Best Fishing Catapults

Built around an anti-tangle design, the Korda Katapult is a carp pult with a lightweight hollow nylon frame and a textured, ergonomic handle. Between the elastic and the frame sit size 10 ball-bearing swivels and welded rings, so the elastic shouldn't wind up as you bait.

Choose from three versions. The Heavy's small pouch is for long-range boilie work, the Light's softer elastic and bigger pouch are for particles closer in, and the Medium splits the difference. Every pouch has drainage holes, reinforced attachment points and a rear grip tag.

It suits carp anglers who bait up often and want one pult set up for the way they fish. Next to the ESP Boiliepult, it's the more versatile choice, as the Boiliepult's cone pouch is made purely for grouping boilies.

To be fair, it costs a little more than most carp pults in the guide. For anglers who want one well-made pult matched to their baiting, though, I think it's the best overall pick.

The ESP Boiliepult is a specialist boilie catapult with a cone-shaped pouch. That cone holds roughly ten 18mm or sixteen 15mm boilies and keeps them packed close as they leave the pouch, with less bait spilling on the bank as you load.

Twin-walled latex in 15in (38cm) lengths drives it, with a long, slow and powerful pull. Around 40 metres is a realistic grouping range once you've had some practice, and loading fewer baits buys extra distance. Spare pouches and latex are sold separately.

Carp anglers baiting one spot with boilies at medium to long range will get the most from it. Next to the Korda Katapult, it's the more specialised pult, and against the Gardner UltraPult it trades a choice of pouches for that grouping cone.

To be fair, the natural latex needs replacing regularly. For boilie anglers who want tight groups at range, though, I think it's a superb specialist tool for the job.

Gardner's UltraPult is a carp pult with a reinforced moulded frame, 16cm across, that stays rigid while keeping the weight down. American-made surgical elastics are mounted on anti-twist fittings, so you're not stopping to untangle them between pulls.

A sculptured grip with an anti-slip finish gives a comfortable hold. Pouch choice is simple, with a medium pouch on the Boilie model for single boilies, or a large one on the Particle model when you're feeding pellets and particles in volume. Spare pouches and elastics are sold separately.

Anyone after a dependable all-round carp pult without spending much should look at it first. Next to the ESP Boiliepult, it gives up the cone for grouping boilies, while the Trakker Boilie Pult adds a soft-touch handle and enclosed rotators but costs more.

To be fair, its fittings are simpler than the Korda Katapult's ball-bearing swivels. For carp anglers on a budget, though, I think it's the best value pult in the guide.

Tangle-free elastic is the whole idea behind the Trakker Boilie Pult. It's a plastic boilie catapult with an enclosed elastic rotator system housed in the frame, a soft-touch ergonomic handle and a weight of about 212g, so it's strong without being heavy.

Its deep 6.5cm pouch, 5.5cm across, is welded, pressed and eyeletted to last, and it's well shaped for holding a few boilies together as they leave. Overall, it measures a compact 25 x 18cm, and the elastic is 0.15cm thick.

Boilie anglers who bait little and often, and who hate unpicking knotted elastic, will like it most. Next to the Gardner UltraPult, it costs a little more but has the softer handle, while the ESP Particlepult is built for particles rather than boilies.

To be fair, there's no cone pouch for the tightest groups at range. For carp anglers who mainly fire boilies, though, I think it's a dependable, tangle-free choice that's comfortable to use.

Made for short to medium-range particle work, the ESP Particlepult has a generous wide-gape pouch that fires serious quantities of pellets, sweetcorn, tigernuts and hemp at once. It's built to get particles further while keeping the spread down.

The long, slow, soft action comes from twin-walled natural latex in 15-inch (38cm) sections. Particles rarely carry well past 15 to 20 metres, and that gentle acceleration helps a full pouch stay together. Spare pouches and latex are sold separately, so it's easy to keep going.

Carp and tench anglers who feed particles over a spot will get the most from it. Next to the Trakker Boilie Pult, it swaps a compact boilie pouch for volume, and against the Trakker Mega Pult it's the more particle-focused of the two.

To be fair, natural latex needs replacing regularly. For anglers feeding hemp, corn and pellets at sensible range, though, I think it's a smart, focused buy for the money.

Trakker's Mega Pult is a strong, lightweight bait catapult developed from their original Wideframe model. Its broad frame leaves plenty of space between the forks for a loaded pouch, and an enclosed rotating elastic system helps keep the elastic tangle-free.

A soft-touch ergonomic handle should sit comfortably in a wet hand, and the welded eyeleted pouch has a non-slip loop for a firm hold on the draw. Boilies, pellets or corn, it's designed to bait accurately with whatever you're using.

Carp anglers who feed a mix of baits over an area are the ones it suits. Compared with the ESP Particlepult, it's built for mixed baits rather than purely particles, while the ESP Big Shot that follows it has a Large version for longer-range boilie loads.

To be fair, it isn't a specialist for grouping boilies at distance. For mixed baiting at sensible range, though, I think it's a comfortable, tangle-free option that copes with a good load.

Glass-filled nylon gives the ESP Big Shot a stiff, wide-gape frame for firing boilies, and its elastic turns on machined stainless-steel pins so it doesn't twist.

Two versions cover different distances. The Medium has a light vented pouch with a pull tab for tight baiting at short and medium distances, while the Large adds Twin Wall elastic and a bigger vented pouch for heavier boilie loads further out.

On big pits where boilies need grouping at range, it comes into its own. Next to the Trakker Mega Pult, which is a wide-frame bulk feeder, it's the more specialised distance tool, and it does a different job entirely from the Drennan Pole Line Pellet Pult, which feeds small amounts to a match pole line.

To be fair, you may need both sizes to cover every swim, which doubles the outlay. For long-range boilie work, though, I think it's a tough, well-made pult that earns its place.

Drennan's Pole Line Pellet Pult is a small match catapult for loose feeding pellets and other baits on the pole, with twin swivels at the pouch and frame ends to keep it virtually tangle free.

It comes in two strengths. Aqua Light elastic keeps loose feed tightly grouped close in, black Medium elastic is built for maximum range at around 16 metres, and both use long-life elastic that outlasts latex. The ergonomic pull cord also grips well in wet or cold hands.

Its natural home is the pole line, whether in a match or a pleasure session. The ESP Big Shot before it is a carp boilie tool for far longer range, while the Guru Incredible 'Pult after it reaches a long waggler line that this pult can't.

To be fair, it won't stretch to a pellet waggler line at range. For pole-line feeding on a budget, though, I think it's very hard to beat.

Distance is the job of the Guru Incredible 'Pult, a match catapult with a slim hollow frame, smooth runners and a moulded heavy-duty pouch for grouping pellets, particles and boilies at long range.

Four pegging points change the elastic tension, so one pult covers a closer line or a long pellet waggler line, and it can even fire boilies towards a reed-lined margin. Its extra-strong elastic runs through a non-twist frame to keep it firing cleanly.

Match anglers who feed at range are the ones it suits. The Drennan Pole Line Pellet Pult before it is the simpler pick for pole work out to 16 metres, while the Preston Dura Slip after it is another pole pult with quick-change elastic, so neither reaches as far.

To be fair, spare elastics and pouches cost extra, and the pegging points take some setting up. For long-range match feeding, though, I think it's a very flexible pult for the money.

With its Dura Slip elastic on a quick-change fitting, the Preston Dura Slip is a lightweight pole catapult where a worn elastic means a quick swap rather than a new pult.

Strengths are Light/Medium or Medium/Heavy, on size 17 or 19 elastic, and PTFE bushes keep that elastic from tangling. The grip is soft-touch, the pouch cord is fixed, and the frame is light enough to pick up and put down all match without a second thought.

Pole anglers who want a pult to keep for years will like it most. Next to the Guru Incredible 'Pult, it gives up range for simple upkeep, and against the Drennan Match Catapults it has the more refined bushes and elastic fitting for a little more money.

To be fair, it's a pole-range pult and won't reach a waggler line. For anglers feeding a pole line week in, week out, though, I think it's a smart, long-lasting buy.

A four-model range, Drennan's Match Catapults split into Pole Line and Waggler Range versions, each with a light or medium elastic option, a rubberised grip and a spare elastic included.

The pole versions pair a small mesh pouch with a plastic cord, and their medium elastic reaches 16 metres, while the waggler versions get a nylon cord and reach medium range and beyond. Because the elastic leaves through the top of the frame, you can fire from any side or angle.

Beginners, juniors and pleasure anglers will get the most from them. The Preston Dura Slip before them has the slicker PTFE-bushed elastic for a little more, while the Drennan Soft Feed Groundbait Catapult after them is a different tool for balls of groundbait at range.

To be fair, the frames are plain and there's no long-range model. For cheap, simple loose feeding at short to medium range, though, I think they're very hard to fault.

Soft groundbait balls are the speciality of the Drennan Soft Feed Groundbait Catapult, whose cradling cup carries balls, barrels or squeezed handfuls of feed without crushing them, so they land on target in one piece.

Three elastic strengths set the range. Soft elastic is most accurate at 20 to 30 metres, Strong at 30 to 40 and X Strong at 40 to 50, and it'll also send out larger loads of pellets and corn. Spare pouches and latex are available too.

Bream and skimmer swims at waggler range and beyond are where it shines, for match and pleasure anglers alike. The Drennan Match Catapults before it are for small loose-feed baits, whereas this one is for groundbait and bulk feed at lines you can't reach by hand.

To be fair, one catapult covers only one band of range, so you may need two. For accurate groundbait balls at range, though, I think it's an excellent tool.