Why power barrows are great for carp fishing – and will really help you to catch more fish

Many carp anglers don’t understand just how good a power barrow really is for carp fishing until they actually try one, and then it is very hard to go back to a manual version!

Whilst some will see it purely as a way of transporting your kit from your vehicle to your swim, there are plenty of situations where having a motorised barrow will actually help you to catch more carp.

A power barrow, as the name suggests, is one that is powered by a motor and a battery, and means that does most of the hard work when it comes to moving your kit around, and especially so if you take a lot of gear with you or are at the lake for a few night.

Not only will it effortlessly transport your kit whilst tackling rugged banks, but also has plenty of space and load capacity for it all and allows you to organise it the way that you want, to avoid potential damage to fragile items such as rods, as barrows such as the renowned Carp Porter range have been around for years and are purpose designed, by anglers, for the job. Carp Porter has been specialising in the manufacture of tackle transportation for over 20 years.

What is a power barrow?

A power barrow is any fishing trolley or barrow that has its front wheel driven by a motor – you only need the front wheel to be, much like with most cars, as even barrows with wheels at the back as well as the front will work fine with this set-up as long as the motor is powerful enough.

If you were to make a fishing barrow four wheel drive it would be overkill for pretty much any angling scenario – given what a version just driving the single front wheel is capable of in terms of power and terrain – not to mention making such a barrow prohibitively expensive as well as very heavy.

You have a couple of options when it comes to a powered barrow, and that includes retro fitting some sort of hub motor and controller to drive the front wheel on your existing barrow.

By far the best option though is to buy a purpose-designed barrow that already has a motor and all the electronics fitted as part of the original design, and that is exactly what the Power Porter range provides, with a number of different models, depending on your personal preferences and how much gear you are going to take with you.

The Power Porter barrows either come with two wheels at the back, tricycle style, so you don’t even need to lift the barrow at all, simply press the ‘power’ button and steer it using the handles; or it has legs and feet at the back, so you do have to lift those clear of the ground when you are moving, but it is still much less effort than with an unpowered barrow!

Tri-wheel style fishing barrows versus single wheel design

When choosing the right model of Power Porter for you, one the main decisions that you will need to make is whether you want a tricycle style three-wheel version, or a more traditional single wheel at the front with legs at the back to rest the trolley on when you put it down.

The Carp Porter Trident barrows have two large wheels at the rear, which are suitable for pretty much any terrain and are less prone to sinking into soft mud, which means you literally just have to walk along behind the barrow, pressing the power button and holding the handles to steer it. That means the minimum amount of effort involved in getting your gear to your swim, but barrows of this type do tend to work best where there is some sort of path and you aren’t constantly having to make tight turns - although they can happily handle rough terrain, even when carrying heavy loads, if you lift the back wheels off of the ground to make sharper turns. The Carp Porter Trident is built to conquer the toughest terrain and is designed for serious anglers who demand maximum load capacity.

The original style single wheel barrows – the latest model is called the Power Porter Roamer – require a bit more effort as you do have to lift the back legs off of the floor to transfer most of the weight to over the front wheel, and do take some of the weight on your arms for the entire journey to your swim, although you don’t actually have to push as the motor pulls the barrow along for you.

The big advantage that the Roamer has is that it is better for navigating narrower, more overgrown paths, and especially those that have sharp turns, as the single wheel design means that it can pivot almost on the spot, rather than having a very large turning circle like a typical tri wheel model, with fixed angle back wheels. The Carp Porter Roamer is designed for reliability and versatility, making it one of the most adaptable barrows in the range.

The latest iteration of the Power Porter range has seen us add the Glider model, which does the best of both and is incredibly versatile.

It is a tri-wheel design, but rather than having large off-road style fixed wheels at the back, it has two smaller – but still designed for any terrain – wheels that can swivel freely and make it very easy to turn sharper corners with this barrow, without fear of it tipping over, and without having to left the rear clear of the ground (the only way you will usually be able to get a tri wheel barrow to turn in a tighter circle). These wheels can also be locked straight for when you are pushing the barrow in a relatively straight line and to make it easier to keep it pointing in the right direction.

Which style of Power Porter you pick will largely be determined by personal preference, as well as the venues you are typically fishing and the type of terrain that you are regularly going to encounter.

How can a power barrow help you to catch more carp?

Power barrows aren’t cheap, and with good reason when you look at the engineering that goes into them and the mechanics/electronics involved, plus of course a lithium battery, so is one really going to actually help you to catch any more carp?

The answer to that in many cases is that yes it will do, as far more anglers are likely to actually fish where the carp are, rather than settling on a swim because it is too much effort to push all their gear round to the other side of the lake. The only downside is for those who used to make that extra effort to get to more remote areas that received less pressure, as now anyone can easily make a similar long walk, simply pushing a button and guiding their electric barrow along!

This is definitely something that has been noticeable on many lakes, and older age or health conditions are no longer such a barrier to where you are able to fish, and long gone are the days where your only viable option was near to the car park.

Having a Power Porter also makes it incredibly easy if you spot fish showing up the other end of the lake and decide to move and ensures that it doesn’t become a major chore and that you actually go ahead and do it.

That is especially the case if you also use some of the luggage such as barrow bags that have been designed and built especially for the Carp Porter range and means that some items of tackle can be permanently left on the barrow – or bags of gear quickly reattached to it - thus making the whole process of packing up much quicker, especially as there is so much space on these barrows so you don’t need to pack everything away perfectly just to move swim.

Having a Power Porter alone won’t help you to catch more carp, but if you make proper use of it then you will definitely fish far more efficiently and won’t avoid moving swim just because it is hassle, even if you know you really should be fishing elsewhere to be in with the best chance of catching.

How should I choose which model to buy?

As well as personal preference for the type of barrow that you prefer, in terms of the wheel arrangements, you also need to consider how much gear you will be taking with you.

Both the Roamer and Trident Power Porter barrows have the same footprint, being 115cm long when fully extended, and 90cm wide – plus they both pack down to 87cm x 61cm.

This means that they will both hold the same amount of fishing gear, when loaded in the same way, and using the same accessories such as additional bags that can be attached. So, the choice between these two barrows really comes down to your choice of wheel arrangement.

For the ultimate in being able to transport everything, including the kitchen sink, to your swim, and if you are someone who wants to take all your creature comforts onto the bank with you, or are fishing longer sessions, then you should be looking at the Glider Power Porters – which come in either Green or Dark Kamo versions, the same as the other Carp Porter barrows do.

The Glider is a massive 140cm long x 90 cm wide, when fully extended, and will hold a mountain of gear, all whilst making it easy to transport across any terrain thanks to the back wheel design that gives you the best of both a single wheel and a tri-wheel barrow, combined into one.

All of these barrows are designed to be as stable as possible, and with the centre of gravity in the right place even once fully loaded, as tipping one over whilst pushing it can be a very expensive disaster, if it lands on your rods and breaks them!

How easy are Power Porter barrows to drive?

It couldn’t be easier to drive your Power Porter barrow and it literally just involves the turn of a knob to set the speed that you want to go at, and then pushing and holding down a button until you want to come to a halt and switch the power off.

You also have the choice of forward and reverse modes, making it very easy to back up if you need to, even with a fully loaded barrow, and reducing the risk of it toppling over – easy to happen if you are manually trying to pull it back towards you.

The control unit is very easy and comfortable to use, even on a longer journey with the barrow, and has been designed to withstand being out in all weathers, plus it now operates at 20KHz which is a lot quieter and eliminates the annoying high pitched whine that has accompanied these barrows in the past.

These barrows run off of a 24V motor, which enables them to generate more torque, as well as power – toque is important as it defines how easily the barrow is to initially get moving, to enable you to actually use that power in the real world. A 24V motor also ends up being more economical and longer lasting as well, versus a 12V model that would work less efficiently when generating the required amount of power to move this barrow at the required speed, and across the sort of terrain encountered around lakes and rivers.

All of the Power Porter barrows now have a Slow Start/Stop system that provides for smooth acceleration and deceleration, making it feel far more stable and far less likely for you to lose control of the barrow and tip it over, as can happen if it suddenly jerks to either accelerate away from you or comes to a sudden halt when you want to slow down. This ability to control your speed so easily makes it very easy to steer, even around tight corners.

There will be situations though where you do want that immediate power off effect, such as when turning your barrow around in a tight swim, and these barrows all have an Instant Stop feature that means that they will come to a halt immediately, as long as the power button is released within six seconds of starting driving the barrow. This is great when you’re trying to do a multiple point turn before your journey really starts.

These barrows also have a rear wheel braking system to slow them down when needed, and a Pinch Brake system stops the barrow from rolling away once you come to a halt and park it.

Built to last, like all Carp Porter barrows

A power barrow is a significant financial investment, but is also a bit of fishing kit that you are going to use pretty much every time you go carp fishing, so as long as it lasts then it is well worth the initial outlay.

All of the Power Porter barrows are constructed from high strength, matte powder coated steel frame, that won’t rust and is also durable enough to withstand being knocked around on the bank and being piled high with fishing gear.

The frame has been designed in such a way that it is ideal for fishing tackle – including ‘H’ and ‘Y’ shaped parts for resting your rods on, plus four load lashing points that are optimally placed to enable you to secure everything so it can’t fall off during transit.

The frame itself is easy adjustable, in terms of both length and width, so that you can tailor that to the amount of gear you are carrying, rather than making the overall footprint bigger than you actually need in that instance.

The wheels themselves are also built to last and to withstand being used across a variety of rugged terrain, being made from high performance materials, including bespoke tyres that offer maximum grip and longevity over any type of ground you’ll encounter around a fishing lake.

So, once you have invested in a Power Porter you can rest assured it will keep on going for season after season, making your life much easier in the process, rather than it being a chore getting all your kit to and from your swim.

Fitting a power barrow in your vehicle

The easiest way to get a Power Porter inside your vehicle, and one which you will see plenty of anglers using, is to have a van and then use some kind of folding ramp, such as those designed for loading motorcylces, to get your barrow inside.

This means that you don’t even have to unload your gear from it at the end of the session, and it is very easy to push up the ramp and into the back of a van, thanks to the power it has, meaning it can be done at the push of a button.

Usually all you need to do is maybe take your rods off the barrow, and then securely lash it down to the floor of your van using the cargo points that that type of vehicle comes with, to stop it moving around during transit.

For those who don’t have a van, or don’t have enough space to put the barrow inside fully set up, the Power Porter is actually pretty simple to take apart and fold down to a size that it can be fitted into any vehicle – this will of course take a bit longer but is worth it as a trade-off for how easy it will be to get to and from your swim.

The battery comes in a special bag – in green or Dark Kamo, and matches the rest of attachments, such as the large capacity drop in bag that comes as standard - that fits on the frame next to the wheel, making it very easy to detach it to be charged up ready for your next trip.

If you manage to break anything on it that isn’t covered by warranty, or is a wear and tear item such as the tyres, then a full range of spares is available, including the electronics. You can also purchase additional batteries if you need to – these come with a one year guarantee and have been tested via full immersion in water.

Additional accessories and luggage for your barrow

A full range of luggage and accessories is available, in a choice of green or Dark Kamo to match your barrow, and covering anything that you can think of and which you’d want to attach to a barrow!

The Carp Porter barrows can be customized with a wide array of optional extras designed to enhance functionality, storage, and convenience.

These bags come in various forms that fit on the front, the handle bars, the side bars, and even underneath, and are made from water resistant, durable fabric, with zipped compartments where appropriate, and mean that you can either leave some items in them once you arrive in your swim, to save additional clutter in your bivvy. Or if using them for storing something such as wet clothes, the whole bag can easily be removed from the barrow and taken inside your bivvy to keep the contents dry.

A waterproof barrow cover is also available, which fits easily and securely in such a way that it will cover all your gear and saves everything from getting wet if you have to travel to or from your swim in the rain.

Extra bars and brackets are also available, such as the front and rear Bucket Brackets, which have been designed to hold our Compac Buckets and make them easy to transport, without having to use up any space on the barrow, as well as making them quickly accessible when you need to access the contents. The Front Bucket Bracket is designed to hold a 10L or 17L bucket forward of the barrow's front H frame, optimising weight distribution.