Recommendations for a cheap margin pole

[nava]

I am currently looking for a cheap margin pole around the £100-150 mark to go along with my main pole. I have the Preston pro type so as far as I’m aware there is no margin pole that would interchange with this.

I was looking at either the Preston monster pole or the shimano beastmaster but looks like they’ve stopped doing them so either I wait for a decent 2nd hand one or look for something that’s available now. The ones that have caught my eye are the Maver MVR margin and the frenzee match pro margin.

Just wondering if anyone has any opinions on the poles or and other for that matter.
Thanks.

 

[markcw]

Shop around the websites of Bobco or Angling Direct or Tackle2u they should have a Beastmaster in stock,or just google stockists of Shimano Beastmaster margin pole or give Leigh Tackle and Bait a ring .I think Fishermans Friend in Birmingham still have some in stock.If you get one I would purchase an extra number 3 section, The Frenzee matchpro has a good spares package but is around half a kilo in weight at 9 metres and starts to droop just past 7 metres, Preston have brought a replacement out for the monster roller, but it is more expensive.

Chapmans Angling have them in stock.

 

[sagalout]

I have the beastmaster I would highly recommend it (although it is the only margin pole I have ever owned).

Shimano are still listing it on their web site. It does seem to be out of stock everywhere, maybe shimano are awaiting stock?

 

[caught any mate]

Another vote for the beastmaster
I have one,landed carp nudging 20lb,it takes a lot of abuse and never complains.
I like the side puller top kits it comes with,it makes landing fish easy when on a top 3.
Hope this helps.

 

[nottskev]

I've had a Beastmaster for about ten years. It's only been used a dozen times a year, but it still looks like new. A year or two back, I had a rush of blood and "upgraded" to a Tri-Cast margin pole, touted as the best available. It's not as nice to handle as the Shimano, which I found I couldn't bear to sell on, and instead the unused Tri-Cast will be going. Don't be put off by the relatively low price - the Beastmaster is a quality item. Mine's even had a few barbel out of the Derwent, a stiff test of a pole!

 

[markcw]

Another vote for the beastmaster
I have one,landed carp nudging 20lb,it takes a lot of abuse and never complains.
I like the side puller top kits it comes with,it makes landing fish easy when on a top 3.
Hope this helps.

What side puller system did you drill to fit ?

 

[sagalout]

The kits come with a simple collar type that requires a 5mm hole, the wraps are therefore quite narrow so I was a worried about making a large hole for the side puller. I decided on the MAP ones, £5 for 2, 7mm hole required, I considered the Preston roller ones, £7.50 each, 10mm hole, I thought expensive, and big hole.

 

[John Keane]

What side puller system did you drill to fit ?

Always a leap of faith to drill a hole in your pole. I bought a cheap vertical drill stand and a work clamp from eBay. I’m not massively convinced by the wraps on the Beastmaster kits but didn’t go down the route of having an additional wrap put on. I’m definitely not convinced by the elastic retention system that Shimano offer, called Elastigate so I decided to go down the route of least intrusion and fit the simple Middy PTFE bush. Drill 5mm hole and then push the bush in. It resists at first then goes into place with a very satisfying click. A tiny drop of Superglue run around the edge and you’re good to go. Had mine in place for 2 or 3 seasons and they’re just fine.

 

[markcw]

When I had my Beastmaster I was going to fit the MAP bushes, never got round it, just had the elastic through a top two on a tensioner bung, did the job for me, I ended up selling it because I hardly used it, I have 5 topkits on my main pole which are fitted with side pullers and various grades of elastic in them, it is rare that I will use them, mainly because half the time I forget they are fitted with them, the match kits for the pole incorporate tensioner bungs.