February 17

Best Carp Fishing Rods

Choosing the right fishing gear is the first step to a successful fishing trip, especially when it comes to carp fishing. Carp is a tough and cunning species of fish that can easily break your fishing pole.

So, it is important to give a special attention to the selection of your carp fishing rod. There are different types of carp fishing rods available out there. It rapidly growing market has produced a number of carp rods, like the Wychwood Carp rods

carp fishing rod

Talking about Wychwood, before we proceed, let's take a look at one of the best Wychwood rod, the Wychwood Maximizer.

Wychwood Maximiser

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The Wychwood Maximiser rod series has been perfectly designed for fishermen who are looking for maximum performance and better value for their money. 

These rods are a great step towards professional performance if you are upgrading from lower-budget types of fishing rods. Also, they are also preferred by many professional anglers who don't believe that performance rods need to be expensive.

Best Carp Fishing Rods 2021

Every carp fisherman knows that carp fishing is a difficult task. Carp has some serious fight in them; therefore you need the best rod to catch them. There are some factors that influence the choice of a carp rod, such as different handles, test curves, and the price point.

Every carp fishermen have their individual opinions on what make the best carp rods, and it can be confusing when buying the best carp rod. The good news is that we have done the hard work, so you don't have to. The following are the list of our best carp fishing rods for 2021.

Greys Xlerate

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First on our list is the Greys Xlerate, this rod is lighter, stronger, more responsive, and accurate. The material and process of making the Xlerate blank are of high quality, which results in a strong and powerful blank that sustains its performance over a long period of time. 

The Power luxnano resin carbon frame lets you have the best of both power and accuracy when casting through an impressive weight to strength ratio and excellent fish playing capability.

ESP Terry Hearn

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Our next best carp fishing rod is designed by great carp angler Terry Hearn. This rod is second to none. The blank is very slim high modulus carbon with a high power overwrap.

This rod has the strength that will tame 40 pounds carp in weedy water, as well as other monster fish that most of us will probably encounter. Terry used this rod to catch a carp of about 48 pounds in weight.

The rod has both been equipped with SiC line guides and ESD line clip, which guarantees fully protection of your carp fishing line at all times.

Fox Horizon X

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If you have ever used the original Horizon series from Fox, then you will love this latest and improved model. The Fox Horizon X comes with a complete bundle of new features that put them above the original Horizon rods.

One of such features is carbon wrapping on the rod blank. The 1k diagonal wrap on the tip and the 2k diagonal wrap on the butt section ensure that the Horizon X rod is much stronger than the original rod series.

Best Budget Carp Fishing Rods 2021

Carp fishing rods are among the most expensive items you will buy especially when you need more than one rod. You need to invest in the right gear to get the most out of your fishing experience.

If you are on a budget and looking for the best budget carp rod, you don’t need to worry because you can still get some great options in the market without breaking the bank. So, before you spend your hard-earn money, take a look at our list of the best carp budget carp rod to help you pick the best budget carp rod.

Wychwood Extricator Plus

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This amazing carp rod gives you great value for money and provides you with great and reliable performance. The rod also features a little longer handle, which improves control when casting.

The carbon weaves and the matt black finish create a truly striking visual effect. This is especially helpful when casting large weights and baits.

Daiwa Crosscast Carp

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This Daiwa Crosscast Carp Telescopic fishing rod is very versatile and will serve you well in various situations. 

The woven carbon fiber blank provides huge power reserves and exhibits a fast and distinct action that perfectly absorbs head butts and flights.

The telescopic models of successful Crosscast carp rods are in no way inferior to multi-patrons in terms of quality and design.

Daiwa Mad Dragon

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The Daiwa Mad Dragon is designed with an aluminum oxide guide, a half-hood reel seat, and a shrink tube handle. 

It's carbon and fiberglass composite blank construction offers the perfect combination of power, resilience, and sensitivity. The blank is fitted with titanium oxide guides and a handle that is made of heat-shrinkable tubing.

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Best Coarse Fishing Rods 2021

Daiwa Black Widow

Go try out a Daiwa Black Widow!

Shimano TX7

Go try out a Shimano TX7!

Fox EOS

Go try out a Fox EOS!

Best Carp Fishing Rods For Beginners

If you are new to carp fishing and looking for the best carp fishing rod for the beginners, the good news is that you are at the right place, and the following are some of the best carp rods for the beginners that you will be comfortable with.

Shimano Sojourn

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This carp rod is constructed with a very lightweight and durable graphite composite blank. The cork handles provide a great, comfortable feel at an affordable price. 

The EVA fore grip and the cork rear grip are great features. This is one of the best rods for beginners

Ugly Stik GX2

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This is the next generation of Ugly Stik that blends the heritage and traditions of the original even as it maintains the durability and strength for which these rods are known for. 

The Ugly Tech construction, a mix of fiberglass and graphite creates a tough, yet sensitive rod with better balance for a lighter feel. This spinning rod provides several new features that will make carp fishing fun.

Daiwa Basia

Go try out a Daiwa Basia!

If you are looking for a functional rod with a lot of power to deliver and set you apart from the competition, then the Daiwa Basia fishing rod is the right choice for you. 


These rods feel balanced, comfortable, and completely within your control at all-time in the cast, a smoothness supported by the MT tip action that provides an immediate responsive signal on every bite.

Best Carp Rod And Reel Combo

Wychwood Maximiser

Go try out a Wychwood Maximiser!

Daiwa Tournament S 6000T

Best Carp Rods For Distance Casting

The ability to fish effectively at long range or distance casting is a very useful skill when fishing carp fish. There are special fishing rods that can help you reach those long-distance spots.

To help you get to those far-reaching spots, we have come up with the following best rods for distance casting.

Avid CurveX Range

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This is one of the best rods when it comes to distance casting. CurveX feature Fuji fitting, lightweight SIC guides, and perfectly tuned parabolic action, it’s time to fish without fear. Just hold the pole and bend for a new experience.  

This 10ft 3lbs, rod is perfect for playing monster carp in tight spaces. In the boat, the steady parabolic power build-up makes it perfect for big fish even in the most demanding locations.

This is an amazing rod with a steady parabolic power build-up that makes it ideal as a large fish playing tool.

Nash Scope Black Ops

Go try out a Nash Scope Black Ops!


This rod is built around great strength high modulus blank that combines 24 and 30 tons of carbon with a strengthening cross wrap and 1k weave.


Carbon backstops and the carbon line clips stop any rod creep, also the anti-frap tournament tip offer the smooth casting of this rod.

Shimano Tribal TX Ultra

Go try out a Shimano Carp Rod!


Shimano is known for offering the finest in technology with its gear, which is symbolized in the Tribal TX Ultra fishing rod. With its Spiral X technology in the manufacturing process, the blank is really strong and tolerate that bold casts across the horizon. 


This rod is perfect for carp anglers who like big and bold casting methods. The best distance cast with this rod is 234 yards. If you want your bait to go all the way, there is no better rod than the Shimano Tribal TX Ultra.

How Do I Choose A Carp Rod?

When it comes to carp rods, especially for beginners looking to buy their first rod, you really can't choose and it's best to be prepared before you ditch your hard-earned money. Carp rods come in many lengths, test curves, and prices, all of which have used under certain conditions.

So, if you are a beginner looking to buy your first rod, consider the following when buying carp rods.

  • Rod Length
  • Rod Action
  • Rod Strength
  • Rod Handle
  • Line Guides

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What Is The Best Size Carp Rod?

A typical carp rod is 12 feet long, but there are also smaller stalking rods of 9/10ft, and the longer 13ft casting rods. Most carp rods are 12 to 13 feet long. You should choose the most comfortable length, but keep in mind that you will need to be tall, strong, and have good skills to be able to get the best out of a 13-foot long rod.

What Is The Best All-Around Fishing Pole?

Personally, my best all-around rod is the Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2. The reason lies in the fact that this rod has always been reliable and durable. Most anglers love the GX2. It gives you the same affordable, tough, and budget-friendly fishing rod combined with superior features that compete with some of the most expensive fishing rods out there.

Carp Rod Setup

You need to get all your necessary gear ready before you get out and ready to catch some carp. Without wasting much time, let’s go through the step by step guide on carp rod setup.

Carp Fishing Setup

Go try out a Carp Fishing Setup!

Step 1 - Load The Reel With Fishing Line

To begin, you need a line with a breaking strain of about 12 and 20 pounds to effectively load your line onto your reel.

Step 2 - Tie Your Rig

You can use a pre-tied rig, but if you don’t want to tie your own rig. The good thing about tying your rig is that it gives you more choices and is cost-effective than buying pre-tied rigs.

Step 3 - Attach Your Rig To The Line

You will need a swivel to attach the rig to your mainline. If you are not sure of how to attach your rig to the line, you can look for a YouTube video online that summaries the steps.

Step 4 - Setup A Lead Clip System

Making use of a lead clip system will help with casting and also prevent tangles. Next, you should be ready to go fishing; all you need to do is to attach your chosen lure to your hair rig you are ready to go fishing.

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