Carp Fishing Tackle Guide

Carp fishing tackle somewhat of a catch-all term of anything you need to catch carp, save for a cold beer in hand.  Carp poles, carp rigs, carp baits and carp bivvies all are considered carp tackle, so if carp fishing tackle is on a Christmas wish list somewhere this can help you make it more specific.  As a generality, most people refer to carp tackle as anything that fits in the tackle box including hooks and rigs, boilies and sinkers but carp fishing tackle stores will sell everything else you need including the tools to mass produce your own boilies and carp rigs.  One of the great joys of discovering carp fishing is learning how different this type of angling is from many others.

Carp boilies are, as their name suggests boiled balls of bait.  There are many recipes for boilies for the purist or the do-it-yourselfer and an equal number of store bought variety boilies for those who feel they’re just getting started or aren’t setup to deal with the stick and mess of making carp boilies at home.  Regardless of their origin they are bread and butter bait in virtually any carp fisher’s arsenal and some selection of boilies should be included in any carp fishing tackle.

Moving on to the hooks, because after all you are trying to catch the carp and not just feed it.  The rule of thumb for carp fishing is to use the thinnest hook possible to catch the carp.  Keep a variety of sizes on hand to be sure you can do a change up if the carp aren’t biting or if they are spitting out the hooks.  A second rule of thumb about carp hooks is to keep them as sharp as possible.  The argument behind this is that a sharp hook will puncture the lower lip easier ensuring a greater chance of landing the carp.  If you feel like joining the debate over whether or not it’s ethical to use barbed carp fish hooks or not, feel free.  Some carp waters are restricted meaning that certain fishing equipment, including barbed hooks, might not be permissible.  Use what you feel comfortable using and check with Fish and Game if you have any doubts about what you are using.  There are other carp baiting practices which are also banned in some waters, such as chumming or ground baiting.

Another handy addition to add to your carp fishing tackle collection are carp rigs and the tools necessary to tie carp rigs.  Of the carp rigs out their today one of the most tried and true is the hair rig.  The basic setup of the hair rig is that a boilie, or other bait ball is secured to the end of the fishing line with a braided thread, thus allowing the bait to act more naturally in the water and increasing fishing success.  You can have the right bait at the end of the best carp rod, in the best fishing hole but if you have bad bait presentation the carp is likely to eat up whatever free bait you’ve presented, say thanks for lunch and swim off.  It’s important for the bait to act natural in the water.

If you don’t feel like taking on the headache immediately or aren’t quite sure of what you’re doing or what best suits your style of carp fishing you can always buy your rigs pre-braided and ready to go, and the hair rig isn’t your only option, it’s just a common variant.  Other varieties of carp rigs include a blowout ring rig, in which a stainless steel ring slides into place when the carp tries to spit out the hook.  As was mentioned in the above paragraph, carp tackle stores online or on your street corner will sell you the tools you need to tie your own rigs.  These include sleeves, tubing, threaders, leaders, and everything else you need to tie effective usable, carp rigs to add to your carp tackle box instructions for use, which you can read when no one is watching.

Along the lines of bait presentation some other items to consider adding to your carp tackle include PVA bags.  PVA bags are effective at packing in dry baits.  The basic gist is to fill the PVA bag with dry particles, for instance hemp pellets, tie the bag shut, secure it to the hook (made easier with a bait delivery system) and let it fly.  The PVA bag dissolves in water usually in about 30 seconds to a minute, a bit longer in the frigid winter waters.  The result is a cloud of bait around your hook.  Just make sure the PVA bag is both securely tied shut and securely fastened to the hook.

Probably the last thing you’ll need to buy is a carp tackle box.  While there are many catered specifically to carp fishing, any box with a plethora of individual compartments of varying sizes can be used effectively as a carp tackle boxes.  The only thing that’s really needed of a carp fishing tackle box is a case that will keep the items neatly separated so that it doesn’t wind up looking like the proverbial junk drawer in the kitchen that has everything you need and most the things you don’t.

That’s all fine and dandy, except for the part where you’re taking out a bank loan to cater to your new found hobby.  There is good news as there are plenty of venues to find cheap carp tackle.  Cheap carp fishing tackle can be found in package deals.  To inspire customer loyalty or reduce excess inventory some carp tackle stores will offer starter packages, offering most if not all the basic carp tackle needed to start fishing.  The same thing holds true to carp fishing hooks or sinkers; you might be able to find them in packs, offering a range of sizes from #2 to #10.  There is also nothing wrong with used carp tackle or secondhand carp tackle.  Garage sale hunting might be a little hit or miss.  Online services such as craigslist or Ebay can help you cover more ground in less time.  Another advantage to shopping for carp tackle online whether new or used is the ability to read product reviews.  Cheap carp fishing tackle doesn’t necessarily mean low quality.

The other thing you can do to keep your costs down in buying carp fishing tackle is to keep an honest assessment of what your basic needs are for equipment versus what falls on your wish list for Christmas, birthday, or other gift giving holiday.  One last general rule for about carp fishing gear including carp fishing tackle is don’t buy everything right away; always leave yourself something to look forward to.

Related Carp Fishing Posts:

• Carp Fishing Rods: All About Good Carp Rods
• Spear Fishing for Carp
• Carp Fly Fishing

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