- Home|
- News|
- News Stories
Steve Ringer wins Barston Masters title with tactical masterclass
Venue expert Steve Ringer adapted perfectly to dropping temperatures to secure the Barston Masters title and a £2,226 payday from an unfancied draw.
@Angling Times
by Angling Times |
Published on29th October 2026 at 6.00pm
Follow Angling Times on Google
BARSTON MASTERS FINAL (SATURDAY)
Barston Lakes (60 pegs)
Autumn is a time for adaptation on the tactical front, and Steve Ringer switched things up perfectly to get his hands on the Barston Masters title.
The West Midlands complex has produced a string of 200lb-plus weights this year, but with temperatures dropping, there was a sense that a lower weight would be enough to top the field.
That was exactly how it panned out and, come the end of the five-hour battle, the Guru and Mainline Matchbacked star had done just enough from peg 80, placing 109lb 2oz on to the scales.
Every single bite proved vital, with runner-up Bogdan Mester weighing in 106lb 4oz, while third-placed Carl Barnfield totalled 100lb 2oz.
Angling Times spoke to the newly-crowned champion to hear about the changes he made to see off the chasing pack and walk with the trophy and £2,226 cheque.
Unfancied draw
The finalists line up prior to doing battle © Angling Times
“I’ve had a fantastic season at Barston and felt really in tune with the venue.
“I wanted to end things on a high, and given the calibre of anglers that had qualified, I knew a decent draw would be important,” Steve said.
“Peg 80 wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, and it wouldn’t have even been in my top 20 choices, but if things fished hard, there was a chance it could produce.”
Plan of attack
“I set up three 11ft Guru Aventus R Distance rods and a bait-up rod. My plan was to feed a volume of bait in an area for one rod, fish just past it with another, and use my final set-up to rove the swim and cast to random spots.
“It was going to be an all-out bomb and PVA bag approach, with 2mm Hi-Attract pellets and an 8mm Ringers Pink YoYo as the hookbait.
“My end tackle was made up of 8ins of 0.22mm mono for the hooklength, to a size 8 Guru XS eyed hook, and the bomb was a 1.5oz version.”
Slow start
Rod and line tactics worked a treat for the champion. © Angling Times
“I started off by casting around the swim every four minutes and feeding nothing other than what was in the PVA bags. This allowed me to get a feel for how many fish were in front of me. A single carp wasn’t the start I’d hoped for, so I decided to feed a mixture of pellets at 50m,” Steve continued.
“Pigeon conditioner has been brilliant throughout summer, but its impact has started to wane, so I decided I wasn’t going to use it.”
Spells of action
“Adding a little bait to create a target zone worked, and while it was never rigid with fish, I’d catch in spells.
“Making tiny adjustments with regard to feed quantities and hookbaits was key, as was timing where I should be fishing in my swim at a certain stage of the match.
“I managed to get up to 12 carp and a few silvers before the air pressure rocketed and the lake shut up shop.
“Once the final whistle went, I had a feeling I’d be in the hunt, given how hard it was clearly fishing, and I was delighted to get the nod.
“It was a strange day where the form book went out of the window, and the renowned pegs largely failed to produce, despite having some good anglers on them who would have capitalised if the fish were playing ball.
“I’ve had a brilliant year at Barston, and winning this event was the perfect way to sign off there in 2026.”
RESULT: 1 S Ringer, Guru, 109-2-0; 2 B Mester, 106-4-0; 3 C Barnfield, 100-2-0; 4 S M Higgott, 94-4-0; 5 S Beard, 91-4-0; 6 A Walker, Guru, 86-2-0.
Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us