Fishing is one of the most popular pastimes in the world, and also one of the most popular participation sports. There are various types of fishing, and among them, all one of the most commonly engaged in is carp fishing.
This is a sporting type of fishing that involves great skill and is extremely satisfying, but everybody has to start somewhere! Like all such pastimes, you may want to try it and then find that it is not for you, and that’s why the carp fishing starter kits we have reviewed here are a great place to start.
Inexpensive, complete and ready to go, they make for a great buy as a present for an interested child or another beginner, and won’t break the bank if they then decide it’s not for them.
Let’s have a look them!
Contents
Carp Fishing Starter Kits
1: Redwood Tackle Carp Fishing Set
Our first selection is a great choice that would be perfect for a father and child to go fishing together with. You get two rods, each 12-foot so the perfect size for both experienced anglers and beginners, plus the line, reels, sleeves and everything you could want. This is from a good maker with a reputation for quality equipment at sensible prices.
You also get a set of stands and rod holders, two bite alarms – a great accessory for all anglers – and just about everything you could possibly need to start out on your carp fishing adventure. There’s nothing left to get if you buy this set but the bait; it really is that complete. At the price, and given what you get with the package, this may be a hard one to beat.
Key Features – everything you need x 2, a great starter kit
2: Roddarch Junior Beginner’s Fishing Kit
This beginner’s carp fishing kit comes from Roddarch, a brand with a wide variety of fishing gear and accessories and a reputation for great items at sensible prices. If you don’t want to spend much as you are not sure the youngster will take to fishing, this could be a perfect choice. It’s very well-priced, thoughtfully put together, and includes just about everything you need to get a youngster started and hopefully wanting more!
You get a nice, 6-foot telescopic rod, a quality Hunter Pro reel which is perfect for beginners, and a full range of accessories. These include a bait box and tackle box, a quality bag, and a good selection of hooks, floats and shot. The only thing you need to add here is bait. This is clearly for the younger enthusiast, but we reckon it a very good buy at the price.
Key Features – kid’s beginners kit, rod, reel, boxes and tackle, all included
3: Hunter Pro Complete Starter Kit
These starter kits get even more comprehensive as we go! This one, from the known Hunter Pro brand, is amazingly good value, and includes some accessories that others seem to have forgotten about. If you want a kit for a youngster, or an adult looking to get their feet wet, this comes highly recommended. The rod is a Hunter 10-foot model with a rest and a catapult thrown in for good measure, and the reel a quality model that is matched to the carbon rod.
But, it’s the extras you get for your money that make this set: you get a full float set, a selection of hooks, a choice of shot, and also a net with a telescopic handle, the latter being a great addition to any fishing kit. It’s all there to set out and get fishing, and would make a great starter set for the more serious of anglers. At the price, well worth checking out.
Key Features – carbon rod, quality reel, everything you need, plus a net
4: Matt Hayes Adventure Complete Fishing Set
We’re talking top quality with this all-encompassing set, and while it may be a touch too expensive to be considered a starter kit, it is nevertheless worth a look. Put it this way: buy this, and you will have everything you need for the foreseeable future, and it’s all high-quality kit. The Matt Hayes brand guarantees good kit, and it shows here. This is a twin-set, so you get two rods and reels – both 12-foot fibreglass models with stands – plus you also get a 5-metre pole included. That’s a good package to start with!
In addition, you also get a net, additional spools, all the line, two tackle boxes, a wealth of tackle, a bait box, a catapult – in fact, everything you could need to set out and get fishing. This could well be the perfect parent and child starter kit, or even one for a pair who have begun together and are now looking to move up a notch. It may be more expensive than others, but have a look at what you are getting – it really is quality gear. Plus, you get a book!
Key Features – two rods, net, bait and tackle boxes, all the tackle, rod stands, and more
5: Hunter Pro 10-foot Carbon-X
There is a choice to make when buying a starter kit; do you take a chance and go up-market, in the hope the newcomer will take to the sport? Or do you go for a budget set, in case they decide it’s not for them? This set, from the Hunter Pro brand, allows you to invest in a quality set of fishing gear that, if they decide it’s for them, the newcomer will get plenty of use out of before they need to move on.
You get a very nice Hunter Pro 10-foot carbon match rod, complete with an SY200 reel that is equipped with excellent bearings for smooth use and ease of operation. That in itself is enough, but you also get a set of floats, a variety of hooks and some shot, so you have al the tackle you need in a set-up that is ready to go. At what can only be described as an amazing price, this single-rod starter kit is up there on your shortlist for sure.
Key Features – quality kit, carbon rod, good reel, all the tackle, great price
That’s our selection of the best starter kits we can find, so which is for you? Let’s have a look at some features you need to consider, then we will see if we can make a recommendation.
Important Features
If you are reading this then you are either thinking of taking up carp fishing, or you have a family member – perhaps a youngster – who you are trying to encourage. In either case there are some things you need to look for, and perhaps the main one is that you want as comprehensive a package as you can get.
Each of those listed above gives you plenty for your money, so all we can suggest is that you look for the best selection of accessories and kit that comes with each package, and there are a couple that stand out, so here’s our verdict!
Our Verdict
Is one of the above carp fishing starter kits right for you? Given the variety of them, we reckon there is bound to be.
To begin with, if you are looking for a way of spending as little money as possible, in case they don’t take to it, then we can highly recommend the Roddarch package, number two on the list. It is specifically aimed at younger children, hence the 6-foot rod, and is very cheap yet decent quality, but the downside to this one is they will need something better very quickly if they get into the sport.
For a longer-term choice, let’s assume you are confident your newcomer will be an enthusiastic angler, the third on our list, from Hunter Pro, is a very good buy indeed at a sensible price. You get a quality carbon rod and very good reel, plus all the accessories for a great start to fishing, and as a 10-foot rod it will last a decent amount of time.
If you want to go fishing alongside your child, and perhaps are just starting or upgrading yourself, either of the two-rod packages will do the trick, but we advise that if you are willing to spend the extra, the Matt Hayes set is the one to go for. This is a full-on carp fishing set with top quality gear and simply everything you could need, and will set you both up for years of enjoyable fishing.
So, that’s our verdict, although we should say that each of those on the list is a very good deal for the novice angler, so make your choice, and get a new face involved in this most wonderful of hobbies.
Mike has over 30 years of fishing experience in carp fishing and general coarse fishing. He is always looking for the latest fishing kit to try out and talk about and needs a bigger shed due to all the fishing tackle he owns. You can read more about him here.