Pike rods or carp rods - is there a need for specialisation?

hi


Posted more to hear opinions than actually looking for advice - but would be good to hear what you think.

I have been fishing for roughly 37 years - in recent times this has been all Carp fishing until i entered the dark side last winter when my love of pike fishing took over my life

My carp rods have varied depending upon the types of water i have been fishing - from Harrisons to Infinities to Fat boy slims [oh i loved these rods] to the Century FS i use today - my set are only 2.75 test curve - they are not pokers but are certainly fairly stiff - i love them for my carping.

However though i believed they would work perfectly for both my carping and my piking, i am starting to have my doubts;

a. I am worried the action is not the best for casting soft deadbaits

b. Even more importantly i am worried about the action when it comes to playing pike.

Pike are different to the Carp i normally catch - a lot of them are smaller to start with - but they also fight differently - they are much faster - less plodding and have a different sort of power. I am well used to playing fish through my clutch - however i feel the urge to use a rod that has a tad more bend in it - maybe progressive would be the correct description.

On my last outing even though the majority of the fish were small - apart from the really little un they all went off like rockets - my carp rods just didnt feel forgiving enough.

I suppose i am actually thinking of buying a second set of rods specifically for my piking

any thoughts?


Healdy

I have 2 very old Dam pike rods that i have had for 10 years now. But i must say some carp rods make fantastic pike rods. It all depends what you want out of them. Generally a pike blank will have a more powerful through action and often have a slightly thicker wall. But a powerful, throughish action carp rod wil l be spot on for for pike. Its only when it comes to casting huge deads i think you need not concern your self most people are using 3lb + test curve rods for there carp fishing this day and age.

Test curve and action every rod builder is different take a look at this when you have 5 min

https://ukfishingforums.darkbb.com/tackle-talk-f49/rod-test-curve-action-t1649.htm?

I am with Stotty on this one, I use my 3lb X-Flites for both Pike and Carp unless I am on the boat and then I switch to my Prowla 10ft Boat rods for ease of use around tight spaces. I think that 3lb test carp rods punch dead/Live baits just as good as they do punching method feeders.

I would change the reels first

i wouldn't mind some pike rods but i'll not be getting em this year. my carp rods seem adequate for now bit when i do buy some pike rods i'll be after some nice cork handled rods

i use my 3.5tc greys prodigys for both carp and pike,
Cats on the other hand fight harder than the other two, and my rods cope well enough,

I was happy enough using my carp rods until i was offered 2 Wychwood Agitator 3lb test curve rods for a second hand steal last year - they were still in the wrapping.

I think they are the dogs, - and they have got cork handles

I still use a greys prodigy 2.75 tc as my third rod, although i might get a matching 3 this season Stotty , and it performs well enough.

There, is however, a noticeable difference in action, the pike rods being more progressive.

brassneck wrote:I was happy enough using my carp rods until i was offered 2 Wychwood Agitator 3lb test curve rods for a second hand steal last year - they were still in the wrapping.

I think they are the dogs, - and they have got cork handles

I still use a greys prodigy 2.75 tc as my third rod, although i might get a matching 3 this season Stotty , and it performs well enough.

There, is however, a noticeable difference in action, the pike rods being more progressive.

its got to match

there is a difference proper pike rods will do more with big chunks of fish and lumps of lead
bb350 and daiwa infinity magnum taper in 3.5 to use two as an exaple see which works best for chucking nigh on a pound of lead and fish and which one throws 4 ounce on its own

unlike another forums answer i think cheap carp rods are a reasonable midling alternative ok at the upper end they wont perform like a true pike designed blank but for three ounce of lead and a few ounce of fish they will be ok

and you should listen to me as if you rate the db4 then i am the db4 king ive only 8 of them now plus four db5's

for the record i use 3.25 fox heavy deadbait rods (pikers) and a couple of carp blanks to fill in for odd jobs

Good job - cheap carp rods are my forte

as you know mate i use pike rods for the bulk of my deadbaiting/livebaiting, i am a bit different as i dont do any carp fishing. i have 2 fox xp pradators, excellent rods the quality of the blank is top bananna, i have another fox deadbait rod a piker. all these are 2.75lb so i use a 3lb carp rod for any distance work i do, but i would like to think my xp's would cope just as well.

couple these up with some shimmys for a top notch set up................eh stotty

chief wrote:as you know mate i use pike rods for the bulk of my deadbaiting/livebaiting, i am a bit different as i dont do any carp fishing. i have 2 fox xp pradators, excellent rods the quality of the blank is top bananna, i have another fox deadbait rod a piker. all these are 2.75lb so i use a 3lb carp rod for any distance work i do, but i would like to think my xp's would cope just as well.

couple these up with some shimmys for a top notch set up................eh stotty

the word pike rod and shimmy in the same sentence makes me feel a bit

Noodle said [quote]and you should listen to me as if you rate the db4 then i am the db4 king ive only 8 of them now plus four db5's

for the record i use 3.25 fox heavy deadbait rods (pikers) and a couple of carp blanks to fill in for odd jobs


I do listen to you fella - trouble is because of that i also have a large and ever increasing collection of db4's - it is all your fault

I don't like cheap rods - when the wife is spending my .....ok our money she never buys cheap .............i love my fishing and i am afraid i do take some pleasure from having quality equipment - last weekend really brought home to me the difference between playing a pike and a carp - now it may have been exagerated because they were generally small and very active beacause the water is still warm - but i really felt i wanted a rod with a different action and one that could still control but could also cushion the runs/lunges - if that makes sense.

I don't want to spend for spend sake [tackle tart issues] but i am rapidly moving towards a set of bespoke pike rods ........how special are the Dave Lumb rods noodle - worth the dosh?


Healdy

the lumby bait rods are good yes he knows what he is talking about
but if its just for the average sort of bait size baitbox mackeral and leads around 3-4 ounce then rods like the fox warrior are fine and dont look too shabby

if i had the cash id have lumbys bb350's four of them in fact for my bait fishing (glacials and water feed reserviors) there are others though p1s etc have a gab with the man himself or for a cheaper route buy off the shelf fox whychwood etc

as i said the pikers do me and they were cheap 50 quid or so

I would love a set of Daves Loch Tamers, they are stunning