Single sticks, buzzer bars or rod pod?

Ian Bailey: Buzzer bars

“For plenty of my carp fishing career I’ve used a buzzer bar set-up, ranging from an old Gardner Panther set-up to an recently custom-built Matrix Innovations stainless steel set which is definitely doing me proud. My main belief in a buzz bar set-up is the bulk factor; only needing two banksticks and two buzzer bars rather than a bulky pod or bundles of single banksticks that adds weight in my carryall bag, this is cut down already to help save weight.

“Another reason for my preference to the buzzer bar set-up over single sticks or a rod pod is that most of the waters I fish nowadays, you can only fish in one swim so all three rods are focused in there. Oh, and another being getting the banksticks in most heavily trodden swims in can be a nightmare. You try levelling out singles – with buzzer bars it is so easy: two pushes and I am fishing. I also like how my focus is straight to my alarms, in one place, when they should sound and I’m not having to look around for what rod it was and then running the chance of missing the LED.

“Another advantage is the stability of my set-up – it’s pretty much rock solid. I don’t have any worries of a pod being pulled over, as, like I’ve said, I know its solid. Plus, the worries of buzzer bar twist is pretty much a thing in the past with most modern set-ups.

“Apart from all these factors, I know I’m limited to pointing my rods in the direction of my hookbait or if I come up against a boarded platform, but that’s what my storm poles are for. And, as a bit on a final footnote, it looks damn good whilst I wait for a bite. (I never thought I would say that!)”

Julian Cundiff: Single sticks

“Let me say from the outset that I have used all the above from the very start of my fishing so can honestly appraise all three. Obviously I am a single sticks man but there are occasions when I do use a rod pod, WHEN I HAVE TO. That’s generally fishing on platforms but other than that, they are a liability to both indication and fishing efficiency. As for buzzer bars… Really? Really? Come on, other than THINKING it’s ‘trendy’, why? Exactly… Pure laziness and following fashion or maybe just not getting the point I fear.

“Single sticks and me go way back but the real turning point was 1992 when I used to fish the cut-throughs at the Selby 3-Lakes. By fishing the rods on single sticks I could have rods in each of the two lakes at once (joined by a channel) and one in the channel without line all over the place.

“Since then, from Willow Pool to Savay, Drax to Catch 22, it’s been single sticks for me. You can fish your rods pointing directly at the end tackle so improving bite registration incredibly. You can fish your rods well apart so decreasing the chances of a ‘knit-one-pearl-one’ situation when you get a take. You can fish rods each side of the swim so keeping out of sight of the carp and making landing fish even easier. Your rods can be fished in different positions and heights so that one rod may have its tip up to clear weed and not foul the margin whilst another may have the tip under water so avoiding swans fouling it and so on. You can fish them from an inch or two to a foot or two and you can change front and rear sticks for more variances. The set-ups are a lot more solid (I use the Nash ones) and far easier to pack away. To be honest, unless you can’t get them in the ground there is no debate. Single Sticks are the best choice.”

Simon Crow: Rod pod

"Before anyone thinks I only use a rod pod for my fishing, let me point out that I don’t. I do use individual banksticks quite a lot, especially on lakes or in swims that allow you to put a rod down the side or through some bushes. Using sticks allows you to point a rod at a hookbait which cuts down the angles in your line, making the sensitivity of your set up so much better.

“However, these days it’s getting harder to really benefit from spreading the rods about on the average lake, especially on day ticket and open access waters where daft rules are becoming the norm, so I’m finding myself reverting back to using a pod on these types of water. The rules I’m talking about are ‘fishing from designated swims only’, and ‘anglers must not fish halfway across the lake’ or ‘halfway past the next-door swim’. The more you fish commercial type lakes, the more you see rules like these in place. They absolutely do my head, but that’s what comes with carp fishing becoming so popular in the UK I suppose.

“Basically, I don’t see the point in carrying six or even eight banksticks, which are bulky items, only to fish straight out in front of the swim. When I see an angler doing that, and then trying to keep his rods parallel to one another and at the same height, I can’t see the reasoning behind it other than they are trying to copy a style they’ve picked up from a mag. A pod does this job so much better so why overlook the benefits just because it doesn‘t look cool? Everything can be levelled so much easily with a pod.

“Like I said at the start, pods don’t make up all of my fishing so I certainly don’t use them all of the time. It’s all about choosing the best method for the lake you fish. Sometimes it’s sticks ahead of pods, and other times it’s vice versa.”