smerchly Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 I have been experimenting (as usual) , using different rods ,reels & line . While using braids I have lost a few carp after a hard head shake . If I lessen the drag too much , the carp may head into formidable obstructions along the shore & will be lost . I changed the line on my 8' med.rod to 20# mono . There was a distinct softer feel to those head shakes . I may not hook as many fish unless using a bolt rig , but I enjoy the fight more . I used this rod & mono line for salmon back in the 80's and it worked fine . I have another rod , 10.5' with a softer tip that absorbs those hard shakes ....so it's a toss up which rod & line to use for carping . I'll be taking both rods on future trips ....good to have a spare rod handy for those tanks . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pike Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 ....I changed the line on my 8' med.rod to 20# mono . There was a distinct softer feel to those head shakes . I may not hook as many fish unless using a bolt rig , but I enjoy the fight more... Funny that you mention that Smerch because I was just reading a book written by a British carp angler and he said how in most situations, he still prefers mono because of that very same reason; he hates jarring sensation of the fight on braid. And when you think about it, isn't the fight the most enjoyable part of fishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoungYakker Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 I use a heavy braid I have a hard time cutting with a knife! So I am not concerned about rocks and other things snapping the line. I also use fluorocarbon to make my rigs because they are very strong and slightly stretchy and invisible. I hate worrying about the line snapping after losing multiple fish on light braid and mono. It works for me. The last thing I want to worry about when fighting a monster is having too light of line on my reel. As far as reels and rods. 8 ft catfish rod real simple with a basic baitrunner reel with a big spool.. keeping it simple. I want to enjoy being out fishing so I always keep it simple.. plus I don't like to break down my rods so anything more than 8ft wont fit in the SUV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted June 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 I always break my rods down ....less chance of breaking them down into a 3 or 4 piece rod ..... ....and I can fit a 15' rod into my van fully extended ......I haven't lost a carp due to the line snapping , only by hard head shakes ......no straightened out/broken hooks or busted swivels either. I have yet to try the 12' carp rod in the lake , but will soon give it a try . Mike .....yes the fight is what it is all about for any scrappy fish . You may catch the same fish a few times lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakfish Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 I like to go light myself to have that's extra challenge. My favourite carp rod is a 7 ft ultra light with 10# seagar smackdown braid. As light and flexible as the rod is it absorbs the head shakes pretty well. And even a 4 pounder feels huge! I've landed carp up to 18 pounds on it this year. And it's been a blast! I'm also fishing from my kayak which adds another element to the challenge. I've only been broke off once on it this year. But that was due to a bad knot that I should have re tied after the previous fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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