[shorenewbie]

hi,

just seeking a bit of advice on whether or not it is possible to get away with using carp fishing kit when shore fishing. or is it worth just buying a lower market beach rod?

 

[nicksmith7]

you can use carp gear from the shore, for bass and mullet carp gear would do you fine. but when there is a good wave on and you need to cast out 5 or 6 oz that's when you need 'bigger' rods and reels.
what kind of fishing are you doing? what kind of ground are you fishing over?

 

[Rob Amick]

I'm not familiar with carp rods but it probably depends on what beaches you plan to fish, some venues will require a 6oz to hold bottom whereas other more sheltered beaches you will get away with a plain 2oz bomb if the weather's settled, weather conditions are something to consider, you want something that'll hold steady in the wind & weed,

& how far do you want to cast, will a carp rod comfortably bang out a 5oz lead 100 yards?

as I've stated I don't know what carp rods are like but I would probably buy a purpose built beach rod, you can get good quality ones second hand so it need not break the bank, hope this helps,
Rob..........

 

[Guest]

I'm told a carp rod will cast an ounce weight per pound of test curve (as a rule of thumb).

 

[weepete]

Hi buddy, the fish don't care what rod and reel you are using so you can get away with just about anything. The only reason that sea fishing tackle is so heavy is to do with the strength of the tides. I've fished a few places where a 5oz lead gets swept out to the side before it touches the bottom. Choose to fish the right location and the right conditions and you will get away with anything mate

 

[fiskman6666]

hi,

just seeking a bit of advice on whether or not it is possible to get away with using carp fishing kit when shore fishing. or is it worth just buying a lower market beach rod?

FWIW it is my opinion that you are better off going for the cheap outfit option .Now before we get the wails and recriminations from the £150 rod and £175 pound reel merchants ,i will say to a degree they are right but having said that i have been fishing for forty five years and make do with what i CAN AFFORD, there are plenty will tell you spend this and that ,buy this ,buy that ,but do what you want and enjoy .Your carp gear as an amateur to sea fishing will be a waste of time,once you know what you are doing then fine but until then you will wreck it.
just go out ,get some gear and enjoy proper fishing.
Dave

 

[The Third Earl]

I have been a sea and freshwater angler for more years than I like to admit, and can say without any worries that your carp rod will be perfectly OK for fishing in the sea provided that you use it sensibly, I use a 3lb tc Carp rod for Bass, and have had them to 6lb from the beach, with no problems at all, and I use the Carp rod in preference to my Bass rods as it is lighter and more pleasant in use.I use the same rod for float fishing for Bass for feathering for mackerel, deep spinning for Pollock off the rocks (so far my biggest rock caught Pollack is 9-1/2 lbs .... on a Carp Rod ) and also for light bottom fishing for flatties.

Yes I also use my ZZiplex / Conoflex and other brand name rods for specific purposeseg, Smoothhound, Cod etc, , but if you are only going sea fishing occasionally then dont waste your cash on an outfit that may stand in a cupboard for 11 out of 12 months of the year.

I use a Shimano 3500b Baitrunner reel loaded with 30lb Power Pro braid with the Carp rod, it performs extremely well, and was in fact designed as a salt water reel , though these days they are used more for Barbel fishing and spinning than in salt water.

Go for it.......... best of luck.....


Dave

 

[Crab Claw]

Got to agree theirs plenty of situations in sea fishing where carp rods are more suitable than 5-6oz shore rods, but at the same time don't expect to be catching cod out of kelp beds. If you pick the right venues and the right species a carp outfit can be perfect.

 

[sawnee]

The big bonus of using carp rods is when you do catch a fish you will get a battle out of it, most beachcasters will let you know there is a fish on but thats it.
As most of the fish we catch are on the small size (before you all kick off) a carp rod will handle a pretty big carp before it all goes pearshaped

 

[welshlad27]

well i use a carp rod with a 2.1/2 lb curve with my abu 6500c multi and can thro a 4oz no prob at all ,never had a prob with it used it on beaches and on piers aswell

 

[wreckless eric]

I use a 3lb tc carp rod for flaties and bass in some areas it is spot on, if touch ledgering or just scratching about a new mark . it is my rod of choice.