absolute beginners

[geordie_lad2k9]

hi i`m allan and live in gateshead tyne and wear....excuse the pun but i have trawled some forums and was looking for an active site for fishing and have decided to land my net here so here it goes........i`m currently taking up fishing and am going to the tackle shop in my area,i`m looking to carp fish in the future,after looking at other similar forums other anglers suggest to start with an all round type rod and reel and not to go for carp till i get hands on experience with catching other types of fish,so i`m looking for a float rod in the range of £30-50,ive decided to go for an okuma reel ( sequel,payback ) size 40 (whatever that means ..if some one can explain this i`d be grateful) can someone explain also the difference between a match rod and a feeder rod,..as i`m going to buy tackle on friday and want to know exactly what i`m buying .......thank you in advance

[Dave Fowell]

Wye Aye Man. Don't be scared to go straight into carp fishing because you will only end up carp fishing in the end (probably) as you already have shown interest. Why waste money on the wrong gear. Whilst you are at it, I strongly recommend the JSC X_LITE POD. (Complete Rod Rests, Known as Rod Pods) Priced around £60. this item is brill for carp fishing. Not trying to sell you one. Mines Perfect...........Tight Lines. Dave f

[geordie_lad2k9]

somehow dosn`t sound right that coming from a west sussex lad lol,alreet dave your probably right i will end up going for carp,but as i said i`m totally new to the fishing game only been out twice and that was with someones rod,caught one or two roach and perch but were only a couple of ounces...but what the hell i enjoyed meself...i`ll have a look online at what you have suggested to me and thank you for the quick reply mate hope to keep in touch ...for further info off ya ........regards allan

[barbel master]

you dont want to be buying that rod pod if you have only just started fishing , you only need to float fish with one rod. find a pond that has a mixed variety of fish so you can get used to catching more small fish and catching small and medium sized carp and maybe the odd big un. alot of people are bieng taught fishing by starting off using bite alarms and having three rods out. this is not the way you should start fishing.

[geordie_lad2k9]

thanks barbel, as ive put in my thread `im looking for a float rod roughly about £30-50 and going for an okuma reel,i`m a total novice and even need to practce making hair rigs and alike,lets put it this way i can cast make a hlf blood knot and basically thats about it,a friend of mine told me to goto a match on sunday he said he would tell the guy there to look after me whislt i was fishing but i dont feel ready ......dont wanna look stupid at the end of the day with an empty net lol bit embarassing,so want to get a little bit more experiance with one on one ..........

[barbel master]

this was an old thread - sounds like a good rod

Ron Thompson " superior match " rod

[dave fish]

in answer to your question a match rod is set up with a float and weights and a feeder rod uses a weighted item such as a feeder or method feeder to hold the line tight in the water and when you reel in the slack the tip will bend slightly and when you get a bite on the tip will pull right round ,this is your bite indication where as the match rod the float is your bite indication ,the ron thomson match is quite good but i went to my tackle shop and compared it to the john wilson model and the wilson is slimmer and lighter with a better through action and feels a bit more responsive its also £10 cheaper,if you want to spend a little bit more go for shimano ketana but dont be scared to go sraight into carping there are other fish you can catch on a carp rod such as bream and tench what i do is save the carping trips as a treat for myself and any other time when i fancy a quick session just take the match rod and a pint of maggot .if you need any more info message me and tight lines

[geordie_lad2k9]

thanks dave for the reply,i think i`m leaning towards a match rod now as i`m looking to float fish,there are so many rods out there its difficult to choose from,basically looking for a good all rounder if theres such a thing,i`m after a rod thats gonna last me the test of time and give me big catches ( in the future of course ) ive already made my mind up as to which reel i`m after the okuma,just wondering if someone can tell me what the sizes mean 30,40,50 next to reel infos....are these spool sizes ? and if so how do they work the spool sizes out what do they mean ....tight lines everyone

regards allan

[dave fish]

i had only one rod when i first started its a john wilson 9 foot ledger quiver tip i use it for carping with e maggot feeder now, but have used it to catch roach ,perch and breem even had a 2 half lb eel on it with surprising results it did really well just as good as any match rod but a bit short on casting if you want an all round rod it gets my vote and you can go carping to .

[ben lee]

For a biginner id start on a canal loads of fish and not packed.

Start with a float rod the 1 im useing is a ron thompson warlord 12ft match rod (£50) and the okuma lexsan pro reel in a size 30 (£20). Start of with 6lb main line and 5lb hook length and around a size 14 hook.

Even on a match rod you can land big fish had carp to 13 1/2lb.
On a reel the size is the size of spool for float fishing id start with a 30 maybe a 40. You wont need one with freespool/bait runner. A 50 or 55+ will be better on a feeder rod or carp rod with freespool.

Start with small or carp to 5lb to get your water craft sorted until you can do it without thinking. Get your confidence catching small stuff and landing them. Ull learn so much more float fishing.

If possable go with someone that fishes regulary to get some tips.