| If there is one piece of fishing tackle that has | | | | sometimes they will go for weeks without having |
| revolutionised the carp fishing scene it would have | | | | a bite - so their rods are placed on a rod rest. |
| to be the advancement in fishing reels. The | | | | Placing the rod on a rod rest means that you will |
| introduction of Shimano's 'Baitrunner' fishing reel | | | | obviously not have a chance of catching that rod |
| couldn't have been a more perfect invention for | | | | before it gets whizzed of in to the lake by a |
| the carp angler. Now of course they are not just | | | | startled carp. To get around this anglers used to |
| used for carp fishing but other specimen hunters | | | | leave the bale arm of the reel off so that when |
| too. | | | | the fish bolted it would just pull line of the reel. |
| What makes carp reels stand out from normal | | | | This was a fine solution if it wasn't windy. |
| types of reel? | | | | Introduce a bit of wind in to the mix and suddenly |
| A carp reel has two clutches - a normal clutch | | | | you'll find a tangled mess of line around your reel. |
| that you would have set up to match the | | | | This is that last thing you want when you've a |
| breaking strain of your fishing reel and a second | | | | monster fish on the end of that line. |
| much lighter clutch. To understand why this is | | | | Now that you've got some background you will |
| important you will need to know the fundamental | | | | no doubt see the need for this second lighter |
| principle behind the main method used for carp | | | | clutch. Just like how carp anglers have in years |
| fishing. | | | | gone by have cast out their bait, you do the |
| The main rig used for carp fishing is the bolt rig. | | | | same thing - cast your bait out and then set your |
| As the name suggest this rig causes the fish to | | | | rod up on your rod rest or rod pod, but here's |
| bolt, now unless you have lightening quick | | | | the difference, at this point you engage the |
| reactions and can respond to that initial bolt one | | | | second lighter clutch. The second clutch puts just |
| of two things is going to happen:a. Your rod gets | | | | enough tension on the line to stop it being striped |
| wrenched out of its rest and dragged in to the | | | | from the reel by the wind - but when a carp |
| lake.b. The initial powerful surge of the carp snaps | | | | bites it will let line strip freely from the spool |
| your fishing line in an instance. | | | | preventing line breakages and tackle getting |
| More often than not though carp anglers will not | | | | dragged in to the water. |
| sit there holding their rods waiting for a bite - | | | | |