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Carp tackle

Just a taste of what is available

Standard waggler, leger rods, and reels can be used and are capable of handling fish up to 15 lbs., using standard set-ups, heavier specimens will need specialist tackle.

From here on we are talking serious and sometimes expensive gear.
Remember its all got to be taken with you.

Serious carp anglers use purpose made tackle, it should be noted that to kit yourself out with purpose made carp tackle can be expensive as is the cost of permits on a lot of specimen carp venues.

Lots of time and patience are required to catch the really big carp, it has been known for people to spend days or even weeks in search of specimen carp, they disappear through the under growth with their rucksacks and bivouacs only to reappear several days later with tales of monsters in the lake.

Rods

Ever changing carbon fibre specifications make it difficult to choose, they all do the job, choose a recently developed rod if you can afford it, usually the handling and casting qualities are much better.
That does not mean that some of the older rods are not up to the job , there are plenty of decent rods to be had at modest prices.

Optimum length is 12 Ft., it should have a test curve of 2 to 3 lbs.. in order to cast weights of 2 to 3 oz. for distances of around 125 yds., try this with standard tackle and it will surely break.

Reels

A larger spooled heavy duty fixed spool reels are the practical choice, but good fish can be taken at close range using a centre pin reel and very exciting it is.
What to choose? , improved technology has given us an ever widening choice of great reels at competitive prices.
The Shimano Bait Runner is almost a must, the ability for fish to take line without yanking the rod into the water or having coils of slack line, is a great asset.

Lines

Lines need to be at least 8 lbs.. , you can use lighter line, check your permits as some fisheries insist on heavy line.

Protect the wildlife :- Lengths of broken fishing line can cause serious injuries.

Hooks

General purpose hooks

Most carp fisheries insist on barbless hooks, some allow Preston Innovation's pinched barbless.
Short shank, round bend, wide gape with in turned point. Ideal for luncheon meat paste and sweet corn.
Medium shank, crystal bend with slightly in turned point. Best for maggot and worm.
Long shank, wide gape with in turned point Great for double caster. A good all round hook for larger fish is the Shimano Specimen.

Nets and Mats

Large specimen landing net + a ghost spoon net for match sized fish, do choose a stiff handle of about 6 Ft. for the specimen net, long telescopic handles bend not to mention the strain on your arm when landing bigger fish.
Keep nets need to be of a special type and only used on fishing matches.
Some fisheries do allow keep nets to be used by pleasure anglers,however fish of 3 Lbs.. and over should be unhooked and returned to the water.

Unhooking Mats

A must for dealing with large specimens, these fish can easily be damaged, particularly on hard surfaces.
Reasonably priced and often double up as a carry bag.
Remember to draw the net back towards the bank, grasp the end of he handle and frame of the net and gently lift it out - put the fish on an approved unhooking mat.

If you must handle the fish wet your hands first.
DO NOT USE TOWELS AND RETURN THE FISH TO THE WATER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Seats

A serious piece of kit for those who like their comfort and sit for hours or even days. Plenty on the market, avoid cheap canvas seats, they do have a place as an occasional seat when travelling light but are not sturdy enough for long fishing sessions.
Try before you buy, we all vary in stature, get the one that suits you, do make sure that it is sturdy and has 4 adjustable feet.
Bed chairs are a must if you regularly disappear for days, when used as a bed they should have 6 feet for stability.

Bivvies

On extended field trips a suitable shelter is a great asset, a lot will depend on the terrain at your chosen venue, steep sloping banks should be avoided, reserve such venues for fishing in the daylight. Many fisheries do not allow night fishing, so think about where you are going to fish before spending your hard earned cash.

Alarms - Electronic Bite Indicators

A truly magical piece of equipment it has all the advantages of conventional bite indicators.
Leger fishing for carp is very relaxing and the audible tone indicating a take enables us to follow other relaxing pursuits without missing bites.

Modern alarms are very sensitive and very easy to set up, however they do require us to fish in a straight line to achieve maximum sensitivity.
We also need some way of indicating drop back takes ( ie - when the fish takes the bait and heads back towards us) there are many gadgets on the market and they can be expensive

I am not a serious Carp angler and my simple set up only cost me £5, having obtained a Fox micro alarm from a car boot sale.

If you have an Octoplus feeder arm you can adapt it by fitting a universal joint in the end to take the alarm, resting the butt of your rod on a standard vee necked rod rest, alternatively open a side drawer if you have a Watercraft Box.
More expensive gear consists of adjustable alarms - monkey climbers - drop off's and rod pods.

Float Rigs

I have taken Carp to 14 lbs. with this simple rig.

Standard 13' waggler rod.Standard fixed spool reel loaded with
5 lb.line.

Small crystal waggler (3 x No.4 shot) double thread the float put the first shot directly under the float and put the other two together 2' from the hook.

Hook Shimano Specimen No.10 barbless tied direct to main line.

Bait 2 or 3 pieces of sweet corn depending on size or 3 pond pellets.

If you are quiet you don't have to fish a long way out, plenty of big fish cruise round the margins, they can also be found in the mouths of small bays.

Alternative rig for longer distances

Loaded bodied waggler with all the bulk shot at the base of the float, add one No.8 shot 6 to 8 inches from the hook.

Leger Rigs

Basic set-up as normal Specialist set-ups are a matter of individual choice, here are a couple to start off with :-
Helicopter feeder set-up with hair rig

Good for long distance fishing in still waters.

Pole Rigs