Hello all, I'm new to the forum and looking for some gear advice.
I apologise in advance as I often waffle on but I feel it's the best way to paint a picture and get the best advice from yourselves, so hold tight and sit back haha!
I've been fishing since I was a lad with my dad, he's a proper old school coarse fisherman, uses same rod, reel wicker basket seat box for the last 30 years. Nothing wrong with that he loves it. I really started taking to fishing when I was around 14/15/16, we went to a local fishing pond that is perfect for course fishing. Over time I got bored of throwing a maggot out and waiting for a roach the size of my finger to take the bait (although I have fond memories of this fishing it just isn't for me). So I started buying some cheap, low end carp tackle to try start learning. Started on a feeder rod and a lead that was way too big for the pond and the rod but it was a start. Fast forward a bit and I bought more and more carp tackle and watched more videos and my fishing was improving. I am very lucky where I live as there are so many places to fish literally within 10/15 minutes of me, one of which is a commercial fishery. Me and a friend started going and we soon got ourself some cheap carp rods (more than likely the most basic model of NGT generic carp rod and carp pod) and we built our skills up there. There was 5 ponds and they was all very small ponds stacked with carp from 3lb - 15lb. I think my PB there is about 12/13lb from there. We did that a while up until I left secondary school and got a full time job straight away and life took over and I didn't go fishing for a about 5 years.
Last summer I decided I need a hobby and something to love outside of work, as a high stress job and long hours is tough (ah the car salesman life). I spent about £150 or something like that and bought an entry level NGT carp setup just to get me going, very basic but at that time I was buying a house and wanted all the money on kitting out the house. Anyway I bought a membership for the small ponds (2 ponds, 1 public 1 member pond) as it was literally something crazy like £30 a year. Anyway went about 10 times in 2 weeks with days off and after work and fell into love with it again, caught some nice little carp, best being around 16lb and learned about rigs and leads and all the good stuff with carping and feel comfortable with fishing for small carp and small ponds on basic tackle. Then I got the keys to my house and fishing just took a serious back foot.
So now I am in a position where I want to start carp fishing properly and invest in some decent tackle and make the time to go. So now after that long entry I need some advice in what to do next...
I'm now looking at tackle and I want to buy quality products that I won't grow out of in a few months but won't be buying for the sake of it. I've never fished further than probably 35 metres out on small ponds. There is a small fishing lake a stone throw away from my front door which allows night fishing and memberships are only about £40 a year! So I'm wanting tackle that isn't too big to never be able to go to ponds, is best at small lakes and maybe in the future handle some decent sized venues. I've been looking into tackle and what I'm wanting to get and here is where I'm at...
Rods - Fox Eos 12ft 3lb TC
Reels - Fox Eos 10000 (I've seen the 7000s as well, which would suit my fishing better?)
Pod - Not sure yet
Bite Alarms - Korum KBI 3+1 set - I've seen someone selling x3 Nash S5 alarms for £50 but I in time want to start night fishing and don't want to have to get another set with a receiver as the S5 has no capability I believe that was the S5Rs.
What are peoples thoughts on the above? The above gear is the sort of mark I'm looking at spending at the moment, as I don't want to spend £££ and for what ever reason not go or get into it etc. So any better equivalents would be fantastic. As well as any advice and tips on starting out properly.
I told you it would be a unnecessarily long read but hopefully it helped you get a picture and I can get some advice on my new venture.
Thanks all - Craig