The choice of reel to match the rod It depends on the type of carp fishing that we usually practice. 

To make the concept even simpler, we need to understand first if we fish exclusively from the shore, therefore at distances reachable with a launch ("human" measurements fall within 130 meters), or if we lower the triggers with the help of a vessel or a radio-controlled boat. 

These are the two elements that will mainly influence the choice.

Before looking at some practical cases, let's analyze together the various characteristics of the carp fishing reels that we find on the market.

THE BAITRUNNER SYSTEM

It was, and still is, the symbol of carp fishing. In fact, before the advent of this English technique in our country, very few knew about these reels with a clutch release system. 

How it works a baitrunner? Simply put, it's as if we had one on the reel double clutch. 

The first is the main one, i.e. the one regulated through the knob found above the spool (front drag) or in the terminal part of the body (rear drag) of the reel. 

This regulates the release of line during the phases of the fight: depending on how it is calibrated (more or less "hard"), it releases line when the fish escapes.

The second clutch is precisely the baitrunner, which is generally activated through a lever positioned under the "foot" of the reel. 

Once the bait has been cast, the rod is placed on the rod pod or on the pegs, and the baitrunner is activated by lowering (or raising, in some models) the lever. 

In this way we "unlock" the main clutch: that is, the fish will not encounter resistance when it bites and he will run away. Thus, the so-called is created “departure”. 

The baitrunner was born as an accessory to help the fisherman respond to the typical carp escape which, unlike other fish, quickly moves away as soon as it takes the bait, taking a lot of line. 

What happens then once the fish has taken the bait? We will hear the alarm sound, we will run on the rods and, once we have grabbed the rod, we will turn the handle of the reel: with this gesture the baitrunner "closes" and the primary clutch comes into play, so we will be able to hook the fish by interposing good resistance and planting the hook well in the fish's mouth. 

We thus summarize theuse of the baitrunner:

1) We cast the bait and place the rod on the rod pod;

2) We lower (or raise) the baitrunner lever;

3) The fish bites and takes line, the spool turns quickly;

4) We take the rod, grab the handle and start turning it;

5) Generally after half a turn the baitrunner closes and we will fight the fish with the primary drag, adjusted to the tightness of the line on the spool before casting.

Having said this, we would like to point out that some reels equipped with baitrunners also have the possibility of adjusting the tension of the secondary drag via a second knob. 

This accessory is especially useful if we fish in the river, or in any case where moving debris can get caught on the line and "take line" from the reel.

BAITRUNNER AND QUICK DRAG SPOOLS

With the continental evolution of carp fishing and the need, even in England, to cast further and further away, carp anglers have begun to adopt surf casting reels, or the so-called big pits. 

These reels, compared to classic baitrunner gear, are equipped with larger, wider and more capacious coils. 

The adaptation of these reels to carp fishing initially required getting used to a different drag system, so-called micrometric. 

To explain it in simple words, The drags on surf casting reels are very precise and "long", i.e. they require many turns of the regulating knob to go from maximum opening (minimum resistance) to total closure (maximum resistance). 

Thanks to the increasingly massive use by carp anglers, companies started modifying clutches of surf casting reels creating the so-called baitrunner spool or “baitrunner reels”. 

These terms generally describe themselves two types of clutch:

- Quick clutch: simply, compared to normal reels, the drag on these big pits closes much more quickly. To understand better, generally a full turn of the adjustment knob is enough to go from open drag to almost closed drag (while, in classic surf reels, three or four are needed);

- Clutch baitrunner spool: It can be recognized because, in the middle of the main clutch knob, there is a small wheel. Depending on the direction in which we turn it, we can adjust the number of turns of the main knob to go from an open clutch setting to a closed clutch setting. In some models, thanks to this accessory we can completely close the clutch with just a quarter of a turn. So, once on the rod, in an instant we will be able to put tension on the line, as if we had a baitrunner.

WITH OR WITHOUT FREE CLUTCH?

This is the main question that all carp anglers who have to buy a new reel ask themselves: with baitrunner or without? 

The answer cannot be univocal and Taste also comes into play of the fisherman.

I advantages of the baitrunner I am, without a doubt, the convenience and the speed in controlling the via ferrata. 

The disadvantages are linked to the presence of one more mechanism, which can deteriorate and wear out over time, and to real need to make a fish "escape".: who Fishing in large lakes, casting lines from a boat, for example, may not require a fully open drag, because the large distances, combined with the elasticity of the line, are enough to guarantee some space for the fish before we intervene on the rod. 

Sure, if we use a reel without a baitrunner we will have to be very careful when grabbing the barrel, at the moment of starting, and blocking the drag with your hand. 

However, without exaggerating with the pressure, because suddenly "closing" the reel could lead to unwanted unhooking. 

So, what to choose? We recommend, for those who are just starting out, to try a baitrunner reel to become familiar with the departures of the carp. 

Also because it is presumable that the first catches take place in quarries or in any case in waters of limited dimensions, where it is not necessary to lower the lines with a boat.  

BIG PIT AND BIG COILS

We have already said that many carp anglers have started using surf casting reels instead of the "classic" baitrunner reels. 

The "fault" of all this is him development of carp fishing in the large European lakes (the so-called “continental” carp fishing), in which the lines are lowered with the boat at long distances from shore. 

The baitrunner reels, however large, did not have sufficient line capacity: the new European carp anglers in fact needed reels that contained at least 400 meters of 0.35, if not more... This is where the "fashion" of using large sea reels even in fresh water came from. 

The fact that they were heavy didn't matter that much, in a technique where the line is placed on a support. 

From here a consequence arose that also affected the Fishing from shore: with larger spools the casts are longer, because the wire, as it comes out, is more harmonious and makes wider turns. 

This is why, today, the carp fishing reel is not just the one with the baitrunner. 

And indeed, they were created reels equipped with both big pit reel both baitrunner clutch: combine the convenience of free drag with large line capacity and large spool.  

THE SIZES

Generally carp fishing reels are included in a range of sizes since 8000 (reel considered “small”) to 14000 (very large reel, for big waters). 

In recent years, some trends have developed which require the use of very small reels, even in sizes 4000 and 5000, to be applied on rods dedicated to fishing. Fishing so-called "stalking", i.e. with continuous movements in search of fish, or for the Fishing afloat.  

THE MATERIAL OF THE COIL

It is important to take into consideration the material the coil is made of, especially in one case: if we decide to load the braid on the reel.

Braided line, in fact, is a type of line that It "chokes" the coil a lot, and for this reason it is necessary that this is very resistant, therefore made of metal. 

Le graphite coils They are solid on the market today but, especially in the case of reels dedicated to Fishing at very long distances, they are not ideal because they risk deforming under the "choking" of the braid. 

So, if we know from the start that we will use braided line, let's focus on reels with a metal spool.

RECOVERY REPORT

In carp fishing the recovery report It doesn't really matter. Typically, carp fishing reels are located in the range between 5:1 and 6:1. 

There is only one type of reel that requires a very fast gear ratio: the one we will dedicate to the spod rod. 

There are on the market today special reels, precisely defined “Spod”, which are equipped with a much faster recovery ratio, and are therefore able to retrieve much more line with a single turn of the handle (some models reach 110 centimeters per turn of the handle, when the average of a big carp fishing pit is around 90). 

The high speed in the retrieve is necessary in a spod reel because we will use it for baiting with rocket and Spomb: especially in competitions, quickly retrieve the feeder it helps us unload much more groundbait.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

To make the choice easier, let's look at some practical examples. Anyone who is about to buy a reel may recognize themselves in some of these profiles:

“I have just started carp fishing and I will fish mainly in quarries or small rivers to gain experience” – Especially at the beginning, it is important to become familiar not only with the equipment, but above all with the fish. Carp is a powerful fish, whose escapes are often powerful and can cause difficulty for those who have never dealt with it. The baitrunner is an accessory that helps us deal with these situations and also "forgives" some distractions (because, in the event of a clutch that is too closed, in the best case scenario we lose the fish, while in the worst case the rod could end up in the water). From a size point of view, an 8000 or a 10000 are more than fine.

“I have been carp fishing for a while, so far I have only frequented the quarries but every now and then I would like to make some trips to the big lakes” – The advice we give, in this case, is twofold: we can choose a baitrunner reel with a big pit spool (in sizes 10000 and 12000) or switch to a fast drag reel without a baitrunner. It is the classic situation of someone who perhaps started with a baitrunner reel and wants "something more" to tackle big waters.

“I don't fish from a boat, only from the shore, but I need to cast very long distances and every now and then I would like to do some competitions” – In this case the best performing reels are those for surf casting, which are adapted to carp fishing. Big spool and perfect spooling: this is the secret for those who want reels specifically dedicated to casting. With or without baitrunner, it depends on your taste. However, let's remember that, given the same size, a lighter reel makes us more efficient when casting. The baitrunner, therefore, may be superfluous.

“I am a big water angler, I fish exclusively by dropping lines from the boat” – You need a reel that holds a lot of line. At least 500 meters of 0.35. Additionally, it must be mechanically reliable. Focus on the larger models (sizes 10000-12000-14000) with metal spools. The baitrunner, for the type of Fishing what do you do, it's not essential.

As with the rods, also when choosing the reel Experience and personal taste matter a lot. There are carp anglers who consider the baitrunner useless, others who consider it indispensable: from a technological point of view, the models on the market today have reached such reliability as to cover the needs of all carp anglers, even those who want the baitrunner on large and very powerful reels. 

That of the reel is one choice linked to the habits of Fishing and to needs, which change with experience: for this very reason, we cannot expect it to be "definitive" right away.

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