Carp Fishing Reels

How to choose a reel for carp fishing

Choosing a reel starts with the water you fish. On a big lake or river where the baits go far out, a big pit reel is at home: the large, shallow spool lets line leave with little friction and holds plenty of it. On smaller waters and at short range, a compact carp reel is lighter to carry and suits shorter rods.

For the take itself, the key feature is freespool. A freespool or baitrunner reel lets the fish take line while the rod rests on the pod, and a turn of the handle re-engages the main drag. On big pit reels the same job is often done with a quick drag that loosens and tightens the drag fast.

Baiting and feature finding are a discipline of their own. A spod reel is built to cast a heavy spod again and again, so the spool is large and the body has to take the load. A marker reel is used to measure depth and distance, which is why smooth line lay and clear spool markings make the job easier.

In reel accessories you will find spare spools for switching line diameter or type quickly on the bank, plus handles, drag parts and other spares that keep a trusted reel working season after season.

When choosing, check at least the line capacity of the spool against the line you use and the weight of the reel against the rod. With the same reel model on every rod, drags and freespool work the same way and fishing runs smoothly, even at night.