Carp Fishing

Rod Rests

Many carp anglers fish primarily with what is known as 'static baits', whereby long hours are spent sitting behind rods that are specifically positioned in areas where carp may feed. In such circumstances long hours of holding the rod will soon become tiresome - and this is where the rod rest comes in. Rod rests are also used to assist with indication by keeping the rod off the ground and clear of any debris that may interfere with line movement. They can be made from a wide range of materials, from a simple tree branch to a machine-turned piece of steel. They come in many different designs and shapes, with some already complete and others with adjustable heads and lengths. Those with adjustable heads are usually termed banksticks and are normally preferred by the carp angler as they can accommodate the widely used bite alarm. Banksticks also have a multitude of other uses -including the support of the buzzer bar.

Buzzer Bars

Buzzer bars are horizontal supports that hold the rods at regular intervals. They always consist of two or more head screws, depending on how many rods you wish to use, and they are designed to keep the bankside rod set-up neat and at hand. As with rod rests and banksticks, buzzer bars come in a number of different designs to suit personal preference. Many carp anglers like to use two sets of buzzer bars for their set-up. These are termed the front and the back bars, and are used to support the alarms and butt rests respectively.

All buzzer bars are supported by bankstick inserts. These give the carp angler excellent rod stability, but they can sometimes be awkward to insert on hard banks. For this reason the infamous rod pod was born.

Rod Pods

In simple terms a rod pod is a one-piece rod rest that you can move about easily and that you do not have to push into the ground. The original purpose of a rod pod was to create a stable set-up whilst fishing on hard and rocky banks such as those around many of the big reservoirs but, in recent years, convenience and fashion seem to have taken over. Like everything else, rod pods come in many different designs and materials, and therefore the price of them varies greatly. Although most junior anglers are on limited budgets, we recommend that beginners try to purchase a rod pod ahead of buzzer bars and banksticks. This will be of more benefit to you in the long run.

Butt Grips and Rests

The back bars of any carp rod set-up should include butt grips or butt rests to rest the butt end of the carp rod on. They come in an array of different shapes and sizes, with our choice being the grippers, which almost lock the rod into place.