The 2014 Fish’O’Mania Junior match was won by 18 year-old Cameron Cross from Sutton-in- Ashfield, Notts in an enthralling finish at Cudmore. Cross, who came fifth out of six in the same event last year, won by just 20 grams from a disappointed Liam Miller.
Cross, who will be entering the main event next year, claimed the £1,000 top prize with a bag of 6.390 kg to snatch it at the death after Miller caught a big fish in the closing stages to make the final weigh-in a tense one.
“It feels good and I’m really glad I have done it this year after last year. It was close but I got there in the end,” said a delighted Cross.
“After last year I thought I would have a bit of an advantage this year because I had the experience of knowing how nerve-wracking it is at first. I tried not to let the occasion bother me too much this year.
“You never get to fish like this anywhere other than here, you wouldn’t think it would make that big a difference but it is strange what it does for you really. If you were to ask anyone which event they most wanted to win it would be this one.
“It was tense at the end, I thought it would be close and I didn’t think I had won. There was only 20 grams in it, nothing in it.
“I just fished 30 meter all day with worm and caster. I caught roach and skimmers and a tench. Everybody fished for carp and I knew if they caught them they would beat me but with it being so hard I took that tactic.
“Coming into the last hour I thought I was winning but when Liam caught that fish in the last five minutes I thought he had beaten me. It was very close.
The trainee electrician has already decided what he will spend his prize on; “I will put the money towards a new car because I passed my driving test on Friday. It will have to be a van to put all the fishing gear in!”
1. Cameron Cross – 6.39kg
2. Liam Miller – 6.37kg
3. Jordan Holloway – 5.31kg
4. Harry Munro – 4.24kg
5. Dalton Mullinger – 3.73kg
6. Zak Summerscales – 1.61kg
