I'd be very grateful if someone could explain the difference between a carp rod and a feeder rod. I bought a Shakespeare mach 3 XT 11ft feeder rod to start my fishing career but would this be OK for going after bigger carp with heavier rigs? Please excuse any naivety.
Many thanks.
A dedicated carp rod is likely to have huge rings and not many of them. It's also likely to be a poker in comparison. Modern carp rods are designed to chuck big lumps of lead (1 to 4oz or so) and PVA bags of bait a good distance. Lines used are likely to be in the order of 10 to 18lb breaking strain depending on the rod.
You feeder rod is going to have a quiver tip and be much lighter. It's not expected to cast much more than a couple of ounces. Line ratings are likely to be in the order of 3 to 6lb. It's not designed for modern carp fishing tactics.
However, that doesn't mean that you can't catch carp, even good carp, on your rod. Just don't try putting 12lb line through it and try chucking a 3oz lead to the horizon.