The Maver Match This has set the benchmark in match fishing with the biggest ever payout in a match. In my opinion Maver have raised the bar, which is fantastic for the sport. It would be great to see that bar raised even further by giving the winner 50K and paying huge sums of money to the runners up, After all in all other major sporting events it is not only the winner that comes away from the event with a share of the prize money. I should think if the payout was spread, this competion would see every qualifier full with waiting lists!

If you make the final of course you would like the payout spread out.
But that’s also the case in Fish O Mania and Parkdean isn’t it?
Remember that this is an operation in raising the Maver profile not just raising the bar in terms of match fishing payouts. From that viewpoint the winner takes all route with a massive payout to the winner is the way to maximise publicity.

The final of this should really be split payouts because with matchfishing if you are entering a match of say 25 anglers it is nearly always decided in the draw bag where if the top 5 anglers draw a flier they have every item of ammo to attack the flier and more often than not goes on and empties it.Thus if you turn up in this final and draw shite then its nearly always game over and you end up with a massive shattered dream with nothing to fish for…Split payout makes for a massive match where nobody gives up until that ending horn.Im all for splitting it

So you would split the Fish O Mania payout as well?

I think youll find the winner didn’t come off a flier this year so define flier?

@geepster wrote:

So you would split the Fish O Mania payout as well?

No, the FishO final is £30,000 to the winner. We are talking about a payout of £100k that is a massive difference. I think the simple fact that it is such a huge sum will maximise publicity.( It is a real shame that television didn’t fully embrace this years match) .If the money is split the runner up is likely to receive something like the WTA of Fisho.
I was fortunate enough to fish this years final and it was probably the best competition I have ever been involved in, Andy was not on a flier but with a couple of hours to go most of the competitors were out of the hunt. Can you imagine what a diffrence it would make if the field knew that by trying until the end there was a possibilty you could still win a massive amount of money say £10k for 5th place!

I watched the Parkdean final this year and with 30 minutes to go I witnessed one of the competitors packing up! Do you think he would have thrown the towel in if he had the prospect of catching a couple of extra fish and perhaps winning a few grand? I dont think so, it would make it a far better competition to be involved in AND a far better competition for those watching whether at the venue or on television.

All taken on board but if I ran this match on behalf of a tackle company I would categorically make it winner takes all.

No problem Geeps, we are all entitled to our own opinion, even if they are wrong! Lol

I’m with Stewart on this. With a 100K payout (potentially) I think the Match This final would be more appealing to have a split pot. Having say 50k, 25k, 15k and 10k for fourth would change the way people looked at it.

Just out of interest, how big was the final of the Maver? I’m assuming there were many more pegs than 16 like Fish’O.

ERRR a flier defined is … I cant be bothered to explain it as you obviously dont pay attention and take things in as you would know…all lakes have em!!! 😡

I fish the 5k winner take all series at dragon watermeadows fishery on the east coast/ingoldmells,next year it has been changed from 30 straight qualifiers into the final.The new 5+5k format starting March 5/6th 2012 consists of …4 sec winners from each round1 match to qualify for the semi final stage of the competition.There will be 6 semi-finals with 5 section winners going through to the final where 30 anglers will fish for £5,000 first place & 5 section winners of a £1,000.This series is extremely popular with 20+waiting list on most qualifyers,hence the new format which will allow more anglers to compete,in fact most of the qualifiers are already over subscribed & have been since late september,however as 4 anglers qualify from each semi qualifier there will always be places become available,you can qualify for all 6 semi finals if you wish & are lucky enough to do so.

Iagree with the split , with the massive amount of money on offer , it would make me put in for a few of the qualifiers.

Splitting the prize would be far better.

50k to the winner is still the biggest prize in fishing and will always be a life changing amlount of money for most guys.

Having the top 4 or 5 paid on on top secures Match This as the big money comp to enter.

Do most people care about being in a televised final or do they want the money ?

easily solved, all the finalist agree a payout with the £50,000 or £100,000 and put in writing and sign, share out after< i would def be looking to go in shares with a few if i was in final

I think that the title of “Fisho” is more important than the money

I think the money is fare more important than the fisho title until you win it. It was the £25, 000 that got anglers interested in the fisho event in the first place. The Maver Match This comp is no different in that respect other than the size of the potential prize to the winner which could be as much as £100, 000. As Geeps suggests. The bigger the prize to the winner the better it is from a commercial point of view. From an anglers point of view. Having the prize money spread between the finalists would be better. Fishing to win is completely different than fishing for a place/section or even just the angler on your left or rght. Something similar to the rising scale used for paying the final tables at poker events would make for a very interesting final to fish in. Every fish would potentially be worth a lot of money in pushing you up the field. £250 for every angler you beat as an example. The winner would still pick up more than half of the prize money to give Maver the headline hitting news story in the angling press. I suspect that this would be more apealing to match anglers in general. Its difficult enough qualifying for any big final. Having to win it to win any money is a step to fare for many match anglers. Especially at £50 a pop. £250 for just making the final plus another £250 for every angler you beat in the final plus £50, 000+ to the winner gives every angler a real feeling that they are there to win even if it is only an extra £250 for coming 2nd to last. How many match anglers have ever won £500 in a match or £250 for coming last?

Totally agree – from an anglers’ viewpoint split the prize, absolutely.
From a maximum publicity viewpoint (the biggest prize in UK – possibly world – match fishing) the winner takes all model is better….

Why is the winner take all model better if/when they sell all the tickets then the headlines are The Richest match ever 100k pay out with the winner taking 50k and splitting the rest between the next 2/3 anglers.happy days for everybody Maver get what they want with the publicity and i am pretty sure thats the only way the will ever sell this match out

At least this match is getting discussed which is advertising for maver anyway!!
I went to maver larford once and after the match i went to the canteen i said
‘how much for a cheese roll’?
He said ‘£4.50’
What for a roll? i said.
he said ‘but you get a FREE can of lager with it!!!!!
LMFAO 🙂

For me whether you pay £100k out to the winner or the top three or four, it’s pretty certain that the elite of match fishing will pick up the money any which way. I think that’s the issue on the entry front. There probably are not quite enough elite match anglers out there…. and the ordinary anglers are put off because of a combination of (rightly) not thinking they can compete and the entry fee. I’m not saying they have not addressed this because they may have done…. I certainly wish the competition all the success in the world and take my hat off to Phil Briscoe for having the balls to go for this. In that respect I think he has to ensure maximum publicity and it does strike me that it’s getting more talked about this year. I guess the breakthrough would come through live TV coverage of the final….

Question: If the final were available online but not on Sky TV would this just be regarded as ‘a bit crap’ by you match anglers. I ask this partly because Fishing TV will soon be available on Smart TVs as well which will take it into people’s lounges…. as well as online and on iphones and ipads.