Rod & Reel Advice

[Elton]

Posted on behalf of Brian:

 

quote:

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I am new to fishing,and I want to buy a rod that can catch carp up to 10lb and I can also do match fishing for smaller fish up to 4lb approx.

Also please explain what baitrunner means when I want to buy a reel.

Thank You, Brian

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[chesters1]

buy a through action 2lb tc rod for carp,its very forgiving and can handle any fish (eventually) in a relativly snagfree lake ,a bait runner is just a reel which uses a seperate clutch to enable line to be taken by a running fish (so your rod cannot be pulled into the lake),its just an improvement on loosening the spool clutch used in days of old a turn of the handle or clicking the free spool button lets you wind in the fish

for match fishing a 12 to 14ft rod is used ,all with a decent reel and the clutch set correctly will handle most fish including carp

 

[ 07. October 2002, 08:06 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

[davidP]

If you definitely want a rod that will do both then you'll have to look at some of the new waggler rods that are being manufactured specifically for modern carp-dominated match waters. They're often termed bagging waggler rods I believe (although they often use baggin' but I was brought up proper ). These are like normal float rods but stepped up to cope with the carp that predominate. Most manufacturers now produce them in all price ranges.

[chesters1]

hoped someone else replied ,the last time i bought a rod was about ten years ago a 17ft carbon still use my 14ft fibreglass one though every trip, am i a stick in the mud

[Steve Burke]

As usual I agree with David. Stepped-up float rods, carp float rods, call them what you will, these will fit your needs perfectly. However, bear in mind you won't be able to fish very light hooklengths with them, so don't choose a too powerful one for the stamp of fish you've mentioned.

 

I'd definitely go for one with a screw-fitting reel seat to avoid the reel falling off. Also personally I much prefer a short handle, although the standard is around 22-24 inches. Partly this is to balance the rod and avoid it being tip heavy. However, a good rod shouldn't have this problem anyway.

 

Make sure you have plenty of rings, at least one per foot otherwise the line will stick to the rod in wet weather. It's not so important when fishing stillwaters but is vital if you later also fish rivers.