A Beginning Carpers Guide to Carp Gear

Carp fishing is a popular hobby that has a long tradition in Europe, and is growing in the States, as well. Carp are known to thrive in almost any type of water, making them an easy to find and attractive fish to angle for. All fishermen know that no matter what you're chasing, good angling gear is needed.

The first piece of fishing gear to look at is a good carp fishing rod. A suitable fishing rod should be at least six feet long (more is okay), and also medium action. This is the best combination of strength and flexibility to make carp fishing a challenge, but give you a good chance to lead even the trophy sized fish.

Right after the rod you need to consider the reel. All good reels are open faced, not closed faced, and can hold a great deal of line. At a very minimum, you should be able to spool 150 yards of 12 lb test. More is better, but 150 should be your minimum standard.

Obviously you'll want to know what kind of bait to use. While carp will hit about anything, the preferred bait seems to be sticky smelly stuff. Think of the kind of bait that catfish would like, and you're on the right track.

There is also the matter of "pods." A pod is a set up that holds three rods at once for the carp angler, allowing the fisherman to be hands free during the wait for a trophy carp to take the bait. These are optional pieces of fishing gear that are often used by more seasoned carpers.

And of course there's the all important fishing line. Kevlar fishing line is a popular choice among any anglers, although in the end the main concern is getting fishing line that is 12 pound test or better.

While there is big time fishing gear for carp anglers that costs a good deal of money, starting gear can be had for fairly cheap. Carp angling can be a very rewarding hobby that provides many hours of entertainment, making it a cheaper in the long run over many other forms of recreation.

These are some of the basic things you will want to look at when looking at some beginner's gear for carp fishing. Follow the guidelines in this article and you will be looking at some serious success carping in no time.