Matt Godfrey's £500 LIVE Match Fishing Set-up

The Challenge

We wanted to see if an England International angler could compete in a UK open match at a premier fishery with less than £500 worth of tackle, with the added pressure of the Match Day Live cameras on his shoulders! Who better for the job than our very own Matt Godfrey, who accepted the challenge and took us to the prolific Little John lakes near Ollerton for a 25-peg open spread across two lakes.

The Tackle

To stay within the budget, Matt had to choose his weapons carefully and prioritise his key items of kit. Sacrifices were made, and prep was minimal, but he managed to cobble together enough kit to fish, and here’s a breakdown of what he took! Thankfully, Little John Lakes is a fishery with nets only, so that saved Matt a few quid too!

Kit Breakdown:

1 x 8m A-Class Margin Pole (£150)

1 x 10ft A-Class Feeder Rod (£60)

1 x 4000 A-Class Reel, loaded with 8lb line (£45 Including Line)

1 x A-Class Landing Net Handle (£45)

6 x Bait Tubs (£25)

1 x Fusion 10L Bait Pro (£25)

1 x (Bargain!) Fishing Chair (£40)

2 x Bank Sticks (£12)

Terminal Tackle Pack:

6 x Pole Floats (2 x JL, 2 x Bobbie Carbon, 2 x Bagger) (£15)

6 x Assorted Ready Rigs (A combo of Super LWG and Super XS Spade) (£25)

1 x Rig Case (£12.50)

4 x Fast Release Pole Pots (£11)

1 x Disgorger (£1.50)

1 x Loop Tyer (£1.50)

2 x Micro Cubes (£5.50)

1 x Plummet (£4.75)

1 x Front Reaper (£11)

TOTAL: £489.75

The Match

As always, Matt is full of the joys of summer to kick off; the weather is excellent, and he’s happy on peg 1 on Robin Hood Lake. With only an 8m pole, the short pole is a starting ploy, with the margins looking great for later on, and a feeder cast to an island is also an option. With so many fish feeding, and at such a great venue, how will the master get on on his BUDGET MATCH DAY LIVE? CAN HE WIN?!

Want to find out how Matt Godfrey got in his £500 Match Day Live challenge? Watch the entire film below now.