Since you seem quite new to carp fishing (apologies if I am making false assumptions!) then I have a few suggestions for you. Another assumption I am going to make is that the rods you have purchased are typical carp rods (40-50mm butt rings, 2.5-3.5lb TC, 10-12' length). My advice in the rest of this post will take these assumptions as fact, though please correct me if I am wrong on any count, and I will tailor future replies to the extra information!
Reels. As a new carp angler, the first mistake you should avoid is buying a load of the top of the range gear. Some people decide it is not for them after a couple of sessions, so it can be a really quick method of losing money. As such, I'd go for something in the Shakespeare Omni or Okuma ranges, maybe even a TF Gear Airlite. All really simple bait runners that'll do the job, and are within a price range similar to the rods you have purchased. If the reels you purchase come pre-spooled with line, I'd suggest re-spooling with a quality line for two reasons - you can't be sure how long pre-spooled reels have been sitting with the existing line on, which can mean that the line is either weakened, damaged or simply has the memory of an elephant. A bulk spool of Daiwa Sensor will cost you about £8, will spool both reels and is available in diameters to suit a beginner's needs.
Reel & Line total spend: £35-£40.
Next, as a budding carp angler, you're going to need a few fish care essentials - a landing net & unhooking mat. You can pick up a 42" landing net from Hardwear for around £20 and although it isn't the best or lightest net in the world, it'll survive a season or two. Being quite heavy, a good idea is to push the bottom of the net between the Y-arms to minimize resistance - when a fish drops into the net, its weight will return the net to its usual position. As for an unhooking mat, you can get cheaper models that are well-padded enough to protect the fish that you catch from between £5-£15. They should last a season or two although you'll probably upgrade well before you need to decommission it due to wear and tear (carp tackle buying is a bug that catches you before you really realize what's happened). Finally, a little fish care kit for treating wounds caught can be really helpful, and will only run your bill up by an extra £5 or so.
Landing & Unhooking total spend: £20-£40.
Onto terminal tackle. Now, there are a few intricacies that we could go into. There is an endless amount of information out there about this rig and that. As a beginner, you should probably concern yourself with two rigs - they'll both catch on 90% of waters you'll fish, and you can learn more as you go along. A basic knotless knot rig, and a basic pop-up rig. Until you're comfortable with these, chances are you can ignore more advanced rigs. You'll come to them later. For the billy basics, the only knots you'll really need to learn are the knotless knot, the grinner knot, how to attach a pop-up using bait floss and a loop to loop connection. This list can become quite extensive eventually, but for now concentrate on acquiring these basic items and you'll invariably add to them as you go along: a tackle box, a variety of wide-gape and curve shank hooks, a braid or coated braid hook length material (fluorocarbon can work wonders in clear winter water, but we're keeping it simple), some swivels, a leader material (avoid lead core if your local fisheries have banned it), some safety lead clips & tail rubbers, and a variety of leads of different sizes and possibly some PVA Mesh & the gear to go with it - a simple PVA starter set will cost around £12.
Terminal tackle total: £30-£40 or so.
Complete the set-up: You can pick up a cheap pod or set of bank sticks and buzz bars for £15-20, and though they aren't going to be the sturdiest things in the world, they'll do for starters. Cheap alarms can be terrible, but Pro Logic or Leeda have a few that are in the £15-20 per alarm range, they have volume and tone control and they aren't completely awful. Cheap bobbins will cost you about £5 for a set of three, and will do the trick for now. A boilie throwing stick, or a heavy duty catapult (I really like Korda's variants) will help if you're fishing at a range and will cost around £10-15.
Sticks and bits total cost: £60 or there abouts.
If you have a
rod license already, brilliant, if not then they cost £27 for a season. At this point in the year, go for a shorter term one, since April (renewal time) is fast approaching. They are available
at the post office.
For
choosing a bait, the best bet is to speak to anglers who frequent the waters that you'll be fishing. Find what's working, what's not and make your own decisions from that. A high-quality boilie may well be popular on a lot of waters, but don't forget that more traditional baits work, too. Look at fisheries catch reports, social media sites and websites to get a good insight into which baits are producing the goods before you go for a session. Every little helps.
With all of your gear and bait sorted, one important aspect of carp fishing successfully is
watercraft and observation. Fish to the conditions - if the fish are showing on top, fish for them on top. Don't pick a swim based on proximity to the car park or cafe, take a look around and choose an area where you can either see fish or where you can see features which are likely to attract fish. Watercraft is one of those things you will hone with time, eventually it will be second nature to you, especially with a pair of polarizing glasses to hand.
Here's a better explanation on watercraft than I have the space to write on the forum, but feel free to ask any further questions. Although a lot of people dislike commercials, and for good reason, they're good venues for newcomers to cut their teeth on, and thanks to the high stock levels, you will quickly come to recognize signs of showing fish and to associate them with the features available.
I feel that I've probably bored half the forum into an early slumber, so my sincerest apologies to all who took the time to read that wall of text! However, I will keep an eye on this thread and if you have any more questions then ask away, and I will try to help out as best as I can!
Regards,
Jay.
