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The Angler's Guide to Buying Fishing Poles & Whips
Poles and whips are the coarse and match angler’s bread and butter, so it’s only right that we guide you through your important tackle purchase! With such a comprehensive selection of fishing poles and whips available in tackle shops and online, we thought it might be a good idea to highlight some of the key features you want to look for across our range, as well as any specifics that you might want to bear in mind if you’re looking to use these poles and whips for certain fishing tactics.
Type of Fishing Poles
Before we get into key features of fishing poles and whips, check out the different types of poles that are on the market for all our angling needs. View all Poles and Whips for Fishing, here.
Margin Poles:
The smallest in poles available, margin poles are designed to allow you to target the margins of your swim. Fishing in the margins can sometimes reward you with the biggest fish and, more often than not, you’ll find some large commercial carp hiding in the margins of your swim.
Margin poles can be as short as 4m or as long as 10m and you’ll find that most fall somewhere between the two on our site. Their shorter length also makes them favoured for junior anglers, as these poles are lighter in weight and easier to manoeuvre over the water.
Margin fishing poles are also some of the cheapest poles that we have on offer – once again this is primarily down to their length as these poles require fewer materials to make them. If you’re an angler who regularly targets commercial fisheries then it is absolutely essential for you to have a margin pole in your collection. This gives you the chance to land some huge fish which will more than play their part in making up the numbers during your final weigh-in.
Carp Poles:
Carp fishing poles have been primarily designed with carp angling in mind. Usually, these poles are longer than margin poles and they are produced to be stronger than your traditional pole in order to allow you to ship in a carp from a greater distance.
Carp poles can vary between 10m and 16m in length, with the vast majority of offerings coming in at either 13m or 14.5m. This allows you to fish as far out as you like as well as tight to the nearside margin, giving you huge scope for targeting big commercial carp. The huge distance range on these poles also means there is a huge price range. However, as with margin poles, the longer the pole is the more money it tends to cost. This being said, many anglers go for the longest pole possible and then simply remove sections if they want to fish nearer the margins. This keeps them versatile on the bank and able to target far into the open water as effectively as they can the margins.
Match Poles:
Build for match angling, match poles tend to be between 13m and 16m in length, although you may find one or two which are slightly shorter. Match poles tend to be slightly more delicate than carp poles, so it is recommended that you avoid the larger and more aggressive fish when you’re fishing with a match pole.
The big benefit of fishing with a match pole is that it's a lighter pole. Match poles can be fished with greater finesse and because they are stiffer than carp poles, you can fish with greater precision. This additional precision and finesse are vital when you’re targeting smaller and more delicate coarse species.
Match poles do tend to be the more expensive of all the fishing poles, and prices can extend into the thousands for ultra-professional packages. If you’re a dedicated match angler you’ll be well aware of the benefits that a top-class match pole can offer.
Why Do I Need a Fishing Whip?
Whip fishing has grown in popularity in the UK, particularly in recent years, and it is especially common among the junior fishing community.
Whips are short and often telescopic, with lengths ranging between 3m and 5m. Whip fishing often offers quick returns, making the whip ideal to use in tandem with a longer pole or feeder rod when match fishing, as it can quickly add additional weight to your keepnet whilst you’re waiting for a larger catch. This is another reason why whips tend to be more popular among junior and beginner anglers, as it can return fish quickly with little wait time between takes.
The shorter length of the whip also means that it is easier to control on the bank, so it is ideal for the inexperienced angler who wants to improve their skills. Finally, whips tend to be the cheaper option, so should you encounter any bankside calamities you’re not faced with a few hundred pounds of repairs.
What To Look For in A Fishing Pole
With any piece of fishing tackle that you are investing, there are a few features that may make the deciding factor between one fishing pole or the other.
Fishing Pole Material
The first thing that you want to look out for when you’re investing in a pole or a whip is the material from which the pole or whip is constructed. This will usually be carbon, carbon fibre, fibreglass, or a compound of two or more of the three.
These are all materials which are used across angling, from the construction of coarse fishing rods or reels right through to products such as throwing sticks or pole support systems. This is because these materials are all lightweight, durable, and incredibly rigid and all three of these qualities are essential in your match fishing poles and whips.
Weight of the Fishing Pole
Poles can be up to 16m in length, so it is vital that they are as light as possible. This ensures that you’re able to support them on the bank throughout your angling match and especially when you’re shipping in with a fish on the end of your rig.
Please do bear in mind, however, that you’ll need to take into account the downward force that it will take to lift the tip of your pole into the air whilst you’re holding the butt, so the balance of the pole setup is every bit as important as the overall weight.
Fishing Pole Strength
Durability is vital when you’re fishing in winds, with big rigs, or with a big fish at the end of your setup. The last thing you want is for your pole to break under the pressure and leave you not only without your fish but also without your gear.
Pole Rigidity
Finally, it is essential that your pole is rigid. This is because a rigid pole will give you an improved bite indication, which is vital in an intensive match fishing situation when you only want to be responding to positive takes on your pole.
Fishing Pole Length
All fishing poles come in numbered sections and it is only when all of these sections are pieced together that the pole forms the length listed on our site. In other words, the length listed online is the longest possible length for your pole to be, prior to any adjustments you might want to make. The length of the fishing pole you choose will depend on the type of fishing you’re interested in such as carp fishing, margin or match!
Do I Need a Pole Kit?
Most of the poles in our range will come with top kits. Some of the fishing poles for sale come in complete packages. Most pole kits that come supplied with the pole will usually dictate what the pole is best suited for. For example, if your pole comes supplied with a power kit then the chances are that it is best suited to targeting large coarse species and big fish (such as carp).
On the other hand, if you’re targeting the smaller fish which patrol the UK’s match fishing waters (such as silverfish or bream) then you’ll be looking for a pole which comes supplied with a match kit. Some versatile pole packages will come supplied with both a match kit and a power kit, allowing you to target all species with equal confidence.
What Are Cupping Kits?
You might also want to look out for whether or not a cupping kit is supplied with your pole. Cupping kits or pole cups are what they say on the tin: a top section for your pole which is fitted with a small cup. These cups are also available for purchase separately and they are designed to allow you to precisely distribute freebie baits into your swim.
If it is a cupping kit you’re after, you can find a huge range of options in our selection of pole accessories. We’ve also collected together a range of coarse and match baits and additives, all of which have been designed with this kind of angling in mind.
What Fishing Pole is the Best?
With a wide variety of high-quality tackle that we’d use in our own angling. This is why you’ll find all the big-name match fishing brands in our coarse and match poles and whips collection. Daiwa poles are as high quality as any of the rest of their tackle and, as the UK’s largest stockist, we’re able to offer you fantastic deals across the range.
Maver poles are equally high end and we’re proud to be part of the brand’s Centres of Excellence scheme. MAP, Preston, Middy, Matrix, and Drennan all feature heavily through our range, too, as well as a whole host of other brands which are famous for producing superior match fishing tackle solutions.
How Much Does a Fishing Pole Cost?
We stock a comprehensive range to suit all budgets and abilities. With whips that come in at less than £10 and poles starting from £35, we have the perfect start-up gear for the junior and novice angler who wants to try out the sport without breaking the bank.
For those of you who have been angling since day one and really want to push your angling to your limits, we also have multi-thousand pound poles that demonstrate all the latest advances in angling technology. For the rest of us, we have a full range of poles and whips at mid-range prices.
Want to learn more about fishing poles and whips?
If you do have any further questions about any of the coarse and match fishing poles and whips that we stock, or, indeed, any of the tackle in our collection, our in-house customer services team are here to help as are our in-store team members! We’re a team of avid anglers, so we’ll always give advice based on our own experiences. Many of our fishing tackle shops also boast fishing pole displays and appointments for you to get a closer look at your big purchase!
