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 Tackle
to start carp fishing
What do you really need to start
carp fishing? Some would argue that any
rod and reel, some hooks, weights and shot
would suffice. Others would recommend spending
a fortune on top brand equipment and every
type of accessory available. So what should
a beginner spend their hard earned cash
on to get them started? Like any hobby,
if you start off with the cheapest carp
gear available, then it won't be long before
you want to upgrade to something bigger
and better. I should know, my other hobbies
include PCs and Hi Fi. On the other hand,
if you buy the best carp rods on the market
now then you won't be able to afford anything
else to go with them. Unless of course you
have just won the lottery, in which case
spend half of it on the best carp tackle
you can get and send the rest to me. If
like most people though, your budget is
limited, then you need to compromise a little,
but get carp tackle that will be fun to
use and catch you some fish while you are
learning. Part of the fun of fishing is
looking in the tackle dealers and deciding
what you would like next and what you can
afford to upgrade.
 tacklebargains.co.uk
are committed to giving you the best possible
deal. We aim to offer you the lowest prices
on a selected range of tackle. We currently
offer around 5,000 items. Many of these
are very hard to find anywhere else. Quite
often we buy all of the remaining stock
so we have things that are just not available
elsewhere. If we don't have the item you
need we may well know who does - even if
it is one of our competitors we will tell
you. How many other firms have this level
of commitment to your satisfaction?
Carp Rods
So let's start with carp rods.
The first question is one or two. Well,
most carp anglers these days use at least
two, three if their waters allow it and
they have the gear. Why? Simply because
they can. If you told a carp angler they
could use five rods then they probably would.
Carp angling is very much a waiting game.
It involves a lot of patience and being
able to cover as large an area of water
as possible, and if they can increase the
area covered and decrease the waiting time
and double the chances of a run, then why
not? Remember though, if you are going to
buy two carp rods to start off with, then
you are going to need two carp reels, two
lots of line, two sets of rod rests or a
rod pod, and maybe twice as much terminal
tackle and bait. Also if you are buying
a rod holdall then a bigger one will be
needed to accommodate them. So, if you can
afford all of this then fine. If you can't,
then why not start with one carp rod and
build up to more when funds allow. You must
remember as well that if you use three rods,
you will need an extra fishing license,
as each one only covers two rods.
What type of carp rod? This
depends a lot on the venues you are going
to fish. If you are fishing small estate
lakes and your quarry are carp of up to
15 lbs say, then a fairly light rod of say
1 ½ to 2 lb test curve will be ample.
For larger venues where distance casting
is required, then maybe a heavier test curve
will be required, maybe up to 3 lb. As well
as the test curve, the action of the carp
rod must be considered. Carp rods come in
three types, fast taper tip action, medium
tip action and all through action. For close
in and short range work, an all through
action is best, as it will take all of the
power a carp has and distribute it throughout
the rod, the more the fish pulls, the more
the rod bends. For more distance fishing,
a medium action rod is better suited as
it will still bend at the tip fairly easily,
but has more power as the action transfers
towards the handle or butt. For really long
distance work, where heavy weights need
to be cast a long way then a fast tip action
rod is best. This will have plenty of play
at the tip, but have the power for casting
and playing a fish at range.
Carp Reels
Carp reels will need to be matched
to thecarp rod. Depending on the distance
you are going to be casting and the line
strength and diameter you will be using,
you need a reel that can hold the amount
of line required. Choice of actual carp
reel is very much a personal thing and you
need to be comfortable with whatever you
choose. I would recommend trying a carp
reel on the rod you will be using it with.
A good fitting is essential as is good balance.
I would certainly try to buy a carp reel
of the baitrunner type. If you are going
to be using two rods and maybe waiting for
a long time for a run, you can't always
watch it the whole time, and a carp needs
to be able to pull line free from the reel
before you can strike. If it can't then
a big carp can pull the whole rod and reel
into the lake; believe me, I have seen it
happen more than once! OK, so you could
open the bail arm, but try this on a windy
day and you will wish you hadn't. It can
also produce disastrous messes on a strike
if you forget you have done it. A baitrunner
is simply a mechanism whereby a switch is
set that allows line to be pulled from the
spool under very slight (adjustable) tension
whilst the bail arm is still closed. Resetting
the switch or commencing reeling both have
the effect of stopping line from being pulled
through and the reel is then back to its
normal state. Therefore, when a carp moves
off with your bait, it takes line from the
reel, you hear the bite, lift the rod and
start reeling and hopefully the fish is
on.
Line for carp fishing
Line. This again depends on
the type of fishing and on the chosen carp
reel. Multiplying the test curve of your
carp rod by five is a good rough guide to
breaking strains, so a 2 lb test curve carp
rod would warrant a 10 lb line. This is
only a guide though. Don't be tempted to
go too light, it may produce more runs,
but may also cause more lost fish and tackle,
a nuisance to you, but maybe discomfort
or damage to the fish, a situation that
should be avoided at all costs. Different
types of line are now becoming available
and popular, such as braids, but for the
purpose of this article, I will not go into
their merits, and standard monofilament
lines would be fine for the newcomer.
Hook length
Hook lengths are next on the
agenda, and again there is a huge variety
available, too many to discuss in this short
piece. Suffice to say that there are many
types of braids all with their own merits
in different situations, and of course you
can use monofilament as a hook length. To
start with, maybe try buying one braided
type and see if you get on with it and whether
it catches you fish. You can build up a
collection of different types as your skills
and knowledge increase. If your tackle dealer
knows the water you will be fishing, ask
his advice.
Carp Hooks
Hooks. Here is where I would
recommend investing a bit of money. A cheap
hook can mean a lost fish, and that is the
last thing you want. Compared to the rest
of the gear such as carp rods and carp reels
you will be buying, they are inexpensive
anyway. Cheap hooks will bend, break or
not be sharp enough to hook the fish in
the first place. Invest in a selection of
sizes say from a number 12 up to a 4 to
start with and make sure that you buy barbless
if your water insists on them. I don't think
I have ever lost a fish due to using barbless
hooks, although there are many arguments
for and against them, and I don't intend
to get involved in them here. Just abide
by the fishery rules and you will be OK.
Weights
Weights. These come in a huge
variety of types, shapes and sizes. For
carp fishing, the main two are the in-line
and the bomb type. In-line leads have a
hole drilled through their length, through
which the line is threaded and bombs have
either a wire loop of swivel fixed into
one end through which the line is passed.
They are available in their natural grey
colour or can be coated to camouflage with
the lake bottom. Different types will be
needed for different rigs. Weight wise,
a selection should be bought to start you
off between say 1 and 3 ozs, of varying
types. Remember though that you need to
carry round what you buy, so don't go too
mad or try to leave some at home.
Carrying it all about
What else? Well, you are going
to need something to put your gear in. To
start off with, an old rucksack will do
but if you want to buy something specially
for the job, then there are a whole host
of different rucksacks and bags to choose
from. Carp carryalls are available which
hold a large amount of gear, but you will
have to carry that in your hands and there
will be plenty else to carry. A rod holdall
will protect your new acquisitions and they
also come in all shapes and sizes. If you
can afford this now, then don't get something
too big that you won't be able to lift,
but too small, and you won't have room for
expansion when you want to buy something
else. Make sure it is made of a fairly strong
waterproof material that won't rip when
walking through tree-lined footpaths. Some
holdalls have built in reel pouches that
enable you to put your rods away with reels
still attached. These are excellent and
save a lot of time on arrival at the water,
but do tend to be fairly bulky. If you intend
to buy an umbrella, then make sure there
is room for this as well along with bank
sticks landing net handles and pods.
Tackle box
A good tackle box is invaluable.
An old sandwich box will do to start you
off, but as your collection of bits and
pieces grows, you will want a box with partitions
to keep everything tidy and separate. Try
to pick one that has a lid that touches
the top of the partitions so that you don't
end up with everything all mixed up when
you arrive at the swim. Some DIY shops sell
some good ones, which are robust and sometimes
a lot cheaper.
Additional tackle items
Most waters these days insist
on unhooking mats, and this is an essential
piece of kit to help protect the carp. A
good landing net is needed and a weigh sling
and scales if you want to weigh your fish.
You will want somewhere to place
your carp rods whilst fishing. Either a
pair of rod rests and tops for each rod,
or a pod. Pods are the most convenient,
but can be pricey, and can always be added
later. If you want to go all the way to
start with, then a bite alarm for each rod
will make your fishing much easier, but
again are a bit pricey, and not essential
to begin with. There are some good budget
versions around these days, and they are
worth the money if you can afford it.
Just a few more bits which
will be needed to start you off, a baiting
needle, boilies stops, swivels, and I wouldn't
go fishing without some floats and shot.
This should be ample to get you started,
but beware - this hobby is addictive. You
will soon want more bits and pieces and
there is always something new on the market
that is the best thing ever since sliced
bread. If you think this is all too expensive,
then take a look around at some of the second
hand tackle available. This is often of
very good quality and can save you a fortune.
Often complete carp fishing set-ups are
for sale. Most of the fishing weeklies have
a good for sale column as does this web
site, so take a look around. You may find
just what you are looking for at a fraction
of the price.
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