cheyne

PLAYER 2 Willem Wigboldus (NED) Marc Hoeben (BEL)

PLAYER 2 Frank Schoovers (NED) Gary Palmer (ENG)

Team Fox Rage Austria

Team Romania

WPF REF PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2 WPC14-029 Dietmar Isaiasch Carmen Klein (GER) WPC14-032 Roman Konopitzky Rene Himmelbauer (AUS)

WPF REF PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2 WPC14-004 Lucian Constantin Cristian Rizea (ROM) WPC14-003 Dorian Dubovoi Ovidiu Ristivan (ROM)

Team Gunki

Team Shimano 1

WPF REF PLAYER 1 WPC14-030 Frederic Jullian WPC14-052 Robert Berlioux

PLAYER 2 Sven Vervloesem (FRA) Gregory Dubois (FRA)

WPF REF PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2 WPC14-015 Dustin Schone Jurgen Haese (GER) WPC14-016 Herman Schuurman Jan Boomsma (LUX)

Team Mercury 1

Team Shimano 2

WPF REF PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2 WPC14-037 Jean-Marc Brison Johnny Kindt (BEL) WPC14-039 Christophe Huwarts Jimmy Pletinckx (FRA)

WPF REF PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2 WPC14-017 Wim van de Velde Chris Bloemert (BEL) WPC14-018 Markus Brill Gerrit Broders (GER)

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Team RDK Baits

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OFFICIAL TRAILER OF THE WORLD PREDATOR CLASSIC

WIM DE VRIES: FISHING IN THE NETHERLANDS

Cheap thrills! Dutch fishing will be the envy of the world Many participants of the World Predator Classic will regard the Dutch fishing permit system with some envy, as the Netherlands is among the most inexpensive countries in the world for fishing – almost nowhere else is fishing priced lower.

It is possible to become a member of a fishing club and receive the VISpas (Fishing pass) for a limited price, and thus fish in about 90% of all of Dutch waters that are rich in fish.

We are very proud of the fact that the World Predator Classic will visit the Netherlands! It will provide plenty of publicity for our beautiful fishing waters and angling in general and as it can be easily followed via Internet TV the WPC will yield plenty of additional enjoyment and attention!

Organised angling Sportvisserij Nederland promotes the interest of angling both nationally and internationally.

In the Netherlands, seven federations are connected to Sportvisserij Nederland, including Sportvisserij Zuidwest Nederland which is the ultimate organisation with knowledge of the fish stock of the competition waters of the World Predator Classic.

In addition, over thirty special investigating officers, who annually execute over 10,000 inspections, will oversee the compliance with the Fisheries Act. These inspections will take place at

the banks, and they will use three rapid inspection boats to execute inspections on the water.

Dutch Sportvisdelta The Netherlands are the Delta of large rivers such as the Ems, Rhine, the Maas and the Scheldt. The closer these rivers come to the sea, the broader they become, and the Haringvliet is almost 4 kilometres wide at some places, providing plenty of room for fish and anglers!

Rivers used to flow directly into the sea, but this is no longer the case as a result of the Delta works. Using dams and movable dikes, the water is drained away ingeniously, preventing floods and keeping waterways navigable.

Competition venue During the competition of the World Predator Classic, fishing takes place on the ancient Haringvliet and Hollands Diep inlets; fishing waters which today are fresh and teeming with fish.

These waters are favourites among boat fishermen and in particular among predator fishermen because of the healthy stocks of pike perch, perch and pike, and fish measuring over a metre are not uncommon. In addition, these waters are fished from the banks for other species of fish, such as mirror carp.

A man in the know: Wim de Vries keeping a close eye on the event

Permission granted!

The Sportvisserij Zuidwest Nederland fishing waters are included in the Gezamenlijke Lijst van Viswateren (Lists of Fishing Waters) as part of the VISpas.

The VISpas is proof of membership of a fishing club associated with Sportvisserij Nederland. In general, membership is no more than 30 to 45 euros a year. Members are allowed to fish with two rods and use all legally allowed types of bait in all waters of the Gezamenlijke Lijst van Nederlandse Viswateren. In addition, members can fish the waters of their fishing club.

So: going fishing? Always bring your VISpas! In 2013, a record number of over 500,000 fishing passes were issued!

Sportvisserij Zuidwest Nederland has made an exception for the participants of the World Predator Classic by issuing a special permit.

The legal stuff!

Fishing and angling is regulated in the 1963 Fisheries Act. In order to fish inland waterways, every angler – irrespective of age – has always required a written consent by the person who has the fishing rights of the water in which they want to fish.

Sportvisserij Zuidwest Nederland has hired the fishing rights of the Haringvliet and the Hollands Diep, in addition to many more waters where (limited) commercial fishing also takes place.

Polders The Dutch polders are perfect for fishing pike, carp, and other species.

The Kanaal through Voorne and the Bergsche Maas are famous for their good bream catches in spring and the beaches on Walcheren and the Maasvlakte are great options for sea fishing and bass, sole, young cod and garfish can also be caught here.

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WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

Team Reuben Heaton will also be fishing the event in a bid to become WPC champions with a line-up of high profile British and Dutch anglers

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EVENT

Reuben Heaton brands and, more Recently, the other brands that Reuben Heaton represents.

Angling events worldwide have always played a vital role in raising awareness of our brands and given us a platform to demonstrate our products to customers.

As a consequence, Reuben Heaton scales are used worldwide for many national and international events as well as being accepted by IGFA for world records.

During the 15 years or so that Ross Honey, Angling Spirit has been developing angling events, he has forged a reputation for innovation and refinement that has resulted in benchmark events by which other European and World events are judged.

Having been involved in the running of these events right from the start with the World Carp Classic in 1998, I have witnessed first hand the constant development and refinement needed to maintain the position of market leader, and along the way Reuben Heaton has been responsible for the weighing and measuring of catches.

From that original template has come the World Trout Open, the World Catfish Classic and now the World Predator Classic.

Each individual event has been further developed in its own right to fill the niche of its respective angling discipline.

This latest predator event reflects recent trends in the European predator angling market which now warrants a high profile event to match the impressive bass tournaments in the USA. As distributors of Wright & McGill brands including Eagle Claw, Lazer Sharp and Trokar, Reuben Heaton are proud to be sponsors of yet another groundbreaking European event that will not only offer an opportunity to demonstrate our wider product portfolio to the UK and Europe but also offer us worldwide media coverage.

Team Reuben Heaton will be also fishing the event in a bid to become WPC champions. With a line-up of high profile British and Dutch anglers including England internationals, team Reuben Heaton will be using many of our own RH branded lure products and the latest in hook technology from Eagle Claw’s Trokar range in a bid to claim this year’s title.

ANDY RACE

HORIZON During the 157 years of its existence, the firm of Reuben Heaton has forged an enviable reputation for quality and performance within the angling trade and been responsible for many landmark designs and patents in angling, some of which are still in evidence many years later.

‘‘

By constantly developing and refining those products to meet with the changing needs of anglers, Reuben Heaton continues to set the benchmarks by which other products are judged.

As business owner I have a responsibility to maintain the high profile of the Heaton name and I am always on the lookout for ways to achieve this goal both for the

Owner of Reuben Heaton

HRISTIA IERETH

‘‘

As with many anglers, my obsession for fishing started very early - when my uncle bought me a fishing rod on holiday in Spain.

Neither him or I had a clue how to use the rod and reel, but I kept trying all day without any success. Back in Germany I told my mother that I wanted to go fishing, and as another uncle was fishing very often, I joined him. The first trout I caught with him signalled the beginning of my passion for fishing.

Lure Fishing Fishing with artificial lures for predators became my early favourite technique.

Lure fishing is a very active fishing style where I am always on the move, searching for active fish, as well as trying different techniques to find the best methods for various conditions. Lure fishing always keeps me thinking and requires a lot of knowledge about what is going on under the surface.

Tournaments For a few years, I have been following the international tournament scene for several reasons: Firstly, tournament pros usually use the newest technology and the latest trends of the fishing scene, some of which I try to adopt to our fisheries. The other thing is that I simply find competitive fishing very interesting and exciting at the same time.

As very strict rules are limiting the German tournament scene, I went to Italy to fish my first tournaments for Black Bass in 2011. I remember it like yesterday – how we tried to get information about the tournament water, maps etc. as well as how we prepared the boat and our tackle before we drove 1000 km to Italy. It was a blast to experience a professional tournament and it is still the same excitement before the start of every tournament I fished in different European countries since then.

What we were missing in Europe was a professional lure fishing tournament which

COMPETITOR IN FOCUS: S.W.A.T’S CHRISTIAN BIERETH

World Predator Classic participation I guess every angler who is participating in this event should have the goal to win the trophy and become the WPC champion.

There are many factors in fishing that can decide on winning or not catching anything – one of them is local knowledge. To get an

impression about the water of Haringvliet, Thomas and I went there early this year. We slipped the boat, drove out of the harbour the first time and I kind of lost my breath.

This water is so huge that it is very hard to locate spots or fish in the short time we had – we simply had no idea where to drive and where to start fishing first.

The Nitro with 250 hp Mercury and Lowrance electronics really helped us to get an overview of the structure and to locate some fish quickly, but I also know that June will be a totally different scenario from January and that it will be very hard to beat anglers who know the water and the conditions in June very well.

Anyway – we are here to do our best and kick some arses. ;) We can’t wait to meet all the other anglers as well as many spectators from all over the world and spend a great time together on and off the water. n CHRISTIAN BIERETH CEO of S.W.A.T Fishing & Bass Boat Germany

‘‘

We are so excited about the event, we decided to become a sponsor of the World Predator Classic with Bass Boat Germany

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

was not just interesting for the anglers, but also for the audience and especially for young anglers.

So I was really happy when I first heard about the World Predator Classic. I thought “Thats exactly what we need here in Europe”. That’s why we decided to become involved with a team of anglers representing Germany. Moreover, we are so exited about the event that we decided to become a sponsor of the World Predator Classic with Bass Boat Germany. We will hand out a brand new Nitro Z6 Performance boat to the lucky champions of the first World Predator Classic.

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WPC: Carmen, angelst du schon?

wie

lange

CARMEN: Nun, seit ich Dietmar kenne. Seit nunmehr 21 Jahre.

WPC: Und warum gerade auf Raubfisch?

CARMEN: Das liegt an Dietmar, der ist ein echter Raubfisch-Freak. Und da er mich immer zum Spinnfischen mitgenommen hat, bin ich halt bei Barsch, Hecht, Zander und Co gelandet.

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

WPC: Was liebst Raubfischangeln?

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Carmen Klein hat alles, was man als erfolgreiche Anglerin braucht: sie ist bescheiden, attraktiv, unglaublich cool und hat stets den richtigen Riecher für kapitale Fische. Sie liebt die Angelei mit Kunstködern. Ganz besonders haben es ihr die Hechte angetan, die sie mit jeder nur erdenklichen Technik sehr gekonnt nachstellt.

Die gelernte Friseurin und Nageldesignerin hat eine Vorliebe für ausgefallen bunte Köder – am liebsten mag sie Wobbler, denen sie nicht selten selbst ihre ganz persönliche Farb-Note gibt.

‘‘

du

so

am

CARMEN: Wie schon gesagt, die Raubfischangelei mache ich nur mit Kunstködern und besonders liebe ich die Abwechslung. Zudem ist die Angelei sauber und man muss kein Lockfutter anrühren und auch keine Köderfische fangen. Die grosse Ködervielfalt in Form und Farbe sowie die verschiedenen Angeltechniken.

Egal. ob jerken, schleppen, spinnfischen, jiggen oder vertikal und drop shotten...ich mag sie alle und wechsele gerne.

WPC: Apropos Farbe, du als Frau magst sicherlich besonders bunte Köder?

CARMEN: Ja, von langweiligen gedeckten Farben halte ich wenig. Bei mir darf ein Kunstköder ruhig auffallen. Ich bin nämlich der Meinung, dass ein künstlicher Köder dem Räuber ins Auge falle sollte.

Er muss gut sichtbar sein und sich vom Hintergrund, Gewässerboden und dem reichen Futterangebot an Kleinfischen deutlich abheben - Kontrast halt.

WPC: Wir haben schon gehört, dass du nicht nur bei der Köderwahl ein glückliches Händchen hast sondern Dietmar oft mit kapitalen Fängen überrascht und verzweifeln lässt. Stimmt das?

CARMEN: Ich mag halt kontrastreiche Köder und ich fische meist auch etwas grösser Gummifische, Jerkbaits und Wobbler als Dietmar. Deshalb fange ich lange nicht so viele Fische wie er, aber ich habe fast immer den dicksten an Bord!

Besonders beim Hechtangeln treibe ich Dietmar oft in den Wahnsinn. Er ist ja auch mehr der Zanderangler, während ich die Kampfkraft des Hechtes im Drill liebe. Und Esox ist schon immer mein Lieblingsfisch.

Man kann ihn mit den unterschiedlichsten Ködern überlisten und der Anbiss ist immer ein Wucht!

WPC: Stichwort Hecht. Wie du ja weisst, bei der WPC muss ja auch ein Hecht her, am besten jeden Tag einer. Eine Aufgabe für dich?

CARMEN: Keine Aufgabe, sondern eine Herausforderung! Nun, mein glückliches Händchen in puncto Hecht hat uns ja auch bei der erstenWM in Frankreich die nötigen Punkte zum Sieg gebracht. Auch jetzt bei der WPC wird sich Dietmar sicherlich wieder auf mich verlassen, was das Fangen des Hechtes betrifft. Obwohl die Jahreszeit für Freund Esox am Haringvliet zum Zeitpunkt der Meisterschaft im Sommer nicht gerade die beste ist. Im September, Oktober und November läuft es da viel besser, da kann es oftmals ‘knallen’ und besonders mit dicken Hechten!

WPC: Carmen, Ende der 19er warst du als eine der ersten Frauen regelmässig auf den Titelseiten internationaler Angelmagazine mit kapitalen Fängen zu sehen. Dann war es einige Jahre ruhig, aber jetzt sieht man dich wieder. Müssen wir uns warm anziehen?

CARMEN: Ich habe eine kleine Pause eingelegt, mein Geschäft hatte Vorrang und jetzt brauche ich den ‘Thrill’ wieder.

Denn wem einmal das Jagdfieber gepackt hat, den lässt es nicht mehr los. In diesem Jahr angele ich mich langsam wieder mit Dietmar bei den NKS Qualifikationsfischen warm. Dann natürlich die WPC und vielleicht in 2015 die ‘FIPS’ WM Bootsangeln.

WPC: Was ist deine Meinung zur WPC? CARMEN: Ein richtig grosses Event was in der Presse und den Medien auf perfekte Weise promotet wird. Gut für alle die dran teilnehmen aber auch für den Angelsport im Allgemeinen. Nicht nur in Holland!

Und gute PR kann unser wunderschöne Sport immer gut gebrauchen. Ich denke das im nächsten Jahr noch mehr Boot teilnehmen.

WPC: Wie schätzt du deine Chancen ein?

CARMEN: Nun, dass Gewässer ist mir und Dietmar bekannt, was sicherlich von Vorteil ist. Aber da in Sektoren gefischt wird, in die man nicht wieder erneut starten darf, muss man rasch an die Hotspots gelangen und seine Portion Fische fangen. Mit fortschreitender Zeit und Wettkampfdauert wird es erfahrungsgemäss immer schwieriger aktive Räuber zu überlisten. Deshalb lautet mein Motto: schnell und effektiv!

WPC: Welche einsetzen?

Technik

wirst

du

CARMEN: Sicherlich wird das Vertikalangeln im Vordergrund stehen, aber auch das Werfen mit Gummifische und Jerks. Jedoch ein wenig Geheimnis werden wir uns schon für Juni aufheben.

WPC: Carmen, dass waren sehr viele Fragen und ich bedanke mich im Namen alle Leser. Viel Erfolg bei der WPC. CARMEN: Danke und ich freue mich schon auf den Wettkampf.

mein Geschäft hatte Vorrang und jetzt brauche ich den ‘Thrill’ wieder. Denn wem einmal das Jagdfieber gepackt hat, den lässt es nicht mehr los.

MIT HERZ UND

VERSTAND

CARMEN KLEIN: ELITE LADY PREDATOR ANGLER

That moment we won the WCC 2013 at Lake Bolsena, had to be one of the greatest moments of our lives.

For a whole year we have carried the title of “World Carp Classic Champions”. A huge honour and a title we held with pride.

WORLDPREDATORCLASSIC.COM

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As the cannonballs fired to close the competition, a lot of friends were there, people we know from the Dynamite, Shimano and the media. They were taking lots of pictures, doing interviews and they even helped us to pack up all our stuff. Our peg was about a mile from our van so we had to ship everything by boat and make sure we were on time for the prize giving ceremony. After a quick shower, we arrived the theatre in Bolsena for the closing ceremony.

When we saw the beautiful trophy and heard our names as the winning team, we got the biggest goose bumps you can imagine and it was so special to hear the Dutch National Anthem play for us.

After winning the WCC our lives changed and the party started. The day after the closing ceremony we headed back to Holland whilst reading all of the reactions on all the different social media and news sites and we got calls all over from Dutch radio and TV. We felt sort of famous and that was an amazing feeling.

Once we arrived in our hometown we sensed something happening as Some people had already asked what time we expected to be home. It soon became clear what was going on; our whole street was decorated with balloons, garlands and ‘champion’ signs put there by family, friends, neighbours and our fishing mates. Everything was white and blue in the Shimano colours; there were bar tables everywhere, champagne, snacks, flowers and lots of presents. It was fantastic to experience this love and attention from everybody. My father was even crying loudly when we got out of our van. He was so very proud of our achievement, especially since it was he who taught me to fish about 35 years ago. He’s our biggest fan!

The Dutch national and local television were there as were the national and local radio. For weeks after winning the WCC, there were newspaper articles about us. Journalists called us for interviews and our story was all over the Internet. We received presents, cards and flowers as congratulations from people, even from people we didn’t know! It was very heart-warming and we’re grateful to all the people who made this happen.

The following week we were invited to participate in different TV and Radio talk shows. We also received a lot of sponsorship offers. We accepted offers from WileyX sunglasses, Raymarine fish

Teamwork: Lizette Beunders and Bianca Venema proudly present their World Carp Classic trophy

finders and Monster Bait boat, because we remain selective.

We were nominated for our hometown’s Sports Team 2013 and were chosen for the gala – another great honour for us.

As part of the winning prize package, we were invited by one of the best bait companies in the world – Dynamite Baits – to their HQ in Nottingham where we were able to make our own personalized boilie based on our own recipe. This was a unique experience for us, since this was the first time Dynamite Baits had ever given this prize. As Dynamite is already our sponsor, this was a fantastic opportunity. We recently received the first 140kg of our boilie, which we named L&B boilie and we’ve already caught a lot of carp with it, so it can’t doesn’t any better!

After that, we went to an angling show called “Rybomania” in Poznan, Poland at the invitation of Shimano Normark Dynamite. We were there for two days, which was great since we had never been to Poland before. We were invited to hold a forum there and were invited to fish a week’s session at a Polish lake. Visitors wanted our autographs and a picture taken with us. It was a great to feel the excitement of enthusiastic

carp fisherman. They all knew about us winning the WCC and had followed the progress on the interactive WCC leaderboard. They even made bets that, if we won, the fisherman would participate in a fishing contest in short skirts and high heels! Amazing isn’t it?

Sometimes we forget that we are the first female pair to win the WCC and made history with this achievement. It’s wonderful that people remind us of this.

We’re grateful.

At the Carp Zwolle show there was a lot of attention. The trophy was there with both our names engraved on it and Shimano made a huge banner with pictures of us taken at Lake Bolsena. We are delighted with our great sponsor.

Then, we went to South Africa for 10 days on a fully catered for carp fishing session at the Tzaneen Lake. ACE sent us the tackle and we had the time of our lives – visiting the Kruger park where we saw lots of Wildlife. Amazing!

Most important of all, after winning the WCC, you get to meet all these great people from all over the world who share the same passion ... Carp fishing. People who want to stay your friends no matter if you win or lose. And that’s all that matters.

A YEAR IN THE

CHANGING LIVES: WINNING AN ANGLING SPIRIT EVENT Since winning the 2013 World Carp Classic in Bolsena, our champs have been in high demand from the media, sponsors and fellow anglers ... they even got to create their own boilie! And to be the first females to take the trophy, they’ve made a little history too

LIMELIGHT

JEAN CLAUDE BEL:PRESIDENT OF EFFTEX

BRAND IDENTITY Competition can drain business and brand equity

can offer different points of attractions and catch different audiences. It can be compared to the “ X GAMES” of fishing for the fanatics and attract a younger population which is the future, a little bit of Rock music around will help …this cocktail is perfect for a big success At theis year’s World Predator Classic all the big names of the Angling community will be there and the battle promises to be exciting and impressive as it is the first real one in Europe.

Responsible Fishing will be a key issue as well,catch and release of course is the rule and it will also show the public that the fish population is coming back and the water quality close to perfect.

On behalf of all the industry I wish Angling Spirit good luck in this project and thank the sponsors and volunteers involved. Hopefully the international angling press will find this event an opportunity to change the image of Angling.

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we can see a new population of teenagers who are very excited by the ‘American look’

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The point is to find a good way to mix business and exposure. The key of success is not only the competition itself but what can be settled and organized around to make it more attractive and get a bigger audience. To show that angling is not just an old fashion “dirty and sticky” sport for old people, but it can also be a show and a big event attracting wider public who can realize how exciting, modern and spectacular fishing can be.

Mentalities are changing and in many countries we can see a new population of teenagers who are very excited by the “American look”, using and developing new techniques inspired from Japan, with high end technical tackle and lures and sharing pictures and movies on social media.

They are the future of our industry and should be treated like that by the brands by changing their marketing approach, nothing will move forward if the brands don’t realize that quickly .

In USA, the tournaments are massive,

they attract a lot of people and really show that fishing can be different to what the public think. Attendance is important and the events are spectacular with prizes that are sometimes over several hundred thousand dollars. There are many bass anglers making their living this way. By heavily sponsoring and financing those events, the industry understood that fishing is a sport like any other, which should be supported and financed to build brand equity and additional business and those events can only exist with the support of the industry and outside sponsors. If they do it and repeat year after year, it is clearly because they find interest will support their business for the future.

Why can’t this happen in Europe, where we have roughly the same number of anglers than in the USA? Ross Honey and his Angling Spirit team has demonstrated that they do things properly and professionally. We see the success of the World Carp Classic and the World Catfish classic which are growing year after year, organized in the same very professional way as Golf tournaments or other events, driven by skill and experience.

Of course, boat fishing is not as visible a bank fishing, but it’s organized around using new technologies such as GPS, onboard cameras, live recording and live TV to make it live, attractive and exciting.

Boat fishing, kayak fishing and even street fishing with a high prize value,

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There are many different competitions in any kind of fishing; formal international competitions, local tournaments and championships, but most of them suffer from non exposure mostly due to the lack of communication, finance and efforts to build interests for the public and the press.

Angling Spirit is not just a name, it’s a vision, an ethos and a belief in what can be made possible when we allow ourselves to embrace more than just angling.

IN HIGH

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SPIRITS Angling Spirit is the operating company which owns, organises and stages international events and environmental initiatives.

Angling Spirit has created a marketing & promotional platform where the company can highlight and showcase important information on its events and involvement in other areas.

The ethos of Angling Spirit is to promote angling in a responsible manner; to organise and stage events with the betterment of angling as our focus. Our aim is to make a difference, responsibly, and we are very well aware of the fact that our status, not only in respect of the angling world, but in the eyes of the general public, places a significant onus upon us to ensure that angling is looked upon in a favorable light.

In line with this ethos, Angling Spirit will continue to be environmentally responsible and our events will be staged accordingly. Angling Spirit is synonymous with best practice angling and sportsmanship, and our event rules will at all times uphold the true spirit of international competition.

We are proud of the events that we have established and the high benchmarks they have set.

The World Carp Classic was established in 1998 and has become the biggest, most prestigious and popular carp angling event in the world. Perhaps of equal importance to us, it has become known affectionately throughout the carping community as being far more than an angling competition. Uniquely, it is endorsed by many to be a celebration of angling with an amazing festival atmosphere.

That is something that we can all be justifiably proud of.

After extensive research and to compliment the World Carp Classic we have established the World Predator Classic.

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ROSS HONEY: MAKING A DIFFERENCE RESPONSIBLY

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

‘The Friends of the Ebro’ campaign was introduced

by Angling Spirit for the World Catfish Classic in 2011, where more than 50 tonnes of rubbish was cleared from the banks of the river Ebro in Spain.

‘The Friends of’ has since been a feature of all Angling Spirit events, conveying a clear message to the world about environmental issues.

In 2009, I was looking to establish a catfish event that would later be introduced in 2012, and my research led me to the river Ebro in Spain.

‘‘ A lost cause: Some of the foul-smelling remains that were cleared from the area were truly disgusting.

The team of helpers were magnificent in their efforts, and the bankside was left in a clean and tidy condition.

Sadly, the promises to place controls to prevent the banks from returning to the awful condition they had been in, were never put in place after our departure.

After further investigation, the location that I selected was Chiprana/ Caspe. This area is without doubt one of the most amazing locations for vast numbers of big catfish and carp.

The scenery is truly wonderful with the river meandering through the mountains and on down through fields of fruit trees on both sides of the river.

The location was perfectly suited for the event but there was a very big problem that I encountered and that was the condition of the river banks, which were covered in tonnes of litter, rubbish, discarded fish remains and dead fish.

It was truly shocking that this wonderful location could be allowed to resemble a rubbish tip, with anglers fishing right in the middle of the garbage and often adding to it.

I made the decision that something needed to be done about this environmental issue, and that I would go ahead with my plans but that, prior to staging the event, I would organise a clean up of the area. I enlisted the help and support of a 40-strong team to assist in picking up all manner of things amongst this disgusting mess, by hand, and very proudly we left it clean and tidy.

When we returned the following year we were left in total disbelief… It was shocking to see that the area we had cleaned so thoroughly was as every bit as bad as it was before we had cleaned it that the first year!

So, again my team cleaned it up, and I even extended the area to include other areas. I spent a huge amount of time in communication with officials who were constantly assuring and promising me that something would be done and that

the rubbish and fish slaughter would be taken care of.

I was invited to meet with the Minister of the Environment where was given further assurances that everything was going to be taken care of, but when we launched the event for the 3rd year, we came across exactly the same problems.

Having picked up 50 tonnes of rubbish by hand and there being a total lack of local support - highlighted by just 1 local volunteer turning up to assist - regrettably, I took the decision to cancel the event until such time as the locals kept the banks clean and stopped the fish slaughter.

I decided that in order to provide a platform and a structure, Friends of the Ebro was to be established in all of the venues that we use for our events.

We have so far established ‘Friends of ‘ the Ebro, Madine, Bolsena and now, I am very pleased to say, Friends of the Haringvlet.

This group will be tasked to clean up rubbish from the shores of the Haringvlet during the World Predator Classic, and in the schools project and the angling academy we will ensure that respect for the environment is highlighted as an important issue.

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this wonderful location resembled a rubbish tip with anglers fishing right in the middle of the garbage

ROSS ON WHY A little more than one year ago Ross Honey, the man behind the hugely successful World Carp Classic and World Catfish Classic tournaments, announced his plans for a World Predator Classic at EFTTEX in 2013.

One year on and the first-ever WPC will be hosted on June 19th to 22nd in the Netherlands, with full support from some of the industry’s biggest names.

“The idea to create this predator event wasn’t a newly hatched plan by any means,” says Ross.

“The concept was there, firmly in mind, even before the World Catfish Classic was launched, so it has been on the agenda now for several years.

“It was, however, as a result of the success of the World Catfish Classic which, as expected, generated an incredibly exciting atmosphere, that I brought forward my plans to create the WPC.” It was a simple evolution of Ross’ business plan, moulding itself to meet the needs and wants of the angling industry.

“I didn’t imagine that the event would gather such support in such a short space of time, but it was obvious to me that it would be very well received by anglers and, naturally, the trade, simply because of the fact that there is nothing in Europe quite like it. This event will be fast and furious, packed with all the thrills and spills of a Formula 1 race, and that is there for all to see, anglers and trade alike.”

The support Ross refers to comes from the event sponsorship and support for the WPC offered by global angling giants Rapala and Shimano as well as boating and electronics firms such as Mercury, Nitro Boats, Ray Marine, Navionics and scale manufacturer Reuben Heaton.

“It is vitally important for a top-class event to attract top-class backing and I am immensely proud to welcome all of the sponsors on board for this event,” explains Ross. “The level of backing that the event has attracted is, however, quite phenomenal and this will very quickly help to establish the WPC as a premier, world-class event.”

There can be little doubt that the success story of the World Carp Classic has been an influence on the WPC and the support it has gathered. The Carp Classic is an established, long-running global even like no other. The accumulated skills that Ross and his team possess have ensured its success, and the experience they have gained over 15 years in organising and coordinating an international competition has put the WPC in the best possible position.

“The event will be, without doubt, extremely popular with predator anglers

The inaugural running of the World Predator Classic, a long-term project for angling entrepreneur Ross Honey, marks the occasion not just as the introduction of a fantastic new event, but personally for Ross, as he turns his dream into reality. in the upper echelons of their sport,” continues Ross.

“It therefore follows that these very anglers have firm connections with major companies within the predator angling trade. It also follows that an event as dynamic and action packed as the WPC will appeal hugely to spectators globally.

Therefore, the global marketing platform that the WPC provides is a key factor in attracting global sponsorship, as is the historic value of running other events.

“One important dynamic is that we will be introducing cutting-edge technology that will enable a global audience to follow the location of the boats in real time thanks to the GPS tracking system, and as soon as a fish is caught then the audience will be able to see a photograph of it on the live leaderboard.”

“Spectator participation doesn’t stop there, though – the event will be sandwiched by opening and closing ceremonies and also a huge music concert called Hooked on Rock, which will ensure big crowds attend both in the day and at night.”

The event has been running a roadshow within schools local to the event base at Hellevoetsluis to do introductory showcases that have been very well received and attended.

“The aim of these is simply to generate an interest in angling from younger people,” says Ross.

“We believe that the smallest spark can often ignite the largest fire. Leading on from that, with further help and tuition a new generation of anglers will be born. I have always maintained that we, the current generation of anglers, are simply custodians of our sport, and the onus is upon us to ensure that it can be enjoyed for many generations to come.”

Running alongside the main event also are two other events; A Streetfishing event and a kayak fishing event. Firstly, it should be said that both of these genres are quite different, both from each other and mainstream angling.

Streetfishing is and can be carried out by almost anyone on the smallest of budgets, utilising areas within urban

districts and keeping on the move with light tackle. In those latter terms, Kayak fishing is similar, offering its exponents the opportunity to be on the move and able to fish almost anywhere. These events, showing as they will be, in conjunction with the World Predator Classic, will gain worldwide recognition and there will doubtlessly be many would-be anglers who will watch with interest, and think to themselves “I could do that!”

Kiki and The Rowans Hospice Two events, two charities but one aim to help the ones we know and the many we don’t to live their life to the full while battling cancer.

As the event grew, a well-known angler participating in the main event - he himself fighting cancer - suggested that we used the media platform to help raise money and create awareness. So 100% of the entry fees in the World Predator Kayak Open will be a donation (a minimum €50 per participant) and given to our nominated charity the Rowans Hospice. (www.justgiving.com/WPC14) We chose the Rowans Hospice as it is where a key member of our team for well over 10 years now devotes his time to help others battling cancer as he had to.

A second event, The World Predator Classic Street Fishing event will in turn raise funds for Kika which is a Dutch charity looking after children diagnosed with cancer. (www.kika.nl/kika-acties/ kika-promotiemateriaal/). Many thanks in advance to all of you for your kind donations.

With the hard work building up to the first WPC almost over, Ross is confident that the inaugural event will be the catalyst for future growth for the event.

“I remain extremely confident that the event will grow annually and build upon its standing and reputation to become a truly globally recognised competition. In the future I intend to create a Ryder Cup-style event where Europe and the rest of the world take on the might of the American anglers, which will be amazingly exciting.”

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DESIGNS ON OUR FUTURE ANGLERS

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We believed that involving young children in this project would not only increase their awareness of the different countries of the world but it would give them the opportunity to promote Hellevoetsluis and the Netherlands from a child’s point of view.

Also, regardless of that, it would be fantastic for the local children to be involved with probably the most exiting event in Hellevoetsluis this year.

To begin the initiative we needed the schools themselves to become involved.

So all were welcomed from the schools in Hellevoetsluis to a presentation of the WPC event by Ross Honey on the 20th of March in the theatre in Hellevoetsluis.

The principal of the school ’t Schrijverke attended this presentation and was so exited by what was learned

that we decided, for this year, to focus on this one school.

Ross Honey and a few team members went to the school the following day, after the presentation, to explain to the children what the school project was about and to see if they would be keen to participate. Well, we can confirm that they were very exited by what they were told by the Head Mistress!

They welcomed Ross Honey with some Scottish music and had lots of questions prepared for him in English.

Ross explained to the children in detail that the school project consisted of the following 3 items:

Poster Competition The children of the school were divided into several groups, formed with younger and older children.

These small groups designed and

created a poster, together, containing information, such as details of the event, the location of the event, the date and their interpretation of what the event was about All of the posters were finished at the end of April, were put onto the WPC website until the 14th of May, so that everyone could vote for the poster they liked best.

Copies of the winning poster were printed and displayed locally. The young creators of the winning poster were also presented with a prize at the televised opening ceremony on the 19th of June.

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I go fishing with my father every weekend

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO LEARN: GETTING THE KIDS INVOLVED

THE WINNING ENTRY: It was a difficult decision, but this poster by Mustafa Sekerci captured the spirit of the WPC competition

These children were invited, along with their parents and School representative, aboard the VIP boat during the event.

Flag Parade On the 19th of June the opening ceremony commenced with welcoming the competitors with a great flag parade.

The children of the school along with their parents were invited to participate.

The children will carry the flags of the different participating countries and march behind one of the two marching bands.

Angling Academy On Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd June an angling academy run by qualified angling tutors was arranged.

The children were taught about catch and release, respect for the fish and environment, best practice angling

and safety near the water. The academy is arranged to be great fun with all equipment will being provided.

This academy is divided into two parts: Theoretical and a Practical part.

To encourage children to participate they were able to register at school and also via a registration form in the local paper.

The first letter, from one enthusiastic boy, was received just one day after the presentation. So, obviously, there has been plenty of excitement generated by the event for the children and, hopefully, the next generation of anglers will be born as a direct result of this initiative.

If it can put a smile on the faces of the participating children, if not for a lifetime, but for those few days during the Class act: Children at ‘t Schrijverke school get down to business event, it will have been a very worthwhile exercise!

THE LAST WORD: A FINAL MESSAGE FROM CHRIS LEIBBRANDT

A BRAVE NEW WORLD

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Much has changed in the angling world since Chris Leibbrandt began predator and lure fishing, but the fish never change and nor does the sports attraction to anglers.

Breaking new ground: Founder of the World Predator Classic, Ross Hone,y has introduced a multi-species angling event

I’ve been around predator and lure angling for longer than I care to remember (nearly 50 years) and, being a lazy kind of guy, one of the things that I have always been attracted to is that you don’t need to carry lots of stuff.

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This is is entirely different from most fishing situations when you are looking at carrying bait. Our carp angling friends can carry huge amounts about which tends to mean that they stay put in the spot where they are baiting up.

For lure angling it just isn’t the case, the lures are the bait so you can move anywhere you can throw a lure.

It is, without a shadow of a doubt, getting more and more popular, when I started lures fishing all those years ago, I was seen as a complete air-head with no idea about real fishing. Thank goodness things have changed and lure fishing is now mainstream (the airhead element may still be the same). Lure fishing, along with fly fishing, is what I like to call ‘baitless’ fishing. It appeals not just to the fish, but also to the younger element and women too. No messy bait, just tie on a lure and off you go. It is also fairly instant,

you can set up your gear in minutes and be fishing before you know it.

Add this to urban and ‘street’ fishing, where anglers are rediscovering rivers and waterways that run through cities and towns and we have a great recipe to attract more and more people into fishing. Looking at the uptake of street and lure fishing this definitely seems to be the case.

The World Predator Classic, that now includes both street fishing and kayak fishing competitions, the latter being an excellent way to get into low cost angling afloat, is a phenomenal showcase for lure angling and baitless fishing in general. The interactive nature of the events, accessing as much modern communications technology as possible, with live streamed TV, live Facebook and Twitter feeds, GPS tracking and live leaderboard really brings an extra dimension to the event. This easily updated, fully mobile phone and tablet accessible fishing competition is the future of competitive lure fishing events in Europe and is already attracting attention and followers worldwide.

There is one other major difference from many lure angling competitions and that is that the WPC is a multi-species angling event.

It combines the angling skills necessary to catch perch, zander and pike, three very different species, not just in physiology, but also behaviour too. This makes things very interesting because all round skills will be the contributing factor to success, and not just specialism in one species. It may also help those of us who are not local anglers who will have a ‘home’ advantage.

The WPC is just that, a world class event and occasion to celebrate angling for anyone who comes along, whether or not they’re competing, spectating or supporting there’ll be something for everybody, and it can only get bigger!

CHRIS LEIBBRANDT President of the Lure Anglers’ Society of Great Britain.