
Scott Sweetman – Prep Your Kit
Carp Rigs Beginner
Scott breaks down the importance of prep and how he carries through his stages of kit preparation.
Scott, like many, is an angler who balances his fishing around working a 9 till 5 and his family time. As a result, his fishing is often limited to short sessions, often overnighters, making it paramount that his kit is always organised and ready to go.
Many of his sessions include setting up in the dark, meaning being able to operate effectively in low light levels is paramount to his success, and in turn, this is a result of prepared and organized kit, almost to military precision.
Scott breaks down exactly how he preps his kit, starting the minute he returns from his trip. He then spends small windows of time through the week getting things done so when it comes to fishing again, it’s a simple case of getting to the lake and fishing with no distractions.

Phase 1 – Returning From A Session
‘The minute I get home, the prep begins. This could even be on the drive home, stoking up on supplies, adding more fuel etc. Once I am home, anything wet is hung up to dry; things like my brolly, mat, sling, or my Carp Porter cover. Waterproofs are dried out and clothes are put immediately in the wash, not wanting to stink the place out. Rubbish is put in the bin, Tupperware is cleaned out and any left over food or drink is put back away’.

Phase 2 – Replenishment
‘If I’m short of any supplies i.e tackle, bait or gas, I’ll make sure to replenish it in the week. The last thing I want to do is have to stop on route to the lake to get kit. As soon as I leave the go to the lake, I want minimal distractions and don’t want to waste a minute. I keep a ‘notes’ tab on my phone of anything I need to get - ‘Teabags, gas, leads, hooks’ etc is a typical list, so through the week, I’ll replenish stock and cross bits off my list once they’ve been stocked back up.

Phase 3 – Tackle
‘If I get a spare half hour at home or when the kids are in bed, I’ll pop into the garage to sort any tackle bits. This could include tying rigs, sharpening hooks or just sorting bits out. I’m an avid user of D Rigs, and although a very simple rig to tie, I still don’t want to spend time at the lake tying rigs. Therefore, I’ll make sure I have at least half a dozen or so rigs tied up and ready for each session’.

Phase 4 – Bait
‘The freezer is always stocked up with bait, usually 5kg bags of boilie. But as my sessions are usually just overnighters, I don’t want to take big sacks of bait with me. My angling is all about carrying the bare minimum, allowing me to move effortlessly. Bait can be one of the heaviest things we carry, so I spread my bait into session bags, taking bait from the original 5kg bags and putting maybe a kilo or so into small ‘sandwich’ bags, perfect for my shorter sessions. In the warmer months, if I’m using seed, then this will also be part of my mid-week preparation process.

Phase 5 – Re-Charge
'I have a charging station in the garage, where things such as head torches, power packs, camera batteries and the Carp Porter battery can be charged. I’ll usually run these overnight on the night before my trip’.

Phase 6 – The Day Of My Trip
‘With everything off charge, all clothes clean and dry, it’s a case of just getting food and drink from the fridge, grabbing my session pack of bait and I’m good to go. I’m safe in the mind that all my tackle is good to go and neatly organised in the rucksack. I know everything is fully charged and all the kit is on the barrow packed in the back of the van. I can drive to the lake without needing to stop, meaning as soon as I arrive, I can wheel the barrow directly from the van and I’m ready to fully focus on the fishing and get the rods out with minimal fuss’.


How to guides

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Advice and tips

Danny Fairbrass on using the Multi Rig
Despite being a self-confessed ‘rig man’ DANNY FAIRBRASS took a while to try the multi

A Guide to the Withy Pool Rig
The Withy Pool Rig, Elliott Gray explains.

Ultimate Guide to Braid Line Fishing
Elliott talks braid and why he loves it.

Jamie Londers - Goo Tips
Carp catching machine Jamie Londors talks the importance of Goo in his angling.

Elliott Gray - Floater Fishing
Elliott discusses one of the most exciting ways to catch them.

Elliot Gray - Particle Fishing
Particle fishing with Elliott Gray.

Scott Sweetman - Fishing In The Silt
Scott talks how and why he likes to fish in the silt.

Luke Vallory - My Three Rigs
Luke explains what his go to set up is for bottom baits, wafters and pop-ups.

Tom Stokes - Fishing in Weed
Tom Stokes explains how to fish in and around the weed.

Tom Stokes - Why I Fish Heli Safes
Tom reveals how and why he fishes with Heli Safes.
Angler features

Darrell Peck - The Black Mirror
Peck recounts his campaign for one of Europe's best, 'The Black Mirror'.

Scott Sweetman - Two A-Teamers In One Net
Scott Sweetman Tells The Story Of A Night He Will Never Forget
Marc Cavaciuti - Spring Tactics
Can discusses spring tactics in depth.

Barry Delderfield - The Campaign
Barry reflects on an incredible campaign on 'The Nunnery'

Dave Finn - A 35 Year Flame
A nostalgic reflection on Finny's 35 years in carp fishing.

Elliott Gray - Fishing in the Edge
Elliott discusses his favourite way to catch them, in the edge.

Elliott Gray - The Autumn Campaign
A campaign Elliott will never forget, ending in a huge UK common.
James Salmons - The Spring Campaign
The story of an epic spring campaign, ending with a huge UK common!

Luke Vallory - Autumn on Dinton Pastures
Luke reflects on a prolific autumn on the tricky Dinton Pastures.

Oscar Thornton - Winter Mindset
Oscar reveals his biggest winter edges that makes his winter fishing so prolific.
Product focus

Black Singlez - Rod Support System
Introducing Tom Dove's Brainchild, the super-light Black Singlez rod support system!

Kamakura - Precision Sharpened Hooks
We believe a sharp hook to be the single most important part of your tackle.

Kiana Carp Goo - Scopex and Buttercorn
Here's what you need to know about Scopex Cream, Super Scopex and Buttercorn Goo

TackleSafe - Terminal Tackle and Rig Storage
The ultimate storage product for your essential items of terminal tackle.

Black & Whites - Bite indicators (Bobbins)
Here’s a look at the latest Black & White bobbins.

CarpLine - Monofilament Fishing Main Line
We reveal why Carp Line has won so many fans in the carp world.

Singlez - Rod Support System
Everything you need to know about Singlez.

ChodSafe - Chod Rig Storage
The ChodSafe is the mother of the RigSafe family.

Drykore - Waterproof Clothing Range
The DRYKORE range is breathable, lightweight, and constructed from industry-leading 15K

Heli-Safe - Lead Systems
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