I have been fortunate to have had about 15 major open wins over the years. Being successful has however never come easily.
Pegged matches are the hardest to win where you need the luck of a decent draw. Rovers rely heavily on local knowledge.
The older you get, the harder it gets to prepare and compete.
Apart from using the best bait and choosing where to fish , lady luck does play an enormous part. After many years of experience you gain a good knowledge of where fish are likely to be on the majority of different types of of sea conditions. Although this is based on past experiences given similar conditions, the fish sometimes don\'t play ball!Calm seas are the most unpredictable to judge. I keep diaries which detail what I caught where I was, state of the sea, wind direction and bait used. I have diaries going back to the 60\'s. Admittedly things have changed over the years but there are always similarities. Tackle has changed a lot. Some things good, some bad. I am a great believer in simplicity. I don\'t use bait clips ,swivels or beads. That doesn\'t mean that they are a bad thing however. I just stick to the things have tried and tested over the years.
You are right in saying that the same faces keep turning up at prize givings . These guys are always thereabouts. Watch what they do to catch fish, talk to them (most are very approachable) ask for advice and keep trying !