Carp reels will need to be matched to thecarp rod. Depending on the distance you are going to be casting and the line strength and diameter you will be using, you need a reel that can hold the amount of line required. Choice of actual carp reel is very much a personal thing and you need to be comfortable with whatever you choose. I would recommend trying a carp reel on the rod you will be using it with. A good fitting is essential as is good balance. I would certainly try to buy a carp reel of the baitrunner type. If you are going to be using two rods and maybe waiting for a long time for a run, you can't always watch it the whole time, and a carp needs to be able to pull line free from the reel before you can strike. If it can't then a big carp can pull the whole rod and reel into the lake; believe me, I have seen it happen more than once! OK, so you could open the bail arm, but try this on a windy day and you will wish you hadn't. It can also produce disastrous messes on a strike if you forget you have done it. A baitrunner is simply a mechanism whereby a switch is set...