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Carp & Specimen Fishing
Tips, advice, product reviews and buyers guides all on Carp & Specimen Fishing and all in one place.
Our Carp & Specimen Articles

What is a spod rod?
Spodding can be a bit of a minefield to those new to the sport. Questions like what is a spod rod? and how to use one all get answered in this full guide.
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Get The Most Out Of Your 10ft Spod Rod: 7 Essential Tips
10ft spod rods are a fairly new innovation in the carp angling world. Check out these 7 essential tips to help get the most of them and improve your spodding.
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Shock Leaders For Spodding Tip & Advice
Explore the use of shock leaders for spodding. Learn the pros, cons, ideal knots, and gear protection strategies in this comprehensive guide.
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Best Fishing Power Banks
This article details 5 of the best fishing power banks on the market today from small, portable power banks, to large heavy-duty power packs.
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Best Fishing Crimping Tool
In this article, I will take you through what I consider the best fishing crimping tool on the market and how I use it to improve my fishing.
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Best Fishing Catapults
This article will detail 7 of the best fishing catapults in the tackle shops today. Different angling disciplines require a different catapult and this guide will suggest good options for different fishing situations.
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Fishing Rod Test Curve Calculator
If you are having trouble deciding what test curve rod is best for you, then fear not as our handy fishing rod test curve calculator will point you in the right direction.
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Best Carp Fishing Bedchairs
Best Carp Fishing Bedchairs Are you struggling with what carp fishing bedchair is best for you? I’m not surprised as there are so many different shapes, sizes, materials, gadgets and features on fishing bedchairs these days, choosing can be a bit of a minefield. This is why I wrote this full guide on the best …

Best Bait Boats
In this guide, I will detail 9 of the best fishing bait boats on the market today based on personal experiences of using the products, combined with other carp anglers thoughts and reviews.
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Best Rod For Floater Fishing
In this article, I will detail 6 of the best rods for floater fishing based on my own experiences as well as positive reviews from other anglers.
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Best Line For Method Feeder Fishing
This article details everything you will need to know in order to choose the best line for method feeder fishing depending on your specific circumstances.
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Best Fishing Rod For Beginners
This article will take you through everything you need to know to make an informed choice on the best fishing rod for beginners based on a number of different fishing disciplines.
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Best Fishing Day Shelter
This article will outline everything you need to know to make an informed decision on what the best fishing day shelter would be for your specific angling needs.
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Best Landing Net Handle
In this article, we will take you through the 7 best landing net handles on the market today. These handles have all been tried and tested by ourselves for quality and have many positive reviews from all types of anglers.
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Electric Fishing Trolleys
In this article, we are looking at electric fishing trolleys. We are in the fortunate position of having experienced using them on a number of sessions. This guide will take you through everything you need to know about them.
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Best Fishing Knives
This article will suggest 7 of the best fishing knives that tick all the required boxes needed in a top knife.
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Best Fishing Tackle Boxes
In this article, we are looking at the best fishing tackle boxes available in the UK right now.
So, if you enjoy carp or match fishing, you’ll find a way of organising your kit below. Or if you’re after pike, game fish, or enjoy sea fishing, we have you covered as well.
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Best Bivvy Heaters
In this article, we will take you through the best bivvy heaters available right now. We’ll explain what features to look for in the best bivvy heater and talk through some of the pros and cons of each suggested product.
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Best Bivvy Lights
This article will provide recommendations on 7 of the best bivvy lights that are all great options to make your night carp fishing sessions easy and efficient.
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Best Bivvy Tables
In this article, we explore the best bivvy tables available in the UK right now. We’ll take you through what features to look for in a bivvy table as well as the pros and cons of our suggested products.
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Best Fishing Bib And Brace
This article details some candidates for the best fishing bib and brace available right now. Top features, pros & cons are revealed in this top guide.
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Best Carp Barrows
Finding the best carp barrow for all your fishing needs can be tricky. However thanks to our list of the best carp barrows, getting the right one is now simple.
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Best Carp Bivvy
With a huge variety on the market, the aim of this article is to provide you with the information you need to pick the best carp bivvy that suits your style of fishing.
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Best Carp Rods
In this article, we will take a look at the best carp rods for a whole host of different carp fishing applications. We will advise you on what features to look for when choosing the best carp rod and provide some suggestions based on years of experience and extensive research.
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Carp Fishing For Beginners
This handy carp fishing for beginners guide is based on years of experience of both succeeding and failing! We’ll take you through everything you need to know from the absolute basics to some more advanced tips and advice to get more carp on the bank.
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Best Polarised Sunglasses For Fishing
Polarised glasses are more than just looking ‘cool’. They are a vital tool that can give you the edge when fishing. So what are the best polarised sunglasses for fishing? Well, read on to find out!
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Best Fishing Waders
In this article, we will take you through the different types of fishing waders in the UK and provide some insight on what goes into the best fishing waders on the market today.
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Best Carp Boilies
In this article, we provide an insight into the best carp boilies to use in different fishing situations as well as detailing what the secrets are that make them the best.
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Best Fishing Boots
In this article, we will show you the best fishing boots for a variety of fishing situations and explain one or two of the things that make our selections so great.
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Best Fishing Chairs
In this article, we will take you through the 15 best fishing chairs on the market today to help you make your fishing trips as comfortable as they can be.
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Best Carp Reels
In this article, we have picked out the 15 best carp reels and explain what makes them the top carp fishing reels on the market today.
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Exclusive Carp Fishing Lakes In England
In this article we will show you 12 of the best exclusive carp fishing lakes in England. You’ll have to book in advance and make sure you’ve got the right gear as these are serious waters!
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50lb Carp Lakes UK
In this article, you will find out what the top 50lb carp lakes UK are. You’ll find some real monsters lurking in the following suggestions. Some may have even have grown over 60lbs!
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Best Rod Pods
The best rod pods for carp fishing will keep your rods stable and secure and allow you to easily detect bites. This article will tell you everything you need to know about carp rod pods and even offer some great suggestions.
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Best Spod Braid
In this article we are looking at the best spod braid along with some great suggestions to send that bait on its way! Let’s dive right in…
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Best Spod Rods
In this article, we are going to take a detailed tour of the best spod rods on the market. We’ll also answer a few common questions around spod rods.
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Best Spod Reels
In this article, we will show you some great options and tell you the little things that make the best spod reels amazing.
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Feeder Fishing Tips
The 15 top feeder fishing tips in this article will help gain an advantage not only over other anglers but also the fish themselves.
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Winter Carp Fishing Tips
This article takes you through 10 top winter carp fishing tips to provoke that elusive take and make the pain of sitting in wintery conditions all worthwhile.
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Best UK Online Fishing Tackle Shops
This article details everything you need to know when looking for fishing tackle online and advises on 5 reputable stores that are considered some of the best UK online fishing tackle shops.
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When Do Carp Spawn?
This article answers some of the common questions around carp spawning, including when do carp spawn? and can you fish for carp that are spawning?
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Best UK Carp Fishing Holidays
This article details 15 venues that are great UK carp fishing holidays. Whether it’s just the lake you are looking to book for a week or a lodge with a carp fishing lake nearby, we explain all
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Best Carp Baits
This article will talk you through the best carp baits to help you catch more fish as well as some top tips to help ensure success.
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Best Breaking Strain Line For Carp Fishing
In this article, we touch on 4 key factors that need to be considered to ensure you choose the right breaking strain line for carp fishing.
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Best Carp Fishing Hooks
This article will explain everything you need to know to choose the best carp fishing hook for your specific fishing situation. We have also created a handy carp fishing hook size chart for easy reference.
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Best Carp Rigs For Beginners
In this article, we take you through everything you need to know about carp fishing rigs for beginners from what tools you need to how to tie them.
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Float Fishing For Carp
In this article we will have a detailed look at float fishing for carp, run through some essential bits of kit and offer some handy tips on everything from rigs to the best baits (including one or two ‘secret’ weapons).
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Best Carp Fishing Lines
In this article, we will give you an insight into what considerations to take in choosing the right carp fishing line for your specific circumstances. We will also tell you what we consider the 9 best carp fishing lines on the market today and why.
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The 7 Best Carp Fishing Apps
Whether you want to log your catch, check the weather, or create a detailed diagram of your swim, we have a few suggestions for the best Carp fishing apps that should supplement your angling nicely.
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The Best Carp Rod And Reel Combo
Is there such a thing as the best Carp rod & reel combo? Surely one does one thing and the other does something else? This article aims to answer this question and details what to look for in the correct Carp rod & reel combo.
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How to Setup a Fishing Bite Alarm
In this article I advise on how to setup a fishing bite alarm and touch on some of the equipment that you’ll need.
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5 Best Bite Alarms For Carp Fishing
Bite alarms allow anglers to relax, take in their surroundings, play on their phone, or work on their next rig without ever missing a bite. This article explains what goes into the best bite alarms for carp fishing in today’s market.
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Best Carp Bite Indicators
As bite indication is key when hunting for large Carp, this article answers some common questions including what are the best Carp indicators on the market today.
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Best Carp Rod Holdalls
Carp anglers are famous for their ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ approach. So with all this gear, its important that the rods stay well protected. This articles reviews the best carp rod holdalls on the market today.
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The Best Cameras for Fishing Self Takes
This article takes a look at all of the good things that go into making the best cameras for fishing self takes.
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Best Carp Fishing Setup for Beginners
This article seeks to provide a better understanding about what to consider when choosing the best carp fishing setup for beginners.
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The Best Fluorocarbon Line for Carp Fishing
Fluorocarbon is the latest trend amongst carp anglers. Checkout this handy guide to help decide on the best fluorocarbon line for carp fishing.
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Best Carp Stalking Rods
In this article we are detailing what you need to look for in a stalking rod, and provide suggestions on the best carp stalking rods on the market today.
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Best Bait Boats under £200
Today you can get bait boats under £200 that will do everything you need. In this article we will delve into this technology to help decide what’s necessary.
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The 5 Best Fishing Bedchairs For Bad Backs
If you suffer from bad backs and practice carp fishing then you’ll know that the right bedchair is crucial. This article will advise on our top 5 best fishing bedchairs for a bad backs so you can hopefully fish in comfort.
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The 8 Best Fishing Games on Android
Fishing games aren’t as fun as the real thing, but they may keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay. We take a look at the 8 best fishing games on Android today.
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Best Big Pit Reels
Big Pit Reels are the big guns of the fishing world, they are literally casting Howitzers. Read this article to find the best big pit reels available today.
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7 Best Brolly Systems for Carp Fishing
This article explores the options when trying to answer that question of what are the best brolly systems for carp fishing today.
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Best Carp Cradles
This article will take you through the key features of the best carp cradles to help you make an informed decision on the best one to choose for your carp fishing.
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7 Best Carp Landing Nets
If your landing net isn’t up to the job it’s going to lead to heartbreak at the worst possible time. Check out this review on the best carp landing nets today.
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The Best Carp Fishing Rucksacks
This article looks at what goes into the best carp fishing rucksacks and give you some really good ideas if you are looking to purchase one.
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Best Fishing Scales
By using fishing scales, you can accurately and easily remove any doubt. This article details the key features of the best fishing scales on the market today.
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Deeper Pro Plus Review (Is this the best carp fish finder?)
This article provides a full Deeper Pro Plus Review and talks about the pros, cons and whether or not its worth your time and investment.
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Big Pit Reels vs Baitrunners
In this article we are going to have a look at big pit reels vs baitrunners and see which one you should be going for.
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The Best Casting Rods for Carp Fishing
In this article we take a look at some of the best casting rods for carp fishing and what to consider if purchasing one.
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The Best Carp Fishing Clothing for Comfort
In this article we are going to look at the best carp fishing clothing so you can stay comfortable and make the most out of your session at an affordable price.
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Best Head Torch for Fishing
In this article we are going to try and shine some light on what things to look for in the best head torch for fishing (pun totally intended).
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Best Carp Fishing Sleeping Bags
This article will take you through the best carp fishing sleeping bags available on the market today, including both budget-friendly and high-quality options.
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What is the Best Weather for Carp Fishing?
Just what is the best weather for carp fishing? This is a question that gets asked a lot. Well in this article we are going to talk about it.
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The Best Carp Care Kit
Looking after the fish we catch is an important part of angling. This article is going to look at the best carp care kit, how to use it and where you can get one.
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