Fishing styles

Carp tackle

From mainline to bank gear: honest lowdowns on real carp kit, with no pretend catch reports.

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The kit we’ve dug into

Real kit we’ve dug into, each with our score out of 100 and a star rating. The same review can suit more than one style of fishing.

Fish care

Sonik Bank-Tek Unhooking Cradle

Sonik

Sonik Bank-Tek Unhooking Cradle

Sonik Bank-Tek Unhooking Cradle GC0003

A roomy, padded cradle with a fish-friendly lining, draining mesh and a compact fold. Dead handy for carp anglers who want a safer unhooking setup without lugging a full-blown mat system.

Product code GC0003, with a 96 × 52 × 22cm working size.
HD PVC fish-friendly lining with an extra-thick padded base and rigid padded walls.
Protective retention flap includes a mesh inspection panel for keeping an eye on the fish.

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Luggage & bags

Trakker Downpour T1 Carryall

Trakker

Trakker Downpour T1 Carryall

Trakker Downpour T1 Carryall

A tough, wipe-clean EVA carryall with a clever work-surface lid and four useful sizes. Here’s where the Downpour T1 earns its keep on the bank — and where it might be a bit much.

Available in Small, Medium, Large and XL sizes.
Welded n-Dura EVA construction helps protect kit from wet weather.
Overlapping moulded lid doubles as a work surface or bivvy table.

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Brollies & shelters

RidgeMonkey Escape FQ1 Bivvy

RidgeMonkey

RidgeMonkey Escape FQ1 Bivvy

RidgeMonkey Escape FQ1 Bivvy

A roomy, weather-ready solo bivvy with a cracking HydroX shell, useful headroom and a full kit that keeps the faff down on longer carp sessions.

One-man carp-fishing bivvy with 250 × 195 × 144 cm external dimensions.
150D HydroX fabric with a 20,000 mm hydrostatic head and UPF50 UV protection.
7.5 kg for the bivvy alone, or 15 kg for the full kit.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Pink Ones Pop-Ups

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Pink Ones Pop-Ups

The Krill Pink Ones Pop-Ups

A cheeky pale-pink twist on a proven fishmeal hookbait, with plenty of buoyancy and a visual edge for rigs from zigs to chods.

Fishmeal-based pop-up with boosted attractor levels.
Bespoke pale pink colour for extra visual separation over darker foodbait.
Available in 12mm, 14mm and 16mm diameters.

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Fish care

RidgeMonkey Perspective Collapsible Bucket

RidgeMonkey

RidgeMonkey Perspective Collapsible Bucket

Perspective Collapsible Bucket

A proper handy bit of fish-care kit that folds flat, pours neatly and lets you see exactly what’s going on inside.

Available in 10L and 15L capacities, with product codes RM296 and RM297 respectively.
The rigid top ring helps the bucket hold its shape, while reinforced PVC walls and base are built for regular bankside use.
A clear front panel lets you view the contents and makes rig testing in the water much easier.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Active Frozen Boilies

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Active Frozen Boilies

Sticky Baits The Krill Active Frozen Boilies

A proper krill-based freezer bait with a messy active coating built to get attraction working quickly. Here’s where it fits on the carp bank.

Freezer-only carp boilie; there’s no shelf-life version of Krill Active.
Available in 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 24mm diameters.
Pack sizes include 1kg, 5kg and 10kg, with larger bulk quantities available.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Boilies

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Boilies

The Krill Boilies

A fishmeal-based bottom bait with krill in the mix, The Krill has become a go-to for anglers wanting a food-led boilie that’s easy to fish over all year.

Fishmeal-based boilie containing krill.
Recipe comprises 25 different ingredients.
Designed as a bottom bait and needle-friendly for hair-rigging.

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Mainline

RidgeMonkey RM-Tec Mono

RidgeMonkey

RidgeMonkey RM-Tec Mono

RM-Tec Mono 15lb, 0.38mm

A sinking mono with low stretch, low memory and plenty of spool on tap. Here’s where RM-Tec Mono fits on the bank — and where it might not.

Sinking monofilament designed to settle onto the lakebed within minutes.
Supplied on generous 1,200-metre spools.
Available in clear, brown and green.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Cloudy Bloodworm Liquid

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Cloudy Bloodworm Liquid

1 litre

A properly handy liquid attractor for adding a cloudy, bloodwormy edge to bags, spod mixes and loose feed.

Made using real, fresh bloodworm.
Salts and sugars help the liquid dissolve and spread readily.
Creates a hazy attraction cloud around the lakebed.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Cloudy Manilla Liquid

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Cloudy Manilla Liquid

Cloudy Manilla Liquid, 1 litre

A versatile litre of sweet, salty liquid that adds a hazy feeding signal around your bait. Handy stuff for PVA, spod mixes, pellets and method feeder work.

1-litre jerry can of Manilla-flavoured liquid attractor.
Contains highly soluble liquid foods, plus salts and sugars.
Creates a hazy cloud close to the lake bed.

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Mainline

RidgeMonkey Ascend Zig & Floater Mainline

RidgeMonkey

RidgeMonkey Ascend Zig & Floater Mainline

300m · 0.30mm · 12lb / 5.4kg

A clear, neutral-buoyancy nylon mainline built for zig rigs and surface work, with the sort of low-vis finish and tidy handling that can make a difference when carp are cruising.

Premium-grade nylon in a clear, ultra-clear finish
Neutral buoyancy for zig and floater applications
0.30mm diameter with a 12lb / 5.4kg breaking strain

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Floaters Floating Pellets

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Floaters Floating Pellets

3mm, 6mm and 11mm pellets · 3kg bag

A proper surface bait for carp anglers who want fizz, slick and plenty of visual interest without faffing about with extra oil.

Floating pellets for surface carp fishing.
Available in 3mm, 6mm and 11mm sizes.
Supplied in a 3kg bag.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Manilla Pellets

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Manilla Pellets

Manilla Pellets

A proper versatile pellet with that sweet, creamy Manilla edge — handy for PVA bags, method feeders, spod mixes and plenty more besides.

Available in 2.3mm, 4mm and 6mm sizes.
Supplied in 900g and 2.5kg bags.
Two-stage coating includes peanut protein and soluble milk proteins.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Pellets

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Pellets

The Krill Pellets · 2.3mm, 4mm and 6mm

A proper versatile pellet with krill attraction, a two-stage coating and plenty of ways to get it fishing around your hookbait.

Available in 2.3mm, 4mm and 6mm sizes.
Sold in 900g and 2.5kg bags.
Fishmeal-based pellet with a high level of pure krill meal.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Manilla Active Freezer Boilies

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Manilla Active Freezer Boilies

Manilla Active Freezer Boilies

A nutty, creamy freezer bait with a rich active coating that gets to work as soon as it hits the lakebed. Proper interesting stuff for carp anglers who want more than a plain boilie.

Freezer bait designed for bottom-bait presentations.
Nut-based recipe containing peanut protein, milk proteins and birdfood proteins.
Madagascan vanilla extract adds to the rich, sweet food profile.

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Terminal tackle

Trakker Clinga Captive Backweight

Trakker

Trakker Clinga Captive Backweight

Trakker Clinga Captive Backweight

A clever captive backweight system for keeping your main line pinned down, with a glowing cord, flexible setup options and a release that gets out of the way when a carp picks up the rig.

Available in 3oz (85g), 5oz (142g) and 7oz (198g) sizes.
Supplied with a 1m heavy lead-free leader and 9m of Hi-Viz UV-reactive red cord.
The gate-latch release system is designed to let the backweight release on the strike.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Active Mix

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Active Mix

900g and 2.5kg bags

A proper meaty mix for PVA bags, sticks, groundbait and spod work, with krill doing the heavy lifting and fine particles getting up through the water column.

Available in 900g and 2.5kg bags.
Contains LT-94 fishmeal, pure krill meal, krill protein powder and crustacean extracts.
Includes Sticky Baits Krill Pellets for extra texture and food value.

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Terminal tackle

Trakker Leadfree Leader

Trakker

Trakker Leadfree Leader

Lead-free carp leader

A supple, fast-sinking lead-free leader with a camo finish, easy splicing and enough abrasion resistance for serious carp work.

10m per spool, giving you plenty of leader material for multiple rigs.
Available in 45lb and 65lb breaking strains.
Wire-free inner core with a supple, fast-sinking construction.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Pink Ones Wafters

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Pink Ones Wafters

16mm, 100g tub

A subtle pink, critically balanced hookbait with enough attraction to stand out without looking like a neon sweetie on the bottom.

Critically balanced wafter hookbait with a slow-sinking presentation.
Bespoke subtle pink colour designed to mimic a washed-out bait.
Fishmeal-based hookbait with boosted attractor levels.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Mulbz Fluoro Pop-Ups

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Mulbz Fluoro Pop-Ups

Mulbz Fluoro Pop-Ups

Bright, buoyant and properly fruity, these Mulbz hookbaits are made for carp anglers who want a pop-up that stays working long after it hits the spot.

Available in 12mm, 14mm and 16mm sizes.
Super-buoyant hookbaits designed to remain popped up for days.
High-visibility fluoro mixed colours based around a classic mulberry flavour combination.

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Terminal tackle

Trakker Flat Pear QC Inline Lead

Trakker

Trakker Flat Pear QC Inline Lead

Flat Pear QC Inline Lead

A tidy, versatile inline lead with proper lakebed grip, PVA bag potential and a handy quick-change setup for carp anglers who like to keep things simple.

Available in 2.0oz, 2.5oz, 3.0oz, 3.5oz, 4.0oz and 4.5oz.
Flat pear profile helps the lead sit securely on various lakebeds.
Suitable for PVA bag setups and includes a recess for boilie paste.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Manilla Yellow Ones Wafters

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Manilla Yellow Ones Wafters

16mm tub, 130g

A cheeky mustard-yellow hookbait with Manilla DNA, boosted attraction and a lovely critically balanced finish. Proper handy when you want your hookbait to shout without looking daft.

16mm wafter hookbait in a 130g tub.
Bespoke mustard yellow colour designed to stand out.
Critically balanced to slowly sink under hook and rig weight.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Mulbz Pastel Pop-Ups

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Mulbz Pastel Pop-Ups

Mulbz Pastel Pop-Ups

A washed-out, proper buoyant hookbait aimed at wary carp — with enough flavour punch to keep doing the business through a long session.

Available in 12mm, 14mm and 16mm sizes.
Pastel coloured and deliberately washed out for a subtle presentation.
Made with liquid flavours and powdered fruit palatants for instant and prolonged attraction.

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Terminal tackle

Trakker Crimps

Trakker

Trakker Crimps

0.6mm and 0.7mm options

A proper handy bit of terminal tackle for building neat Ronnie booms and Chod rigs, with two useful diameters and a storage box to keep everything in order.

Available in 0.6mm and 0.7mm diameters.
Each pack contains 50 crimps in a storage box.
Double-barrel, precision-formed copper construction.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Dumbell Wafters

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Dumbell Wafters

The Krill Dumbell Wafters, 16mm

A proper handy hookbait for anglers who like a critically balanced Krill presentation without faffing about with cork, putty or homemade tweaks.

16mm dumbell-shaped hookbaits designed to replicate Sticky Baits The Krill boilies.
Semi-buoyant wafters sink slowly under the weight of the hook for a critically balanced presentation.
Fishmeal-based and needle-friendly, with plenty of scope for standard bottom-bait rigs.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Hi-Attract Pop-Ups

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Hi-Attract Pop-Ups

12mm and 16mm pop-ups · Four flavours

A proper set of high-attraction hookbaits with serious buoyancy, bold colours and enough durability for nuisance-fish waters. Handy for zigs, snowmen, chods and more.

Available in 12mm and 16mm sizes, with 100g in each tub.
Four flavours: Buchu-Berry, Peach & Pepper, Pineapple & N Butyric, and White Chocolate.
Mega-buoyant and capable of staying afloat for several days.

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Terminal tackle

Trakker QC Ring Swivel

Trakker

Trakker QC Ring Swivel

Size 8

A tidy little bit of helicopter-rig kit that makes hooklink changes quicker, cleaner and far less faffy on the bank.

Size 8 helicopter swivel
Quick-change hooklink attachment
Matt black anti-glare protective coating

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Wafters

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Wafters

The Krill Wafters, 16mm, 130g pack

A proper handy 16mm hookbait for fishing over Krill, with a critically balanced action that helps it sit nicely on the deck.

16mm round wafter hookbaits.
130g pack of semi-buoyant, critically balanced baits.
Fishmeal-based and designed for use over The Krill products.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits The Krill Active Wafters

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits The Krill Active Wafters

The Krill Active Wafters

A clever two-stage hookbait that starts with a soluble food signal, then settles into a critically balanced Krill wafter. Proper handy when you want attraction without making the rig look too obvious.

Available in 16mm and 20mm round hookbait sizes.
The 16mm size has product code KAW16; the 20mm size has product code KAW20.
Made from the same base mix as The Krill Active Boilies.

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Mainline

Trakker Dropcore Braid

Trakker

Trakker Dropcore Braid

30lb / 0.29mm and 40lb / 0.33mm

A supple, round-profile PE braid with a sinking core, low stretch and loads of line on the spool. Here’s where Trakker’s Dropcore Braid makes sense — and where it might be a bit much.

Available in 30lb / 13.6kg with a 0.29mm diameter, or 40lb / 18.1kg with a 0.33mm diameter.
Supplied on a 1200m spool with markers every 300m, handy when loading several reels or keeping line lengths consistent.
Eight-strand PE braid with a sinking core, round profile and olive green colour.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Bloodworm Wafters

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Bloodworm Wafters

Bloodworm Wafters · 115g tub

A properly handy semi-buoyant hookbait for matching Bloodworm boilies, fishing over chopped bait or giving pellets a cheeky edge.

Dumbbell-shaped, semi-buoyant hookbaits that sink slowly under the weight of the hook.
Designed to replicate Sticky Baits Bloodworm boilies and match the bottom bait after immersion.
Fishmeal-based and needle-friendly, with plenty of scope for use over pellets, chopped bait and small food items.

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Bait & bag mixes

Sticky Baits Manilla Active Wafters

Sticky Baits

Sticky Baits Manilla Active Wafters

16mm and 20mm barrel-shaped wafters

A proper nutty hookbait with a clever Active paste coating. Balanced, robust and built to sit naturally over a wide range of carp rigs.

Available in 16mm and 20mm sizes.
Supplied in 130g tubs.
Nut-based, balanced wafter hookbaits with a barrel shape.

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Mainline

Trakker Propel Braid

Trakker

Trakker Propel Braid

31lb / 13.8kg, 0.26mm

A smooth, neutral-buoyancy braid aimed at carp anglers who want distance, bite indication and tidy line management without faffing about.

1,200m per spool, giving plenty of line for several reels or future replacements.
31lb / 13.8kg breaking strain with a 0.26mm diameter.
Eight-strand PE braid with a round profile and ultra-smooth, silky finish.

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Tools & sharpeners

Trakker 20/20 Wrap Counter

Trakker

Trakker 20/20 Wrap Counter

Black

A tiny bit of anodised aluminium that takes the faff out of clipping up, changing spots and fishing adjustable zigs. Dead simple, properly handy.

Product code 222941, with a maker-listed price of £14.99.
Two independent numbered rings, each running from 0 to 9.
Made from black anodised aluminium and weighs 11g.

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Luggage & bags

Korda Compac Bag

Korda

Korda Compac Bag

Korda Compac Dry Bag, 20-litre version

A simple 20-litre roll-top dry bag for spare clothes, waders and the wet bits you don’t want sloshing around your carryall.

20-litre capacity for spare clothing, waders and other wet-weather kit.
Fully waterproof construction with welded seams for a waterproof seal.
Roll-top closure compresses the contents to save space.

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Bedchairs & sleep systems

Trakker RLX 6 Leg Bedchair

Trakker

Trakker RLX 6 Leg Bedchair

RLX 6 Leg Bedchair

A spacious, level-sleeping bedchair with clever adjustment, a plush mattress and enough support for long nights by the rods.

Approximate open size: 200cm long x 74cm wide.
Six individually adjustable legs with a 38–50cm height range.
Aluminium frame, polyester outer material and an approximate weight of 10.85kg.

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687 reviews to read here. More kit is being checked, one product at a time.

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