Rod Pod Guide

An Introduction to Rod Pods
It is normal these days for anglers to use multiple rod set ups when fishing for carp, this enables the angler to try many different spots, rigs or baits at the same time. To solve the problem of carrying lots of separate bank sticks around fishing manufacturers developed the rod pod which is capable of holding up to four rods and the required bite alarms, indicators and butt grips.

Most rod pods have adjustable legs and buzzer bars so the angler can point the rods in the desired direction be it beach caster style with tips pointing upwards to avoid weed, snags etc. or rod tips pointing level or towards the water if using back leads or slack lines.

A Rod pod is also useful if your lake uses wooden platforms because of reedy, muddy or shallow margins or if the banks are rock hard like many of the gravel pits in the south of England. Another advantage of a rod pod is the time savings when setting up and packing away. On arrival at the fishery the angler can extract the rod pod from the tackle bag with bite indicators and rear rests still attached from the last fishing session and can be set up and ready to go in next to no time.

Early rod pods were made from a thick heavy stainless steel but many anglers today now prefer the lighter, plastic covered alloy models that manufacturers like Fox produce or the lightweight stainless steel models that Solar Tackle manufacture, although there are still companies that produce old school strong, heavy gauge stainless steel pods such as DjS which should last you a lifetime but are a heavy weight to carry to your swim if you have far to travel.

If you are considering purchasing a rod pod you should think about the following factors:

Rod capacity – Most rod pods will come with a 3 rod buzzer bar as standard but most can also take a 2 or 4 rod buzzer bar if required.

Bank side terrain – Are your banks steep? Then you may want to consider a rod pod with adjustable legs and frame giving you the ability to raise or lower the front/back ends so you can point the rods up or down.

Weight – Is your desired lake/swim a long way from the carp park? If so you may want to consider a lighter weight pod.

Budget & Quality – Pods can vary in cost and quality so it pays to go with an established manufacturer.