Coarse fishing tackle

What Coarse Fishing Tackle Do You Need?

A day's coarse fishing needs less kit than you might expect. The basics are a rod and reel or a pole, line, a few floats or feeders, split shot, hooks, a disgorger, a landing net and some bait.

Add something to sit on and a rod licence, and you're ready for most lakes, canals and rivers. Keepnets, umbrellas and seat box accessories can wait until you know how you like to fish.

Float and Feeder Rods

Float rods, often sold as match rods, are usually 12ft or 13ft long. That length gives you the reach to control a waggler on a lake or a stick float trotting down a river, and the soft action protects fine lines.

So, what makes a feeder rod different? It has a sensitive quiver tip that shows bites, plus the backbone to cast a loaded feeder.

A 10ft or 11ft feeder rod is a good shout for commercial fisheries and tight swims. Go for 12ft to 13ft on big lakes and rivers, where you need the extra casting distance.

Most feeder rods come with two or three tips, rated in ounces. A lighter tip shows shy bites, and a heavier one copes with flowing water and bigger feeders.

Poles and Whips

A whip is the simplest way to start, a telescopic pole with the line fixed straight to the tip. There's no reel to tangle and no elastic to set up, so it's ideal for catching small fish close in.

Why use a pole at all? It puts your bait in exactly the same spot every time, with an elastic running through the top sections to cushion a hooked fish.

Margin poles are shorter and stronger, built for carp close to the bank, while full match poles run up to 16m. Elastic is matched to the fish, with lighter elastics for roach and skimmers and heavier hollow elastics for carp.

Spare top kits are well worth having, because they let you set up several rigs with different elastics and swap between them in seconds.

Reels and Line

A 3000-size fixed spool reel suits float fishing and short-range feeder work. For distance feeder fishing, a 4000 or 5000 size has a bigger spool that lets line peel off more freely on the cast.

So, how heavy should your line be? A 3lb to 4lb mainline is plenty for float fishing for silverfish, with a lighter hooklength below it.

Feeder fishing usually calls for 5lb to 6lb, and 6lb to 8lb is safer for carp on commercial fisheries.

Monofilament stretches, which cushions a fish that lunges at the net, so it's the standard choice. Braid has almost no stretch and is mainly used for long-range feeder fishing, where it shows bites better at distance.

Terminal Tackle and Bait

Floats, shot, hooks and feeders get used up quickest, so they're worth buying little and often. Wagglers suit stillwaters, stick floats suit flowing rivers, and method feeders are a favourite on commercial fisheries.

Hook sizes work backwards, which catches plenty of people out: the higher the number, the smaller the hook. A size 18 or 20 suits maggots for silverfish, while a 12 to 16 is better for sweetcorn, pellets and carp, and plenty of fisheries only allow barbless hooks.

Maggots are hard to beat as an all-round bait, and they'll catch almost every coarse species. Worms are great for perch, bread and sweetcorn work on most waters, and pellets are the go-to on commercial carp lakes.

Landing Nets, Keepnets and Fish Care

A landing net with a deeper, wider head is worth having for carp on commercials, while a smaller head is fine for silverfish. A 2m to 3m handle reaches most margins, and pole anglers often go to 4m.

Keepnets hold your catch until the end of a session, and match rules and many fisheries set a minimum length. Some waters don't allow them at all, so check the rules before you buy.

A disgorger gets the hook out of small fish quickly, and an unhooking mat protects bigger fish on the bank. Wet your hands before handling a fish and get it back in the water as fast as you can.

Seat Boxes, Chairs and Umbrellas

For match fishing, a seat box is hard to beat. It gives you a level platform on any bank, with adjustable legs, a footplate and drawers for your tackle.

Side trays, feeder arms and pole rollers clip onto it to build a full fishing station. For shorter sessions and lighter set-ups, a feeder chair or a lightweight fishing chair does the job.

Add a 45-inch or 50-inch umbrella to keep the rain off, and a trolley to get the lot from the car park to your peg.

Coarse Fishing Tackle Prices and Reviews

There are 1144 coarse fishing tackle products here, and 211 of them have a full eTackle review. Every listing shows the lowest in-stock price from reputable UK online retailers, with prices checked every day.

Our reviews are based on how tackle performs on the bank, from build quality to how well it does its job. Feeder rods are a good place to start, and the best feeder rods guide picks out the ones that scored highest.