What Fish and kit?

[paulpo]

Hi. I am partially disabled and am trying to get the right setup. I'm new to fishing, only been three times, watched a lot of beginners videos etc. I'm looking at fisheries, canals and ponds.

I need to have a setup thats easy to carry, easy to set up and a bait that I dont have to buy on the day. I would like to be able to just go without planning.

At the moment, I have a whip with rig tied to the end (elastic bit broke), a chair, rod rest, landing net and tackle bag. This is about the most I can carry and rig seems easy to use.

Originally, I wanted to go for carp but realised that the whip wouldnt be too good for anything big. A mate has lent me a rod and real and told me to use magots. Ive tryed it but the rod seems to take a long time to set up and ideally, I dont want to use magots.

So is there a way to go for carp without a lot of kit?

If I go for smaller stuff, what bait can I use that I can keep in the house?

What would happen if I accidentally hooked something big on a whip?

 

[mikench]

You could receive lots of different answers. If I were you I would ditch the whip, buy some pellets( micros, 4,6and 8mm from your tackle shop or Angling direct on line) say Mainline Cell, buy an 11’ feeder rod and some guru hybrid feeders 24and 28g and have a go. Watch some videos and practice setting up. If I can do it anyone can. Pellets do not deteriorate, do not metamorphosise and can be kept at home un refrigerated. There are dozens of different pellets, boilies and other hook baits with a long shelf life. Feeder rods can be bought new for £50. Buy some Guru QM1 4” hooks sizes 12 and 14 with bait bands, a guru tool for expanding the band and you are good to go. You don’t say what your disability is and if it’s dexterity in your fingers and hands rather than mobility,then you might struggle.

 

[nottskev]

Another option, cheaper, simpler to set up and easier to carry, would be a margin pole. This is a shortish pole, built to handle carp with a strongish elastic which will play the fish. If you buy one of say 6m or even 8m, you can just leave off sections to fish at any length below that. Tons of carp are caught just a few feet from the bank. You can buy rigs all made up, or better, and much cheaper in the long run, tie them yourself. All you need is your pole and a few rigs on winders. Any decent tackle shop will fit elastic for you and show you how to do it yourself.

It's not really a good set-up for canals, where smaller species need a different approach, but you can catch lots of carp on commercials or club ponds with carp stocked. Carp will feed close to the bank, especially in the warmer months.

You don't need live bait for this. Pellets, as Mike said, are a standard carp bait. Small hard pellets are fine as feed to attract fish to your bait, and there are lots of options for soft pellets that you can put straight on the hook. Tinned sweetcorn is a good bait for them, as are pinches of bread.

It's a good time of year to be getting started, as your local places will be starting to warm up.

 

[keora]

If you buy an 11ft feeder rod, when you've finished fishing for the day, cut off the hook but leave the rest of the rig - leger stop and lead or swimfeeder - on the end of the line.

Keep the reel on the cork handle and separate each of the three sections. They will still be connected because the line is running from the reel, through all the rings including the tip ring, and back to the rig. You can fold the three sections together so the collapsed rod will be just under 4ft in length. Keep them together with rubber bands at one end.

It's easier to set up a rod and reel using this method.

 

[bennygesserit]

are you able to get to a commercial fishery nearby ?

 

[@Clive]

I have most of my two piece rods ready rigged including the hook. At the end of the session I simply pull the two lengths apart, fold the top section over, take up the slack and apply the reel's anti-reverse then slip a pair of rod sleeves over each end. I can carry most of the bits and bobs needed for carp fishing in a tobacco tin.

As for bait, sweetcorn is all that you need unless small fish are a nuisance. That calls for a tin of luncheon meat.

 

[paulpo]

Thanks for the replies..

I can get to a few commercial fisheries, I don't think some of them allow feeders or pellets (although everyone does).
Quite like the idea of a margin pole. I'm thinking if I can do without a real, then its one less thing to worry about, am I wrong? What about rollers and rests.. I mean its a lot of pole thats not resting on anything. I have a butt rest type holder.. would that work?

I have a rod and real on loan at the moment so I suppose if I can learn to set the rod up easily.. as long as I dont have any real problems.. I could just thread the line through and tie it to a rig so its just one knot. And I'm guessing the advantage of a real is the drag, so if you do hook on to a monster its not a problem..

oh and I'll definitely try the sweetcorn and luncheon meat!

 

[@Clive]

Noooooooo! Don't put your pole in one of those things. Think about a lightweight folding seat with rod rest attachments.

As for whether a margin pole or rod and reel is better for you, only you can answer that. But if you set up a two piece rod in the way I suggested it will not take any longer to get ready to fish or put away than a pole. I can be fishing in less than five minutes from my seatbox touching down.

 

[Philip]

The basic first question you have to decide is if it has to be a pole.

Imo a rod and reel is better for what you want i.e scope to cover different venues and possibility of hooking larger fish. If you do as Clive & Keora have suggested and simply leave the rig on at the end and break the rod down you can literally be setup or packed away in less than 1 minute. A two peice rod will make life easier if you intend to do this rather than 3 peice. I literally never set rods up on the bank..I just take them broken down as described above and held together with some rubber bands. I carry mine like that so no additional weight like a holdall either.

A reel will add more "complexity" but its not that difficult either. As for bait ...pretty much what others have suggested. ...Corn, Meat, Pellets, Bread...all will catch fish including Carp and dont need to be purchased on the day. A tin of sweetcorn is an all time great and will catch literally anything that swims outside of predators.

 

[no-one in particular]

Have a think about a telescopic rod, small and light to carry, easy to keep rigged up and set up, just let some line out and pull apart, no worry about lining up ferrules, threading rings or making rigs up, I would have thought ideal for you. You can get several types and lengths, , float, carp, swim feeder etc., I would have thought a light carp type about 10ft would suit. Here are a couple I have, I got these second hand dead cheap, but not expensive to buy new-

PS, I googled "light telescopic carp rods" and plenty came up, some with reels, eBay etc.-might be something that suits you if you go this route but check your local tackle shop as well.

 

[mikench]

Wot Philip said.

 

[Alan Whitty]

Two piece rods are available for most types of coarse fishing,if you can set up a lead/feeder rig it is as easy as tying a hook,forgive me but without knowing the complexity of your disablement we can't imagine your problems.

 

[paulpo]

Thank you so much for the replies, some really great info there.

forgive me but without knowing the complexity of your disablement we can't imagine your problems.

Im not in a wheelchair or anything, I just get exhausted very easily. phisical exercise and stress cause it. So the other day I was fishing with my mate all day and it totally exhaused me.. just because ther was a bit of walking and just messing around with magots and hooks that I wasnt used to.. and trying to sort out drifting problems without sinking the float.
I think once I get used to any setup then it will become easier as I go. The idea is to get me doing something outdoors but mostly sitting. I just want to skip to the part where I have a big fish in my hands

I just trod on the end of my mates loaner rod, great, so for now, I'm just back to the whip. I'll get some sweetcorn and then at least I'm fishing.

I love the idea of just popping the pole right over wher you want to fish but just not sure about buying speacial rests etc or just kinda holding it out there. I supose I just need to try it.

I also love the idea of a telescopic rod, will definately look into them

 

[Alan Whitty]

Where are you based fella,with the amount of good anglers here,there would be a plethora of good advice on tap.

 

[paulpo]

Where are you based fella,with the amount of good anglers here,there would be a plethora of good advice on tap.

I'm in sunny Liverpool Alan. I see your in loverly Luton, is the water a bit warmer down there, its still bloody cold up here.

 

[Alan Whitty]

It's still bloody cold here mate,fish are not overly pleased as they get a couple of warmer days,then it plummets back again...