In my 30-plus years of editing tackle, this is some of the best affordable carp kit I’ve seen!

If you’re just getting yourself into carp fishing, kitting yourself out with multiple rods, reels, bite alarms and other essential items can, at first, appear to be a frighteningly costly experience.

Thankfully, advancements in technology mean that there’s no longer a need to spend a small fortune on kitting yourself with good quality kit. Not so long ago, carp rods at the budget end of the spectrum left little to be desired in terms of casting and fish-playing performance, and the reels didn’t feel you with the confidence that they’d last more than a few sessions.

But what if I told you that you could kit yourself with pretty much everything you need to get out and start catching for less than £400? Yes, it’s still a fair expenditure, but when you consider that you could easily pay more than that for a single rod, I think it’s fantastic value.

The carp tackle I'm talking about is Sonik’s new HEROX range. This comprises rods, reels, landing nets, rod pods and bite alarms at prices which make you wonder quite how they manage to produce something that good for so little!

Sonik do have an impressive track record for producing superb, affordable equipment but HEROX really is something else, and I believe it is even better than their popular Vadar X range.

Rods for all jobs

I recently tested the 10ft 3lb test curve model rods but they are also available in 12ft and 13ft versions.

To put it bluntly, I was amazed that a carp rod of such quality can be produced for just £49.99! They’ve got features that would, not so long ago, only be found on considerably more expensive models. These include anti-frap tip guides, 50mm butt rings, full Japanese shrink wrap handles and secure DPS reel seats.

My tactics on the day involved casting solid PVA bags with a 2oz lead over to a set of reeds, which the rods handled without any issues while also have plenty of backbone to get the fish in without any issues.

Reel quality

I was also incredibly impressed with the HEROX 8000 reels. Firstly, they have the appearance of a top end reel. The clutches on cheaper reels do have a tendency to stick as they generally aren’t as precision made as more expensive reels. But I have to say, the clutch on these reels really was immaculate. Although, it’s not a fast drag – by that I mean going from locked up to slack with minimal turning required – it certainly isn’t far off, and the line lay was fautless.

Budget baiting up

No range would be complete without a spod and marker set up and the HEROX collection includes a dedicated rod and reel designed specifically for the task of baiting up. Starting with the reel, it’s a real workhorse which comes fully loaded with 30lb braid and for the price of £64.99 I think you’ll genuinely struggle to find better!

The rod is priced at £59.99 and boasts all of the features found on the standard rods, but has the additional power required to launch out heavy spods and Spombs.

Bite indication & rod support

The compact pod is nice and sleek and easy to assemble. It’s fully adjustable in terms of length and height at the front and rear. You can also remove the bank sticks and buzz bars from the central body and fish them goal post style with the bank sticks pushed into the ground for a more solid rod support system.

The final item in the HEROX range which I want to talk about is the bite alarm and receiver. The first thing which immediately got a massive thumbs up from me was the fact that the alarms automatically pair with the receiver. So there’s no faffing around to get, for example, the red LED alarm to flash red on the receiver and so on. Simply put the batteries in, turn them on and it’s all done automatically for you. I’ve used plenty of alarm and receiver sets over the years where it has proved to be quite a convoluted process to get everything paired correctly, so this saved a lot of time. The two and three rod alarm sets also come with a bivvy light, which also automatically matches the colour of the LED on the alarm which you’ve had a take on.

The alarms have all the standard features you’d expect, including eight different sensitivity, tone and volume settings, forward and drop back indication, a nightglow LED function, mute mode and tall integral snag ears.

If you, or someone you know, is just getting into carp fishing and doesn’t want to break the bank getting kitted out, then you honestly won’t be left disappointed – or out of pocket – with the HEROX range of tackle.