Choosing a carp barrow that is perfect for you

One of the most physically challenging aspects to many types of angling is getting all your fishing gear from your vehicle to your chosen spot.

Especially for carp anglers, who are often staying by the lake or river for a prolonged period of time and tend to use multiple rods, and so tend to have a lot more fishing tackle to take with them, and some pretty much do take everything up to and including the kitchen sink!

The best way to transport all of your kit is via some sort of fishing trolley or carp barrow, but there is so much choice out there that it can be confusing and difficult to know exactly which type will best suit your needs.

The days of chucking it all in a conventional wheel barrow, or on a tiny two-wheeled trolley, are long gone, especially as so much of our comfier modern gear is bulkier and heavier than in the past – bivvies and bedchairs being a prime example, plus of course unhooking mats – and these days you can even get motorised carp barrows that do all the hard work for you.

Unless you are fishing on a lake where you can drive round and drop your gear off in your swim, then some kind of barrow or trolley makes good sense and will make your life easier, especially if you decide to move to a different part of the lake during your session.

These days there is so much choice that you should be able to get something that exactly suits your needs, whether fishing day sessions with minimal kit, right through to going for a week and taking your wife/partner/kids with you as well.

What size carp barrow do I need?

That will all depend on how much fishing equipment you take with you and how bulky it is, and of course you need to actually be able to push the barrow through whatever terrain is between you and your swim, and see where you are going.

Some barrows are basically just a platform with a wheel and handles, that you strap your kit to, whilst at the other end of the scale they are all-singing and all-dancing with all sorts of extra accessories attached to them specifically designed for making them easier to load and balance, such as having holders for your bait buckets located close to the front wheel for good balance and minimal effort when it comes to pushing that weight.

Some, such as the Carp Porter range, even feature luggage which is specifically made to fit these barrows and make transporting and organising your kits as easy as possible – the luggage range includes everything from carryalls through to bags to actually transport the barrow in, in your vehicle, or store it when it isn’t being used.

Models such as the Porter-Lite are at the more basic end of the spectrum, although are still very well made and designed to balance the weight on them well, and be easy to push along via a single wheel at the front, like a traditional wheelbarrow. Even a model like this includes some extra storage though, thanks to the drop in bag which is great for transporting all sorts of things, such as your food, that you don’t want to get crushed or risk falling off during transport.

Barrows like this one are perfect for anglers who want to stay mobile, or are fishing shorter sessions, and tend to travel lighter – but there is still plenty of space for a bedchair and bivvy, plus a front bar which extra luggage items can be attached to.

For those who need to take more gear, you have options like the MK2 Carp-Porter or the MK2 Fat Boy, which are the same design as the most basic model but with lots more space on them, thanks to a longer and wider base, plus the addition of side bars, which not only help prevent your gear falling off during transit, but can also have extra accessories added to them, such as bags.

Lifting and pushing a carp barrow along, like a traditional wheelbarrow, isn’t for everyone though, and if you are fishing somewhere with more even ground, and especially proper paths, then you might want to consider a barrow with wheels at the back as well. These barrows are more like a trolley as you just push them along, via higher handles, and there is no lifting involved, but the disadvantage is that this can be very hard work on certain ground, such as thick mud, even with tyres that are designed for multiple different terrains.

Typically, these three-wheeled trollies tend to be quite large and with loads of space for all your kit, such as the Carp Porter MK2 Tri-Porter and Big Boy Tri-Porter models.

In more recent years electric powered barrows have become a viable option and make things much easier for the angler, as a motor attached to the front wheel of the barrow does all the hard work for you and you simply lift the handles and let it do all the work whilst you walk along, or if you have a Tri-Porter style model it’s even easier and you just use the handle to guide it as the motor pulls it along via its three wheels.

These motorised fishing trollies have come a long way recently in terms of the technology and how user-friendly they are.

How important is choosing the right frame?

Barrows and fishing trollies come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, made from various materials, and can vary massively in terms of cost.

One of the most important things to look at is how well balanced a barrow is, not only when pushing it, where weight distribution over the wheel makes pushing it less effort. But also from the point of view of how likely it is to tip over either whilst you are pushing it, or once you’ve stopped and put it down – all your kit potentially landing on top of your rods is something that is definitely best avoided.

The unloaded weight of the barrow is another consideration, as whilst you want it to be strong and built to last, you don’t want to be pushing around something that is already heavy before you even put any gear on it (obviously this differs when talking power barrows).

How well it is built also plays a big part, as you don’t want it to start falling apart or going rusty after just a few sessions, and especially so if something goes wrong with it whilst all your gear is miles from the car.

The suitability of the frame and its design when it comes to loading it with all the gear you’d typically take with you is another consideration, as you want it to fit neatly and securely, so things can’t move around or fall off during transit, especially more fragile items.

This means that you should be able to position bungee straps in all the necessary places, and on some models such as the Carp Porter barrows, there is even a special bracket so that your rod holdall lays across the top of all your other kit, and in a way that it can’t fall off. 

Manual versus motorised fishing barrows

At this point a motorised barrow probably seems like a no-brainer because of how easy it will make your life, but that does of course come at a cost, and is why plenty of anglers are still happy to use a more traditional model.

But whilst the initial outlay is significant for a powered barrow – such as the Power Porter models - it will last you for years once you have it and is something that could help you to catch more carp as well, as it has never been easier to move if you see them showing elsewhere, or to get to those spots which are the longest walk from the car park and other anglers might ignore. Moving swim and long walks will no longer seem like a chore, with a motorised fishing trolley of some sort.

The motors on these carp barrows are now so good that they can easily deal with most types of terrain, including thick mud and steep slopes, without missing a beat, thanks to the 24V motors that are used in models such as the Carp Porter Extreme, MK8, and MK2 Fat Boy. Batteries also last longer, and the whole motorised set up is smaller and lighter than in the past, making it even more user friendly.

Weight and space is still a consideration though when opting for an electric version, and whilst they are great if you have a big van and can just wheel your barrow into it, all loaded and ready for your next session, those with smaller cars might struggle and will need to go through the hassle of dismantling the barrow before putting it in their vehicle.

Whilst technology has improved, these types of barrows are still pretty heavy due to the motor and batteries, and not the sort of thing you want to be lifting in and out of the back of your car without dismantling it to some degree, although they do fold down much smaller than you might imagine.

That is of course true of some of the larger manual powered barrows as well in terms of their size, and whilst they can be taken apart, do you really want to be having to do that at the start and end of every session? So do choose wisely when it comes to something that is practical for your own situation.

One thing that is apparent though, is that very few anglers who switch to an electric barrow seem to go back to a non-powered model!

Convert your existing barrow with a hub motor

If you already have a barrow that you are happy with in terms of the size and features on it, but would love for it to be easier to use, then there is another option, and that involves simply fitting a wheel hub motor and a control module to your existing model.

There are lots of different hub motors available these days, but it is definitely a case of ‘buyer beware’ when buying them from third party sellers, as that can be beset with issues from actually getting motor built and it being up to the spec that was promised, through to dealing with any problems that you might have with it in future. As with lots of electronics, buying the cheapest you can find usually isn’t going to guarantee that you get something that actually does what you want it to.

Carp Porter now offer conversion kits for many of its most popular non-powered models, such as the MK2 Fat Boy and Tri-Porter barrows, and which will allow you to transform them into a Power Porter.

These separate motors use all the same technology as you would find on the Power Porter range, and are basically a cheaper option for a powered barrow, based on the fact that you already have the frame, and the price of them reflects that.

The Carp Porter conversion kits simply bolt onto your existing barrow and replaces the old axle with one that is powered by a 24V motor, and the control kit fits to your original barrow handles.

Luggage and accessories for your carp barrow

Whilst the main purpose of a barrow is transporting your existing fishing kit around, there are lots of accessories available to make them even more practical, whilst adding additional storage space.

This generally comes in the form of luggage that is specifically designed to fit, and stay on, the barrow and includes all sorts of carryalls, bags and panniers – including ones that are designed to store the barrow and wheels when packed away. These fit on the outside of the barrow, usually the side bars or front bar, and so add extra space that wasn’t available before.

If we look at the Carp Porter range, there are even different front brackets available which allows a 17 litre bucket to be carried at the front in a space where you couldn’t otherwise put a bucket.

Getting caught out in the rain when getting your gear too or from the swim shouldn’t be a problem either, thanks to waterproof covers that are designed to cover all your kit but leave access to the handles for pushing it or operating the controller on Power Porter versions.

All of these luggage items and accessories not only add extra storage space, but also help you to organise everything as well, with some items being permanently stored on your barrow when they aren’t needed and which makes it a lot quicker to pack up and move.

Ranges such as the Carp Porter luggage also make it easy for your to access essential items quickly and without having to unload half your gear to get at it – such as if you stop in a swim and want to have a quick lead around.