The best national competitors
The purpose of this competition is to define the French teams that will defend the French flag at the World Surfcasting Championship in Tunisia in 2022. On this occasion, the sea commission of the French Federation of Sport Fishing (F.F.P.S.) has drawn up the list of the 40 best senior men and 16 best senior women and invited them to take part in the preselections in Marseillan (34) from Tuesday June 8 to Friday June 11. To be eligible for the Top 40 and Top 16, they must have been a member of the French team the previous year or have had very good results at the French championships in the last five years or have won their regional championship the previous year or be one of the young hopefuls chosen by the Federation. At the end of the competition, the first 6 of the men's championship and the first 6 of the women's championship will constitute the two French teams.
A competition in the conditions of a world championship
The F.F.P.S. and the Marseillan Surfcasting Club Competition organize these pre-selections over 4 days. The objective is to offer the competitors the same conditions of fishing as a world championship: the fishermen are distributed on distinct fishing areas, are placed randomly by drawing lots, are provided with the same baits, and in identical quantity, before each round.
The women will be divided into two fishing sectors and will fish each sector twice. The men, being more numerous, will be divided into four sectors that they will fish only once each.
The objective of each round is to have the largest cumulative weight of fish in its sector. Then, the first four (for men) of sector will be classified from 1 to 4; the second of sector will be classified from 5 to 8, the third will be classified from 9 to 12, etc. At the end of the competition, the rankings of the 4 heats are cumulated and the person with the least points takes the lead.
No-kill fishing
In order to limit the impact of fishing on resources, the F.I.P.S. (Fédération Internationale des Pêches Sportives) has put in place rules to maximize the number of fish leaving alive. Stewards are present on the beach, equipped with a ruler and a sheet of paper to record the species and measurements of fish caught by competitors. As soon as an angler brings up a fish, he has the obligation to place it immediately in a bucket of water (frequently renewed). A minimum hook size is also imposed in order to limit the catch of the smallest specimens.
It's a busy week for the French surfcasting competitors: may the best win!
To follow the results of the competition, go to the new website of the FFPS Bord de Mer :
