Haven’t been to a nationals but I’m an NZACA member so will comment. So there

Champion Boat angler section : Never quite got this aspect of the Nationals but if it’s part of the comp so be it. Don’t have a boat so can’t comment really.

Champion Surfcasting angler section: The idea sounds good but maybe needs a name change. National Champion Beach Angler seems to differentiate it much more clearly from the National Land Based Angler. Other than that seems to be a good idea. Beach fishing requires some special skills so it is a challenge in its own right. Doesn’t worry me what modes of land based transport are used to cover the beaches. All seems perfectly reasonable.

Champion Land Based angler section : I understand this means a category that includes both beach and rock fishing. But what other platforms do you mean? Wharves? Jetty’s? Might need some clarification maybe?

Personally the proposed modes of access don’t worry me but I think you’ll be bashing your head against a brick wall with this one, particularly the boat access. I can see the same arguments will be raised as were put forward when you raised this prior to the last nationals. Cheating, safety, unfairness etc. And logic to maybe. If an allowable fishing platform (which I presume includes rocks, ledges, wharves etc) is attached to the mainland on low tide then why do you need a boat to get to it? Like I said doesn’t bother me but many probably won’t like it .

Is there another solution? What about Champion Land based fisherman being able to use kayaks to access these platforms with strict rules. Kayaks can travel no further than casting distance or maybe a hundred metres from the shore, and no fish finders allowed. Seems to me to remove some of the concerns about cheating, private land access and any perceived advantage of a boat? Might not be quite what you want but it might provide a liveable solution. MAYBE.

I don’t quite understand how you determine the overall champion angler. I presume you’re saying the ability to cast will in the end determine who the winner is? The rest of the ideas seem quite reasonable and good on you for once again trying to move the bar.

As regards the last paragraph I am however concerned about the young buggers TRANCING about the rocks. I’m not a huge fan of fishing under the influence of anything other than the heady smell of bait. It’s also very hard to pull in a fish when you’re in a totally vegetative and immobile state. I have visions of dozens of young fellows falling off ledges throughout the entire competition and berley aside, that simply will not do.

I personally would struggle trying to hook up and pull in someone like James Benge, as he bobbed back and forth in the surf in some sort of fishing dream world. Might be good practice for postal casting, but I could not in good conscience support trancing. Just doesn’t seem right

Good luck with the rest of it though.