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Carp fishing leads and weights explained

We look at the many different types, and how to ensure you always pick the correct one for the job

by James Furness |

Updated on5th September 2025 at 2.23pm

Lead choice is an area of fishing that you may think is relatively straightforward regardless if you're a veteran or just a beginner. That is until you walk into a tackle shop and are greeted with a wall full of different shapes, sizes, textures and even colours.

So which ones should you choose? The answer to that question will largely depend on which fishing situation you find yourself in.

A lead’s first job is to provide enough weight for you to cast your rig the desired distance. But certain shapes are also better for fishing over different types of lakebed or hitting long ranges. Knowing what type of substrate you’re fishing over also enables you to choose the best colour or texture of lead to blend in with the surroundings. This is especially useful when targeting pressured carp that are used to dealing with rigs.

So here are details of the main types available, and when to use each one...

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Types and shapes of leads

Pear

Pear leads are a classic all-round choice, equally at home on rivers and stillwaters. The squat, rounded profile stays stable in flight, so you can cast accurately at sensible ranges up to 80 yards. The bulbous end makes reading the drop easy with a clear thud as it touches down, and the dumpy body brings the full weight into play as soon as the hooklink straightens, cutting ejections and turning pick-ups into positive takes. The downside is on soft bottoms, where this shape can sink into silt or light weed, so reach for a flatter pattern if it starts to bury.

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Flat pear

This flat-sided pear lead is built to stay put on sloping shelves and the flanks of gravel bars, keeping your rig where you place it. The broad footprint settles neatly on light weed or silt, especially in 1 to 1.5 oz sizes, and it works just as well on firm lakebeds. Hooking performance mirrors a standard pear, with plenty of weight coming into play as the hooklink tightens. Use it at short to medium range where placement matters, accepting it is not the choice for big casts. Available in fixed, inline and centre of gravity (COG) variants.

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Gripper

Gripper leads do exactly what the name suggests: grip the bottom. The studded profile bites into steep shelves and the sides of bars, locking a rig in place where slope, tow or river flow would drag a standard shape. They’re a staple on big continental reservoirs and still earn their keep on UK waters, especially in powerful rivers or pits with undertow. Use them at short range where holding bottom matters more than metres, and accept the trade-off in aerodynamics and casting distance. If you need a big cast, pick a sleeker lead.

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Inline

Inline leads are the go-to for solid PVA bags and, set up correctly, make a safe, direct rig. With the hooklink attached right behind the lead, when a fish picks up the hookbait meets the full resistance immediately, driving the hook home. Keep hooklinks short and fish them on firm lakebeds for best results and think twice over deep silt or weed unless the whole rig is sealed inside a solid bag, as the link can be dragged into debris. Aerodynamics are sound for accurate casts to around 80 yards.

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Distance

Distance leads are built to hit the horizon. The tapered, torpedo profile with balanced weight distribution stays stable in flight, so if you need to hit 100 yards and beyond, this is the shape to reach for. They pair perfectly with a lead clip or helicopter rig, and in heavier sizes they double as a feature finder, relaying the donk of gravel or the slow pull of silt on the retrieve. The trade-off is on steep slopes or the sides of gravel bars they can roll, so avoid certain features if you want the rig to stay put.

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Bottle

Bottle leads are back for a reason. Think of them as an elongated square pear with serious bolt effect. They sit tight against island edges and marginal slopes, so your rig stays where you put it, and they work cleanly on safety clips, helicopter setups or simple running rigs. Use them at short to medium range where placement and hooking efficiency matter most. If you are chasing the horizon, pick a sleeker distance shape, but for tidy drops and positive takes, the bottle lead earns its spot.

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