Floater fishing for carp is a dynamite method for catching summer carp. Our buyers guide breaks down the best floater rods for your next carp fishing adventure.
Floater fishing is a fantastic way to catch carp. Late summer evenings when the carp are up in the water, fishing on the surface can be dynamite.
Bites can be explosive so it’s important to have the right gear to handle them and safely bring them in.
Having the right gear will give you the best opportunity of hooking and landing big carp. If you rod is too light you won’t be able to control the carp. If you rod is too beefy then you risk pulling the hook straight out of the carp’s mouth on strike.
Contents
What type of rod is best for floater fishing?
You should be aiming for a test curve rating from 1.75lb upto 2.50lb to hit the sweet spot between power and rod flexibility. When it comes to rod length, you should be aiming for rods between 8ft and 12ft.
Choosing the “best floater rod” is subjective as this depends on many different factors such as where you are fishing, the size of the carp you are likely to be catching and of course your budget and experience.
In our buyers guide below we have reviewed five different carp floater rods that cater for varying circumstances to help you choose which is the best rod for you.
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Best Carp Surface Fishing Rods
Korum Opportunist Carp Rod
Korum’s lightweight and powerful Opportunist rod is an excellent rod for surface fishing for carp.
Korum specialise in specimen tackle and the Opportunist offers everything you need for a floater rod. Strong, powerful, lightweight, robust and durable. This rod is available in both 8ft and 10ft.
The rod tip is strong but flexible, which is essential when surface fishing as it bites can be explosive so you need a flexible but strong rod tip, otherwise you may bump the fish off when it runs. The test curve is 2.25lb for the 10ft rod, and 2.00lb for the 8ft rod.
The lightweight Pacbay minima rod guides keep the weight down on the rod and gives the a lovely action. The rod butt is cork, again keeping the weight down and this gives a perfect balance to a fantastic rod.
Both the 8ft and 10ft are fantastic rods that are both equally fantastic rods. If you frequent small waters with tight swims then opt for the 8ft. For larger, open lakes the 10ft rod as this will give you greater flexibilty in terms of using the rod for different methods.
You cannot go wrong with Korum when it comes to carp gear. They make their tackle string, powerful and made to last.
The Korum Opportunist is the best overall carp floater rod when considering value for money, rod action, power, flexibiity as an all round carp rod.
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Kodex SX-i Floater Specimen Carp Rod
The Kodex SX-i Floater Specimen 11’8″ carp rod is an excellent carbon floater rod that is perfect for surface fishing for carp.
The rod is both lightweight and super-strong, capable of handing large carp with ease.
With a test curve range between 1.75lb and 2.25lb and a mainline raiting of upto 15lb, this beast of a rod is a great specimen all arounder and a fantastic floater rod.
This well balanced rod is smooth and accurate on cast and very responsive on strike.
Playing large carp with this rod is a dream. This powerful but sensitive rod gives excellent feedback giving great control when fighting carp.
The rod itself comes with a cork handle which gives a good balance to the rod and gives excellent grip. The slim-line gun metal reel seat feels quality to touch.
This is Kodex’s best selling rod and once you have used it, you can see why it is so popular. A lightweight and powerful rod that can take as much punishment as you can throw at it, and it will keep surprising you.
If you plan on fishing many different methods on lakes and rivers, this is the best rod for you as an all round specimen rod with sufficiant power and flexibilty.
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Wychwood – Carp Extricator MLT
This 9ft Carp Extricator rod from Wychwood has been designed for tackling small to medium waters. The rod is capable of long casts upto 100 yards, however it comes into it’s own when tacking tight swims where longer rods just don’t cut it.
The Extricator is a 9ft carp stalking rod with a delicately soft tip, whist also possessing immense power to control carp away from snags.
The test curve is 2.75lb. Normally we would not recommend such a beefy rod, however this rod has a soft and flexible tip which works very well when floater fishing.
Although specifically designed as floater and stalking rod, it is also equally adept as a match rod.
The Extricator is a very smooth and accurate rod on cast is the great power and soft tip allows great control when carp run.
The rod itself is made from multi modulus carbon which gives the rod it’s superb power. The rings are braid friendly and comes with a cork rod butt which gives this light rod great balance.
This is the best floater rod for small to medium waters such as commercial fisheries.
- Cork Handle
- Screw lock reel seat
- Custom-spaced braid friendly guides
- Model number: A8021
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
NGT Carp Stalker – 8ft Carp Rod
If you are looking for a cheap 8ft carp rod, then look no further than the 8ft NGT Carp Stalker.
The NGT Carp Stalker is a fantastic rod regardless of price, however when you consider it’s budget price then it’s hard to understand why all angers do not have atleast one of these little rods.
At 8ft, it’s an ideal size for catching carp on small lakes such as commercials, while also being more than capable as an all round carp and match rod.
When NGT desiged this rod, they had stalking in mind, and specifically stalking carp on the surface. The rod tip is nicely balanced with a 2lb test curve which gives enough flexibity and control to smootly cast out and land your surface bait.
Freeling bread in the margins with this rod is a dream and hooking big carp is great fun!
Weighing in at only 230g it’s very light, but strong enough to contol and guide big carp away from snags.
The build quality is fantastic and this little rod promises hours of fun in the right hands.
At such a low entry level price you would be hard pushed to find a similar rod that offers better value for money.
- It's ideal for carp off the top using stalking tactics.
- Supplied in a cloth bag.
- One of our best selling rods in this class
- Made from fibreglass
- Supplied in a cloth bag
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Middy White Knuckle Carp Rod
The Middy White Knuckle 10ft Carp Rod is a light, well-balanced super strong waggler rod built to take the strain of heavy use. It is capable of handling big carp, while still being lightweight and sensitive enough for small carp and silvers.
The rod was designed as a waggler carp rod but is equally adept when floater fishing for carp.
This rod is super strong and is made of Triple X Carbon whilst retaining its flexibility and sensitivity.
Being strong and lightweight it is ideal for floater fishing and is built to last.
The extra strength it offers will mean you will have greater control when the carp runs, allow you to keep it away from any snags or over hanging trees.
The strength and flexible nature of this rod makes it very easy to recommend as a great floater rod and all round great carp rod.
This is the best floater rod to buy for beginners. This is a carp waggler rod designed for float fishing and general match fishing, but is also a great rod for catching carp on the surface due to it’s power and flexibility.
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Floater Fishing Rods FAQ
What is the best carp rod for floater fishing?
The best carp rod for floater fishing is the 10ft Korum Opportunist, which is strong, powerful, and durable and capable of handing large carp with ease.
What is the best length rod for floater fishing?
For floater fishing, the ideal range is between 8ft and 12ft in length.
What test curve is best for a floater fishing rod?
A test curve between 1.75lb and 2.50lb is best for floater fishing.
If you are targeting large carp then you should aim towards the top end of the range, where as if you only fish small commercials where the carp don’t grow as big, then 1.75lb would be more than stong enough.
When surface fishing the bites are often strong and carp will run so it’s important that you have a string enough rod to handle this. However if your rod is too stiff, then you run the risk of pulling the hook out on strike or pulling the hook out when the carp runs.
Can you use a feeder rod for surface fishing?
Yes, however you may need to adjust your approach depending on the rod.
Feeder rods often have soft rod tips which is not ideal when striking. Adjust your approach when striking – wait until the line goes tight when you have a bite and simply lifting your rod rather than striking is a good way to counter the soft rod tip.
If your feeder rod has a removable quiver tip then it would be a good idea to remove this.
What is the best budget carp rod for floater fishing?
The best budget carp rod for floater fishing is the 8ft NGT Carp Stalker.
The NGT Carp Stalker is a light but powerful rod with a 2.00lb test curve which makes it ideal for floater fishing.
Not only is it suitable for floater fishing, it is also a fantastic all round great rod which suitable for lots of different methods.
It has fantastic build quality which will last a very long time offers excellent value for money.
Summary
Catching carp on the surface is a wonderful way to fish. Fishing with the most suitable tackle for your own needs and requirements gives you a better chance of catching.
It is important to remember that you do not need a different rod for each method you fish. Lot’s of anglers get by with one of two rods which suit them for all of their angling needs.
If you are a beginner, looking to buy your first rod, then you may be better off looking at a match rod which will cover most of your angling needs as a beginner.
Check out tackle buyers guides to help you find the right tackle for your next fishing adventure.
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
