smufter

Pod for me. No need to worry how hard or soft the bank is like you do with sticks. I have a Cygnet Quicklock pod which is fairly light, and very easy to set up. The supplied zip bag is just about big enough to hold a small pair of banksticks too, so these also sit in there for the odd time they are required. The only time I'll use them is if I fancy popping a bait down the near margins where the line would be at right angles if the rod was left on the pod. Having said that, I don't mind at all if I have one fishing at 90 degrees to be honest. A lot of people will say you need your rod pointing towards your bait. Rubbish. If anything picks up my margin bait I'll know soon enough. Just got to remember to lift into it sideways rather than up!

Plus the stripped braid is a lot less conspicuous at the business end. I wouldn't want what is effectively something the diameter of 200lb breaking strain mono anywhere near my fish!!

Despite now using Velocity's, I love my Outkasts and will never get rid of them. I have the 11' "Small Water" versions (2.25's) and they have never let me down. Feather light, they could be held all day for stalking or floater fishing if required, and they have a wonderful fish playing action. They are best suited for using with small leads (up to about 1.5oz) but are not really happy if I load them up with a PVA bag, hence getting the Tribals. The lake I now fish requires longer chucks to reach certain fish holding spots and PVA bags seem to be the order of the day. I had to shop around for 11' Velocity's as I prefer this length, and in the end had to get them from Holland as UK stocks had disappeared. Had I wanted 12' rods I would have had no hesitation in going for Outkasts in a higher test curve.

Nooooooo! I was only joking!! They're rubbish. Great choice

Personally I'd rather do without the remote and put my money into something with a "name" and a bit more of a reputation. Therefore, like Dayvid above I'd be going the Fox Micron route. Prices start around £25.00 each (new) or there are plenty of listings on ebay for 2nd hand sets, you might get lucky if you have a hunt around! Fox alarms are bullet proof. Nothing fancy, they just do the job. Simple toggle on/off switch so you can see at a glance whether they are on or off, therefore easy enough to switch off when you are retrieving or adjusting your bobbins etc. so that you don't annoy people the other side of the lake! This facility alone makes them worth their weight in gold. When I first started out I bought some cheap "no name" alarms off the bay, they did this, they did that, on paper they were the dogs doo dahs! In reality, they were a pain in the butt. I could never tell when they were on or off, (to the annoyance of aforementioned anglers on the other side of the lake) and on more than one occasion actually had them going off in my tackle bag on the way back from a session! I now have Fox alarms and wouldn't swap out for the world. They have never (ever) let me down despite some serious drenchings. Even if I won the lottery tomorrow, I wouldn't change them. I might treat myself to a trio of top range custom rods, maybe even some top range reels. But my good old Microns do exactly what I want them to do, which is make a row if I get a run.

I had some Free Spirits a couple of years back.... not the CTX but the TS versions. They were absolutely superb. Brilliant build quality. For some stupid reason I sold them. One of life's regrets. I'd buy some more in a heartbeat if I had the money.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GREYS-UNIVERSAL-LINE-CLIPS-X-3-CARP-FISHING-ROD-CLIP-FIT-ON-ANY-CARP-ROD-1325585-/112405047540?hash=item1a2bdce8f4:g:SD0AAOSw44BYK1ch There you go. Pack of three (ooerrrrr!). I used them on some rods I had without clips and they work perfectly.

Another vote for the Tribal Velocity. I've got 3 and love 'em. They are a little bit heavier than others I have handled, but only by an ounce or two. But as they spent the vast majority of their time sitting on rests/alarms it doesn't bother me one iota.

I tend to use a size 4 with everything from 18mm bottom baits to a couple of pieces of popped up corn. The only time I might consider going smaller is if my pop up rig is playing up due to the weight of the hook, but I never change on a bottom bait. I do tend to prefer black finished hooks. Blend in with the crud a bit better

I used to fish slightly longer rigs but find about 9" is the ideal for me. I used to worry a lot about trying to keep the hookbait away from the lead, but concern myself more nowadays with matching the hooklength colour to the lake bed, swapping between weedy green or silt coloured depending on venue.

I did say "most".

Ah you didn't word it like that! Yes, I've had to reel in one of the other rods (or at least had to remove it from the pod and place it down low on the ground) to avoid a fish running across my line, but never (ever) have I had to throw my pod out of the way, or have I ever seen anyone else do anything so daft. And the only way I could see you not having to do something like this is if you were using single bank sticks spaced out quite a way apart, with lines going out at all angles. Who fishes single banksticks? Most people using sticks will have a two rod buzz bar fitted. Which is no different to using a two rod pod!!

I can honestly say that I have never seen anyone get their inactive line tangled by using a pod.

Absolutely. Not my "ideal" type of pod, I prefer the ones with a "goalpost" type leg set up, but it will be fine. I never used to get tangled on one of these.....

I'll second Fox Microns. I have 3 x MX+ alarms that have never given me a moments problem since the day I bought them. I have no need for a receiver as I bring my rods in at night and am always "on" them at other times. You can pick them up new for under £35.00 each if you shop around, and I personally think they are great value for money. Separate tone and volume controls, and a very simple "toggle" on/off switch which I like. The blue LED light is very bright (repeat VERY!!), you can see it instantly. In the dark it will easily light up the surrounding trees so you can even run them on "silent mode" The other bonus with them is that they run on simple AAA batteries, which are available anywhere. My Daughters previous alarms (she now has the same Microns as me) required a tiny little battery which wasn't available everywhere, and it was a right pain in the butt if you needed replacements in an emergency. I appreciate that Delks and the like have a following, but I can think of a lot more things I want to spend my hard earned on, and a hundred ££££'s or more saved on alarms would allow me to buy "better" reels, landing net or luggage for instance.

Absolutely love mine. Used it in France last year and the magnet is very strong, ideal for attaching to the top of my brolly. Move it far enough back and the fish can't even see it.

I've had this problem before because I leave my rods set up in the bag and the lead has given one of the eyes a clunk in transit.

I've got about four of the smaller ones and one of the larger ones. Much better in the bright green rather than black because they are harder to lose. But it doesn't stop me losing them (usually to my daughters tackle box)

I seem to recall sellers doing this when they are "out of stock" because it saves them having to go through the agro of "re-listing" when they get some more. I use those and they are great.

I'd personally go for it, unless you are completely anal about all three rods having to match (as a lot of us are lol!!)? Only you know the different tc, the fish won't have a clue... Plus, as you say, there is always the ability to throw one bait out a bit further than the other, but I personally don't think there will be that much of a difference between the two test curves. Be different if two were 2.25 and the other was 3.25....

A bit like golf. I've lost count of the number of guys I've met who can "regularly" drive 300 yards plus. Most professional golfers are averaging less than that!!

Bingo http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wychwood-Carp-Fishing-NEW-C-101-Rods-All-Sizes-/401080271039?var=&hash=item5d623f40bf:m:mB9b_3dL5_MjAU85wrgSUlA 2.75tc will do you fine and bang on your price range.

But should make life easier for overnighters etc....

The problem is that whenever I go fishing, the far margins always look to have less snags than the banks I am on!

This is the stupid thing about Carp fishing. You'll turn up at a lake and immediately start fishing the far margins because you're told that's where the fish are. But the bloke on the other side of the lake, who has been told the same thing, is doing his level best to put his bait about a foot out from where YOU are standing!!