Fish‘O’Mania will return to Hayfield Lakes, Doncaster on Saturday, July 11, 2020, with Andy Bennett qualifying automatically as defending champion and the Angling Trust Ladies Champion also guaranteed a peg at the main event.
Bennett won the 2019 event on Saturday, netting the £50,000 winner’s cheque with a total weight of 52.5kg and will be back at Hayfield Lakes next summer as the reigning champion earns automatic qualification to defend his title for the first time.
“I found out after the presentation and it is great news,” said Bennett. “It gives me a chance to defend my title. It’s a great event to fish. I have fished a lot of big finals but Fish‘O’Mania is the biggest in terms of television, spectators and you do feel the pressure.
“The last half an hour, I have never felt anything like that in match fishing. You’re shaking like a leaf but I loved every minute and I cannot wait to be back here next summer.”
The 2020 Fish‘O’Mania Grand Final will again see 24 anglers battling it out for the biggest title in match fishing. They will be made up of 18 UK qualifiers, 4 international qualifiers, defending champion Bennett and the 2019 Angling Trust Ladies National Champion.
Emily Frazer, COO of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “Fish‘O’Mania will return to Hayfield Lakes in July 2020 with an exciting change in qualification criteria. For the first time in FishO history both the defending champion and Ladies National Champion will earn their right to be in the event.
“With the Ladies National being held in just a few weeks time and Fish‘O’Mania still fresh in mind, this will give the ladies planning to enter an exciting buzz and further prospect to not only become National Champion, but also guaranteed entry to the Fish‘O’Mania Grand Final – could there be a better and more prestigious stepping stone?
“Next year’s qualifiers will still remain open for both men and women, however this is an exciting move for female angling and hopefully opens the door to see more women at our qualifiers next year.”
Details of the 2020 Fish‘O’Mania qualifiers will be announced in due course on the Fish’O’Mania and Angling Trust Webpage, with spectator tickets to the Grand Final once more again on the Fish’O’Mania page.
