Carp Fishing - Basic Equipment Needed

It often seems like carp fishing comes with a lot of equipment, which can be a little daunting if you’re just starting out. Once you know the basics, however, it’s all quite simple. Read on for some tips. When you’re starting out, you may be tempted to buy the cheapest equipment available, but it’s worth spending a bit more money to get quality products you’ll also be able to use as a more experienced angler. Better quality equipment also means you’ll catch more fish, which is surely the whole point!

The rod is the most obvious bit of equipment you need and one of the most important. The rod you’ll need depends on the type of fishing you’ll be doing. As a rule, for light carp of up to 15lb then a rod with a test curve of 2lb is plenty. If you’re looking to cast off to longer distances, go for a 3lb test curve. Medium action rods are a good idea for beginners as they’re flexible but still powerful. Many anglers have two rods, but one is fine.

To go with your rod, you’ll also need a reel. This should ideally match your rod. Choosing a reel is a personal thing, so a good way to find the one that’s right for you is to test one on the rod you’re buying. Make sure it fits well so you have good balance. Also consider buying a reel with a baitrunner. This will stop any carp that bite your bait from pulling the whole rod into the lake as you’ll hear the line move when they take the bait.

You also need to buy some line to complete your ensemble. The type of line you need will depend on which reel you buy, but as a general rule, to work out what line you need you should multiply the test curve of the rod by five. So, a 2lb test curve would need a 10lb line. Don’t go for too light a line or you’re more likely to lose more carp. Standard monofilament lines are recommended for beginners.

Good hooks are vital for carp fishing as these are what attract the fish. It’s worth spending a bit of money here to get good ones in a range of sizes – from 12 to 4 – as, if you get cheap ones, they often bend, break and aren’t very sharp, which prevents them from hooking onto the fish. Also buy yourself some 1-3oz weights to help sink the hooks and guide the trajectory when you throw the line. After this, all you need is a bag to carry it in.

Now Try : Carp Reels Or Carp Bait