Belgian Carp Fishing

Here you find an explanation about the used materials in carp fishing.

Lately it seems that carp fishers need a trolly to move their equipment to the bankside. I've also collected a whole bunch of material during the years. That aside, i want to explain to the (begining) carp fisher that it is possible to fish for carp without the use of a trolly. Therefore i've devided the page in to two categories" absolutely necessary" and "luxury products". I'll try to make a detailed description of the materials...

absolutely necessary:

• Rod 

These can be purchased in different test curves, 2.5lb,  2.75lb and for the heavier work 3lb and 3.5lb. The two last ones are use for long distance fishing or spodding. If you still have to buy your first rod i recommend you buy the 2.75lb, these are strong enough to throw a lead, (70 to 100gr) but still have enough flexibility to work the fish.

• Reel

There are reels with or without baitrunner. I recommend you use one with a baitrunner. The baitrunnerpart of the reel is used as extra drag, which is set verry loosely so when the fish hooks itself it can take line. You can disable the baitrunner by either turning the handle or flipping the baitrunner switch.

The purpose of the normal drag is to give line just before the mainline or rod breaks. To test if you set your clutch the right way you can pull on the mainline and when the rod is at it's maximum bend the clutch should start to give line. You can set the drag by turning the knob on top of the reel.

The purchase of a reel can be as cheap or expensive as you like. The more expensive the models are made out of better materials and have more features.

• Mainline 

This can be devided into two kinds. Nylon (monofilament) and dynema. (woven line) Nylon is much cheaper then dynema and also has more stretch, which can be beneficial for the beginning carpfisher. Dynema also has it's benefits, because it has no stretch it brings the movement of a take much faster to your bite alarm or indicator, even at big distances. Dynema is also much thinner then then nylon of the same strength, this is why carpfishers who fish at large distances prefer this line on their spool.

• Rodpod or Banksticks 

A rodpod is a stand where one can put multiple rods on. On a bankstick you can only put one rod. Backsticks weigh a lot less then a rodpod, but can only be used on soft soil because you must stick them in the ground. Rodpods can be used everywhere. On some models of rodpods you can twist the legs off and use them as banksticks, this has the advantage that when you go fishing where there is a soft bank you don't have to carry the whole rodpod with you. 

• Swinger or Hanger 

The difference between a swinger and a hanger is in the way you mount them to the rodpod or bankstick. The swinger has got an arm that moves up and down and the hanger is mounted by means of a chain. The purpose of both devices is the same, namely to indicate a run towards you. Without the swinger or hanger you woulden't know it's happening, with a swinger or hanger mounted you will see it drop down.

• Hooks 

There are so many hooks available these days you would'nt know where to start. Don't buy your hooks to big, take a size 8 or 10. If there are a lot of big fish on your water you can use a bigger hook. Make sure the hooks you buy are sharp, you would'nt believe how many brands sell blunt hooks...

How to test a hook is sharp enough? You take a hook and put the point to you thumbnail, then move the hook over the dumbnail. You'll see that some hooks won't make an indentation and others will. The ones that don't make an indentation are no good and will not penetrate the mounth of the fish well, lowering the chances of a catch. You can sharpen the points, but these won't stay sharp because when you sharpen the point you remove the protective layer and the hook starts to rust, blunting the point.

• Lead 

There are two kinds of lead, inline- and swivel lead. With an inline lead the mainline runs through the lead and with a swivel lead the mainline runs through the swivel which is attached to the lead. Both kinds come in all different sizes and forms. It's best to start with a lead between 50 and 75grams.

• Boilieneedle

Small needle to help you put the hair through a boilie, afterwards you put in a boiliestop or piece of grass through the hair which stops the boilie falling off.

• Carp fishingnet

While purchasing a fishingnet you must look at the quality of the handle, these come in metal, aluminium and carbon. Don't buy a fishingnet to small, this makes the netting of a carp much more difficult, eventually there will come a time when the net meets a big carp.

• Unhooking mat

Look at the unhooking mat as an essential part of your equipment. Buy a decent quality unhooking mat which is padded with soft material. When your unhooking mat is to small the carp can roll off and hurt itself.

• Antiseptic

You must use an antiseptic after unhooking a fish! You can buy an antiseptic in any tackleshop or you can make it yourself.

• Bucket 

Always take a bucket with you. Fill this with water and keep the fish on the unhooking mat wet.

• Small note book 

Buy yourself a small note book and write down under which surcumstances you have made your catch. At least make a note of the date, hour and location. Other things to write down are: watertemperature, air pressure, weight of the fish, which rig, which bait, ...

The use of this note book will become apparent the years to come.

luxury products:

• Bite alarm

This device detects movement on the mainline and converts it into sound. This happens because the mainline runs over a wheel or over two plates. Thanks to the bite alarm you can keep yourself busy with other stuff instead of looking at your rods all the time. Also with some bite alarms you can get a sounderbox. This you take with you in your bivy when you go fishing at night, so not to wake your neighbour during the night.

Weight sling

Used to weigh the fish in.

• Digital camera 

If posible it's always nice to take a picture of your catch, you can upload these pictures to our website ;-)

• Bivy, Shelter or Brolly

All are shelters of somekind to be used in bad weather, some are more luxurious then others. The same can be said about the price. Look for the main purpose of the shelter, fishing at night with only an umbreller is something you won't keep up for a long time.

• Stretcher

Foldable bed. Available with 4 or 6 legs, made out of metal or aluminium.

• Sleeping bag

In case you go fishing at night i sincerely recommend a good sleeping bag. A sleeping bag needs to be warm ofcoarse, but it also needs to be able to breath so you won't start sweating. I myself have a rectangular model and can open the bag completely so i can use it as a blanket during summer, this is less warm and i can get out of the stretcher more quickly when my bite alarm goes off.

• Hooklink

This one should get a topic of it's own because there are so many hooklink materials. Here i'll explain the three basic hooklinks: Soft, hard and coated hooklinks. all three have their own useage in making rigs. In case you have doubt on which kind of hooklink you should buy i can recommend a coated hooklink. This one has got al the good qualities of both soft and hard hooklink. 

• Small material 

This one also deserves it's own topic. I can keep writing until the end of days about this... The important thing about small materials is order. Keep your material in a box so it stays in order. This way you know where you can find your baiting needle in the dark.

• Throwpipe or slingshot

A throwpipe is used to throw boilies further then you can bij hand. Throwpipes are available in plastic or metal. With a slingshot you can put all sorts of bait onto your spot. 

• Spod

Plastic tube with an opening on one side and a floating body on the other side. You mount this on the end of you mainline and fill up with particlemix or something else. Then you throw the spod to the place where you want your feed. once in the water the foating body will rise to the surface and the spod will empty itself.

• Headlight

Light that you can wear on your head. This way you have your hands free. These days you can get them with LED lights which keeps the power consumption low.

• Bags, backpacks and rod holdall's

Incase you take a lot off material to the bank a bag or backpack is handy. Your rods go in a rod holdall. In a typical rod holdall there will fit 3 rods and your fishingnet.

• Remote controlled boat 

Small boat that can be controlled by remote and which you can use to put your bait and / or your rig on your chosen spot.

• Fishfinder

Device used for mapping the bottom of a water. You mount it on a boat and during your trip on the water it will show the depth of the water. There are models which you can build-in into a remote controlled boat.

• Tentheater

To keep your bivy warm on cold days. Be carefull with CO poisoning and make sure to keep your bivy well ventilated !!

• Trolly ;-)

In case you want to take even more material to the bank you can always get a trolly ;-)