8 of the best surface rods for carp fishing

You don’t need to spend a fortune to get your hands on a serious surface rod, and the Korda Kaizen Green Floater Rod proves that in spades. At 12ft and 2.75lb test curve, it sits at the higher end of what we class as floater rods, but that makes it perfect for casting a long way, particuarly useful on venues where you catch fish at range with big floats.

We found the rod really nice to use, it was both light and responsive, making it easy to strike into fish when you aren't using a float and have to hold the rod while waiting for a fish to take the hookbait. The durable Sea-Guide TDG rings will allow you to use braid or mono, depending on your preferences when floater fishing and despite its 2.75lb rating, it does feel a little more forgiving than that, which will reduce the hook pulls you can get fishing with smaller hooks.

If you regularly fish small waters, there are better rods on the market, but what makes these rods nice is you can use them for fishing on the bottom with your alarms too, so effectively you get two rods for the price of one!

While performance always comes first, you’d be forgiven for lingering on the looks. The Kaizen Green wears its minimalist styling well, matte black blank, discreet green logo, and none of the bling that turns a rod into a fashion accessory.

Designed and built in the UK with all the precision and finesse you’d expect from Daiwa, the Longbow X45 Floater Rod feels great to use, looks understated, and serious about one thing: doing floater fishing better.

Firstly, the blank, Daiwa’s X45 tech keeps it stiff in the right places without feeling like a broom handle, and that translates to precise controller float placement, whether you’re flicking it 20 yards to margin cruisers or punching past the freebies and working the hookbait back. This is something that is often overlooked and a rod that can help you get a bait into the right place with minimal disturbance will help you catch more fish off the top, period!

The 2.25lb model hits the sweet spot for most surface work, effortlessly casting light gear and absorbing those violent, last-ditch lunges with a beautifully progressive action. But if you’re into open water or wrestling fish away from snags, the 3lb version adds a little bite to the backbone without being too stiff.

You can feel the quality throughout from the HVF carbon that keeps things featherlight but powerful, to the V-Joint Alpha that smooths out the action creating a feel of a single-piece rod. The guides are a nice touch, minimal, and slick.  It’s a rod that rewards good watercraft and quick thinking, where the fast recovery lets you lift into fish almost instantaneously with conviction, not hesitation.

If you occasionally like to dabble with a bit of surface fishing and frequent smaller club waters with fish upto the 20lb mark, the Drennan Specialist 1.5lb TC rod is perfect for this sort of fishing, it also couples as a nice float rod too for bigger fish.

Available in both an 11ft and 12ft model, the 1.5lb test curve is perfect for opportunistic fishing for double figure carp, although they will land big fish in clear lakes with a bit of patience. If you like to flick out a bit of bread on hot days or simply want to enjoy the fight and use much lighter hooklengths to catch warier fish, these rods are simply awesome for the job, and they are great value too!

These versions come with slightly larger diameter guides than the 1.25lb TC rods also available that improve both casting distance and accuracy, as often these fish can sit further out in the lake, especially on pressured venues.

The ESP Floater XP 12ft 2.75lb isn’t trying to do a bit of everything, it knows exactly what it is. Built for big surface carp and weedy, unforgiving conditions, this rod has some real backbone to it. It deserves its XP tag as it delivers noticeable extra power through the blank, which gives you the upper hand when things get hairy when you’re trying to steer a heavy fish away from snags or obstacles.

Despite its strength, it doesn’t feel like a broom handle. The tip still has just enough give to protect lighter lines and smaller hooks, which is a crucial detail when you’re fishing for wary fish with scaled-down gear. Although it has the ability to chuck an 80g controller with ease, it’s just as happy flicking out smaller floats when needed.

The matt olive finish, and low-key styling look great, and the minima-style stainless guides keep it lightweight and responsive, with a full duplon handle giving a solid, non-slip grip, and the addition of a keeper ring make been mobile so much easier.

A capable rod with an old school charm, the Wychwood FLTR Floater Rod suits surface fishing down to the ground. It doesn’t scream for attention. It does the job and does it well. Built on a lightweight, medium-fast action carbon blank, with 2.25lb test curve, it’s got the right blend of finesse and backbone required for this style of angling.

The soft tip cushions close-range hook-ups nicely, while there’s enough guts through the middle to punch a controller out when the situation demands it. The 10ft version is perfect if you’re flicking bits if crust around for an opportunistic take or navigating those tight swims where you're looking to lower baits to unsuspecting carp. In its 12ft form, the FLTR rod is much more suited to lofting a controller halfway across the lake.

The full cork handle adds a touch of charm to the aesthetic, and it’s a genuinely comfortable thing to hold during those long, sun-drenched sessions. The custom spaced braid-friendly guides do their job, keeping everything smooth on the cast and retrieve. It's understated, but it doesn’t cut corners either. A dedicated floater rod that won’t empty your wallet, the FLTR is hard to ignore.

The Guru N-Gauge Specimen Barbel rod might not be the first thing you’d grab for surface fishing, but don’t dismiss it too quickly. In its 12ft 2.25lb variation, this is a rod built with real authority in mind, designed to hurl heavy feeders into big rivers and tame fish that don’t know when to give up. But that same backbone makes it surprisingly capable on the surface too, particularly when you're battling big, angry carp or needing to punch a controller into a headwind.

While it’s certainly more rod than you need for flicking bread crusts under a tree, the progressive action, thanks to that 30/40 Ton carbon blend, brings a degree of feel and forgiveness that stops it becoming a brute. It bends smoothly through the blank and, once a fish is on, you still get that lovely cushioning curve that helps keep hooks in place during savage lunges.

Casting is clean and assured, thanks to the anti-tangle Sea-Guide frames and Zirconia rings. They keep everything flowing nicely, even more so when you're working with lighter lines than the rod's designed for. It wasn’t built for floater fishing but certainly doesn’t feel out of place.

The Drennan Specialist 12ft 1.5lb Specimen Rod might not shout be labelled a floater rod, but once in hand, it makes a strong case for itself on the surface. Originally designed for chub, tench and mid-sized carp on rivers and stillwaters, it’s through action will transfer surprisingly well to the demands of surface fishing. It’s the kind of rod that gives you confidence, not because it’s heavy-handed, but because it’s forgiving when it matters.

Casting is silky smooth, thanks to its large-diameter, well-spaced guides, and the progressive casting action makes it easy to punch a controller out to showing fish without drama. More importantly, it soft enough to absorb all lunges when things kick off under the rod tip.

The blend soft tip and control through the mid-section means you’re not bullying fish on light lines, just staying in charge. The lighter test curve and overall setup of the rod naturally suits lighter mainlines and smaller surface controllers, allowing you to present a bait with a lot more finesse, perfect for those venues where the carp are cagey and crashing in a heavy controller just sends them packing.

Developed to meet the diverse needs of specimen anglers, the Daiwa Theory 12ft Speci Barbel & Tench rods tick all the right boxes for floater fishing. Supplied with an Avon-style top, this rod is perfect for targeting big carp on large gravel pits, while also being equally at home when fishing on intimate ponds.

Available in 1.75lb and 2lb test curve options, the 12ft Theory Speci Tench & Barbel is designed for versatility and performance. Both rods in the range are ideal for surface fishing, just tailor the test curve to the style of angling and size of fish you target most, bigger fish bigger test curve.

These rods are built to handle stronger lines (up to 15lb), essential for when you hook into a powerful fish. They also feature excellent tip recovery, meaning the rod tip springs back quickly after casting which will help you get extra yards when using lighter floats or freelining baits. Additionally, the progressive playing action cushions sudden lunges, reducing the risk of hook pulls during a fight.