Buzz Bars vs Pods

[frogy]

Hi everyone, just wondered what everyone's opinions were of buzz bars or pods and which do you use?. I usually use a pod but most people I know use buzz bars and poo poo pods. Just wondered if there are reasons where one may be better than the other or is it just a personal thing?

Thanks.

[bluelabel]

both for me.... a pod on hard ground or platform and sticks otherwise

[harpz_31]

Same as blue

Use pod on hard ground and bars all other times

[dayvid]

Best of both worlds , Pod hard ground ..... Sticks soft ground

[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!

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by smufter

[salokcinnodrog]

On 8 June 2017 at 17:49, dayvid said:

Best of both worlds , Pod hard ground ..... Sticks soft ground

Same for me, I'd rather not use a pod, but if situations dictate it then I do

[greekskii]

4 hours ago, smufter said:

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!

 

Never heard that being said before. 

[welder]

Bars versus Pods? No versus required. Carry both and deploy as you see fit.

Ian

[TheKingTench]

Not sure whether to have a two pairs of bank sticks  for my rods, or go with a buzz bar and have them sitting side by side. 

 

Any advice?

[salokcinnodrog]

Best advice is point your rods at your lead, or as close as possible to straight.

 

I nearly always use 3 rods on my pod now, so tend to have a slight fan or splay from left to right. One is usually on bait, one just off, and one as a rover or cast long.

 

If I fish 2 rods, again as straight as possible on goalpost buzzer bars.

If you do need to fish in opposite directions on separate features then individual sticks is better.

 

On one lake I fish, its possible to have my buzzer bars with one rod on the near margin, and one to the far margin.

[TheKingTench]

Just thinking how to avoid tangles. 

[greekskii]

I fish two on tight buzz bars and my third on singles wherever it needs to be. 

If you're fishing tight to snags do not fish with rods pointing at the lead. You'll have a problem with fish getting straight in to the snags. 

I prefer to have a slight angle from rod tip to lead to increase resistance on a take. It also makes the fish have to exert more energy to pull line off the clutch. 

To avoid tangles, just plan what you'll do in advance. If you're fishing tight lines you can go under/over to try and untangle lines. If fishing slack you shouldn't have a problem 

Edited January 20, 2018 by greekskii

[salokcinnodrog]

27 minutes ago, greekskii said:

I fish two on tight buzz bars and my third on singles wherever it needs to be. 

If you're fishing tight to snags do not fish with rods pointing at the lead. You'll have a problem with fish getting straight in to the snags. 

I prefer to have a slight angle from rod tip to lead to increase resistance on a take. It also makes the fish have to exert more energy to pull line off the clutch. 

To avoid tangles, just plan what you'll do in advance. If you're fishing tight lines you can go under/over to try and untangle lines. If fishing slack you shouldn't have a problem 

Must admit if fishing to snags I do point straight at the snag, but with a very tight line, and hit every bleep, so the fish doesn't make it. You have to be right on the rods, no excuses, and singles are best for that.

 

It is very easy to play fish around slack lines, as pretty much the line drops straight down from the rod tip, so all playing is done past the line, and the untouched line never comes into play.

Current has meant I have to be fishing tight lines the past few years, but the distance involved from rod to end tackle means I can play a fish around other lines. With three rods on bars it is probably the middle rod that is hardest to play and land a fish on!

Even then, daytimes you can gauge the line as you play the fish and keep it below or above the other lines. Not so easy at night though!

 

[cloud9]

To me it depends upon how your fishing , I use both,  usually fish with one rod out and the other in the margins, but I do have a plan as how I will play and land the fish, from both rods, to be honest the water I fish has quite clear bank's in most swims so walking along the bank to land a fish is not a major problem ........ I fish with my margin rod at 90 degree that way I can see the rod tip move before the alarm goes off most of the time .....

[TheKingTench]

Thanks for the replies. I think what I shall do is fish one rod straight out, and also have my other rod close in the margins with slack line. 

 

Both with running rigs. 

 

Only had one carp so far this year, so open to critique. 

[greekskii]

7 hours ago, TheKingTench said:

Only had one carp so far this year, so open to critique. 

One carp means different to everyone. Depends on venue. At this time of year any carp is a good carp. 

[yonny]

On 1/20/2018 at 23:14, TheKingTench said:

I think what I shall do is fish one rod straight out, and also have my other rod close in the margins with slack line. 

Put all of your rods where the carp are fella.

[TheKingTench]

On 22/01/2018 at 08:52, yonny said:

Put all of your rods where the carp are fella.

This makes sense haha

[Honest John]

Hi .... new to carp fishing so go easy on me .... what are your thoughts .... pros and cons of using a rod pod or individual bank sticks on a two rod set up .... thanks in advance.

[salokcinnodrog]

42 minutes ago, Honest John said:

Hi .... new to carp fishing so go easy on me .... what are your thoughts .... pros and cons of using a rod pod or individual bank sticks on a two rod set up .... thanks in advance.

I merged your question with an existing one on the same subject

[greekskii]

47 minutes ago, Honest John said:

Hi .... new to carp fishing so go easy on me .... what are your thoughts .... pros and cons of using a rod pod or individual bank sticks on a two rod set up .... thanks in advance.

individual sticks allow you to position your rods where you want them at any angle or position. something you cant really do with pods. 

However pods can be used on any surface (not safely though) whereas sticks cant. You can buy stage stands for sticks and these will work on wood. However if your fishery is silly enough to install the plastic platforms then it's pod only, and those can be dragged across the plastic ones anyway. 

 

[...]

Never used a pod always used sticks......BUT this year i have bought the TF Gear Banshee Pod to give it a wirl...hoping next weekend 🎣🎣

[B.C.]

On ‎6‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 18:05, frogy said:

Hi everyone, just wondered what everyone's opinions were of buzz bars or pods and which do you use?. I usually use a pod but most people I know use buzz bars and poo poo pods. Just wondered if there are reasons where one may be better than the other or is it just a personal thing?

Thanks.

I have a couple set up on buzzer bars and 1 on a single stick, like Greeksi...  The buzzer bar is handy as some waters are 2 rod only. If I use a third rod, which isn't often, then the single is placed somewhere to the side, giving me a bit of room in the swim, and usually fished down the edge, out of the way of the other two rods. This works for me, helps when landing fish, and less likelihood of all 3 getting wiped out at once by a fish,swan etc It's always handy to own a pod of some sort for when the ground is rock hard in the summer months, or if your water will accommodate stage stands, they too , are a good option when the ground is hard........ Rods don't always need to be perfectly aligned like a mag shot, fish the situation that is in front of you. Singles are best imo, but you can't always get away with it depending on your swim and how hard the ground is.

I think, in the main, it is largely a personal thing whilst the ground is soft.... Once it becomes rock hard, then the pod gets a run out for me.

[RobertZilla]

I'm more flexible with sticks and buzz bars. Rod below only where I can not stick anything in the floor: D

[smufter]

I've ditched the 3 rod buzzbars on my pod and gone back to the two.

3rd rod oinked down the margins sitting on a pair of Cygnet "short and stumpys". Great little sticks, weigh next to nothing and as the name suggests are both "short" and "stumpy" so take up next to no room in the bag.