Whips
A whip is the simplest way to fish a pole: a light telescopic or take-apart pole with the line tied straight to a flick tip, so you swing small fish to hand without elastic or a reel. This page lines up telescopic whips, elasticated whips and system whips with the lowest live price from the retailers we track, and the filters cut the list by length, type and brand.
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Each whip is listed with how many of our verified shops stock it, so the price you open is the best in stock right now. Reviewed whips carry an eTackle score for sorting by how they performed.
Length, weight and whether the top is a flick tip or takes an elastic are the figures that decide whether a whip suits your peg, and each listing shows them next to the price.
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Telescopic, Elasticated and System Whips
A telescopic whip collapses into itself for the walk to the peg and fishes with the line tied to a flick tip, which makes it the quickest way to catch small silvers close in. An elasticated whip adds a short elastic in the top section, so a bonus fish has something to pull against.
A system whip is a take-apart pole sold with a flick tip top and often an elastic top, so the same whip fishes either way. The longer system whips reach past the near shelf where the better fish sit.
Length and Weight
Whips run from about two metres up to eight, and the short ones are the fastest for speed fishing at the bottom of the slope. A longer whip reaches further out but needs a lighter blank to fish all day in hand.
The listed weight matters more than on a rod, because a whip is held throughout the session. A stiffer top section lifts fish faster, while a softer flick tip protects fine hooklengths.
Setting a Whip Up
Tie the line to the small connector on the flick tip, then set the rig a little shorter than the whip so fish swing straight to hand. Match the elastic on an elasticated whip to the size of fish you expect rather than the biggest you hope for.
If you find yourself wanting more reach or a stronger elastic, a full pole is the next step, so it helps to read our best fishing poles guide alongside the whips here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a whip and a pole?
A whip is a short, light pole fished with the line tied straight to a flick tip, so there is no elastic to set up and no top kits to buy. A pole is longer, takes apart in sections and runs elastic through the top for bigger fish.
What length whip should I buy?
Three to four metres covers speed fishing for small silvers close in. Five to eight metres reaches the far side of a narrow canal or the shelf on a commercial lake.
Do I need elastic on a whip?
Not for small roach and rudd on a flick tip. An elasticated whip adds a short elastic for skimmers, chub and bonus carp that would snap a fine hooklength on a stiff tip.
What is a system whip?
A take-apart whip supplied with more than one top section, usually a flick tip and an elasticated top. You fish it as a whip or as a short pole from the same sections.
How do I attach the line to a whip?
Most whips have a flick tip with a small connector on the end. Loop the rig onto the connector and set the length so the float lands just short of the tip.