Carp Reel - Your Guide To Carp Fishing Reels: How To Choose The Right Carp Reel

How To Choose The Right Carp Reel
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Admin on 31/08/2010 20:27:00


A visit to the tackle shop can be a quite daunting experience nowadays, it seems
you can’t move for revolutionary new products all claiming they can put you
more fish on the bank than those from the next brand, and it’s no different
with carp reels – there are countless types on offer from various
manufacturers – so where do you start when trying to decide what carp reel
would suit you best?
Well. first you have to take a look at your own fishing – not just the
fishing you are doing now, but the fishing you intend to be doing in the future
– in order that you can select a carp reel which offers valuable service now
and into the future.
Some reels can offer a level of versatility whilst others are strictly limited
in terms of purpose, so it’s important to base decisions on proper suitability
rather than on just buying reels that look good on the bank!
For example, it’s pointless buying a top end big pit reel designed for
distance fishing, if the biggest chuck you do is fifty yards to the island on
your local park lake, and likewise, a big pit reel won’t be suited to any
stalking or surface fishing you intend to do with the reel, as they can be quite
heavy and cumbersome when compared to a small Baitrunner or rear drag reel.
At the other end of the scale, most free-runner reels have small spools so your
ideal casting range is up to 100 yards. If you are constantly going to be
casting in excess of this, then you might be better paid to look at a big pit or
distance reel. Not just so you can hit the distances required easier, but so
that you can also retrieve the lead quicker when winding in, as the rate of
retrieve per crank of the reel handle on a big pit might be twice that of a
free-running reel, and this with better line lay on the spool too.
It’s important to remember that any individual carp reel, be it free-running
or big pit, can’t bee all things to all anglers. As such, what you’ll likely
find is that in time, you’ll build up a collection of carp reels suited to
different tasks; stalking & surface fishing, short to medium range work,
distance work, and even reels designed solely for spodding or marker work.
You also need to look at budget. Is the reel a stop-gap carp reel until you can
afford a top of the range specimen, a reel that needs to be purchased along with
other items of tackle at the same time (with carp rods and bite alarms for
example) or is this a one off purchase of a top of the range item which you’ve
been working up to for a while – lucky you!
Whatever the purchase, it’s important to get the best out of whatever budget
you’re working to, so again look at use. For example, suppose you use Shimano
Baitrunners for most of your fishing but need to get some big pits to take
abroad, it makes little sense going for a set of top of the range Basiairs if
they’re only going to go straight into the cupboard never to see the light of
day once you return. Far better to buy a set of entry level big pits which will
be fine for your holiday without costing you the earth.
Whichever route you take, if you want to make your money go further, it’s
also worth considering second hand carp reels, as this way you can often get
twice as much for your money. As many anglers like to upgrade their carp tackle
every year or two for no other reason than they can, there’s always a
fantastic choice of second hand carp tackle about just waiting to find a new
owner, so it’s well worth considering.
Be sure to check out our other carp reel guides, all designed to arm you with
all the info you need to purchase the perfect carp fishing reel!