beechy1991 Posted October 14, 2017 Report Share Posted October 14, 2017 (edited) Hi guys i am completely new to carp fishing. i normally do fly fishing. I have purchased a couple of 12 ft rods off of gum tree as my mate has recommended we try carp fishing in are local lake. (mild mead Devon) I now have been looking for reels and i don't have a clue which one to get or which line to get or have a clue what leader i need. i am thinking of getting a reel that can take up to 20 pound line. do i need a leader like in fly fishing? i am a complete Noob! Also i have had a look on ebay and searched carp fishing and there is loads of gizmos. what is the basic gear i need to get me going? many thanks ross Edited October 15, 2017 by beechy1991 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianain Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Welcome to the forum: Most of the items you want have been discussed in other threads on this forum so it's well worth a good search and browse through since there are many opinions and you will get a better balanced answer. Leaders:- Some places ban them, there's no need to use one for the majority of fishing situations. Line:- 10lb to 12lb will probably do you fine for most lakes where there are few or no snags. Things to buy: Carp mat, large landing net and handle Things to buy off ebay: Kitchen sink ... once you've got your reel and line sorted, a couple of hook sizes and (if your rods are "carp rods" rather than float rods) a few leads, swivels, buffer beads will get you going until you decide that you need a few more bits and pieces (when you know what they are for!) Note: A there is a lot of talk about rigs, the thing to keep in mind is that if your main-line breaks, the fish is not left trailing your lead about or there are various loops and things which can snag underwater tethering the fish. The best advice overall is to keep it simple and enjoy your time on the bank B.C. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Again, I'd advocate what Ian is saying above..... keep it simple. To somebody new to carping, the amount of rigs and different methods of fishing for them can seem extremely confusing and daunting. It seems like a new type of rig is being discovered every week, when in truth most of them are a re-hash of something that has been tried before. The plain truth of the matter is that Carp swim along and eat things.... if you put something edible in front of them, and they're hungry, they'll pick it up and try it. Finding the fish is the name of the game. Don't go out and buy tackle until you are pretty sure which type of water you are likely to be fishing. For instance, where reels are concerned it's no good buying "big pit reels" if you are going to be fishing smaller, estate type waters. As Ian recommends, 10 to 12lb line will cover most fishing situations here in the UK, so it's no good buying a reel that needs about 500 yards of 20lb line to fill it, because you'll spend a fortune if you then have to fill it with 12lb line! Baitrunner reels are by far the most popular type of reel for Carp fishing, with Daiwa and Shimano being possibly the two biggest names discussed when reels are mentioned. I'd personally be looking in their ranges, but there are other makes like Fox, Sonik and Wychwood who offer similar and are of pretty good quality. With regards rigs, You Tube is a good source of information, and if you type in something along the lines of "simple bottom bait rig for carp fishing" it will give you a good idea of the sort of things you need to get started. You'll need hooks naturally, and I'd recommend size 6 to 4 for general carp use. Also be aware that many types of different hook are available, some barbed, some "micro barbed" and some barbless. Be careful, because different waters have different rules and if it's a lake with a website their "rules" section will usually tell you which type of hook you require. There is always a lot of heated debate when the barbless v barbed hook raises it's ugly head. Personally, I prefer using micro barbed hooks as I think they do less damage to the fish than barbless, but that's just my opinion.... As Ian says.... keep it simple. This game is made out to be a lot harder than it needs to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salokcinnodrog Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Welcome to Carp.com. The reels you need will depend on what rods you have. There is no point in putting a set of Big Pits on a 2.5lb test curve rods, and at the same time putting a tiny set of Shimano 4000 size reels on a 2.75lb rod. Match your reels to your rods. I looked at the Milemead website, the largest lake is 3 acres, so in theory, you won't need Big Pits, although I did notice that they do have catfish, so if you are intending on targetting them with a higher tc rod you may need a bigger reel. Keep your fishing as simple as possible, as others have said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Hi pal...im fairly new now to carp fishing as these guys may know...i bought a full NGT 3x rod setup to start..upgraded the reels to summat more suited to the 12ft 2.75tc bought linaffe all blacks bait runners..upgraded the rod pod to a goal post setup and better terminal mainly korda...also a chub rs us max bivvy...not bad for all around £300.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyborx Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 hi beechy, welcome to the world of carpy things as has been said already, buy minimum kit until you are sure that it is the game for you. there are plenty of threads on here that give good info about rigs, kit and tackle, also things like bankside safety and yours + fishes health, i will post a link below to some interesting stuff that everyone should read (and as a wink to others on here) but take what you will from it, there is for instance a very informative post on hooks, their various styles and uses. look here also dont think that you need to but loads of named brand gear just because that is what you are being advised to do, some folk think nowt of ordering rods and reels that can come in at over £500 each but really they dont catch fish any faster than a £20 rod from ebay, take a look at these lineaeffe reels for instance, i brought a set of these as my first carp reels over 6-7 years ago, they get plenty of use as i try to get out at least 1-2 times a week with 10 or so overnights, my biggest fish is a 25lb pike and largest carp is a tad over 24lb and those cheapo stinky winky reels did the business and are still going strong today. just realized that the one still has the same line on it that it came with and that one is used as a spod and marker reel so yeh! mega money does not need to be spent ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beechy1991 Posted October 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) Hi guys thank you very much for the replies and welcoming me to the forum. I forgot to mention the carp rods I bought had 2.5 strain on it (I think that's what it is called) also I ended up purchasing a 2 sets of reels off eBay last night and turns out to be a good guess purchase as it was lineaeffe reels you keep recommending. I also bought some Korda wide gate hooks size six. Once I get my set up I'll get a picture for you guys one question do u just tie the hook to the line? Edited October 15, 2017 by beechy1991 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Easiest to tie is knoltess knot but you can buy already made rigs (list is endless of knots). I bought ready made at first then started to strip them down to see how to be tied then i started tying my own..you tube is the BEST place for knots and how to tie rigs..some of the guys on here alao give brilliant advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Inline lead system lead clip system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salokcinnodrog Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 1 hour ago, Highy said: Inline lead system lead clip system Can't remember whether the top pic is from Bluebirdjones or 666, but it was one of the pics we had in lead set up stickies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyborx Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 in reality you will find that you only ever need 3 knots for all your angling, the Uni knot, the Pallomar and one of the variations on the blood knot. i will use the Uni knot for joining on a length of stronger line on the few occasions that i need a leader. the pallomar for tying swivels and freeline hooks on and for a hair rig i will use the half blood knot. 1) Uni Knot 2) palomar knot 3) tucked half blood knot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyborx Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 7 minutes ago, cyborx said: in reality you will find that you only ever need 3 knots for all your angling, the Uni knot, the Pallomar and one of the variations on the blood knot. i will use the Uni knot for joining on a length of stronger line on the few occasions that i need a leader. the pallomar for tying swivels and freeline hooks on and for a hair rig i will use the half blood knot. 1) Uni Knot 2) palomar knot 3) tucked half blood knot my apologies (tired now lol) the last one for tying hooks with a hair is the knotless knot not the half blood knot (ha! tongue twister there ) 3) knotless knot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillfactor Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Coming from a fly background you shouldn't have any trouble mastering a few new knots . I use 3 the myself Palomar knot Figure of eight loop knot Albright knot I'm not going to include the knotless knot as it's knotless after all. Just to add don't ignore all you have learnt fly fishing will stand you in good stead especially when you get into zig fishing . Enjoy & welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beechy1991 Posted October 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2017 Hi guys thanks for all the reply it has been a great help and a good read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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