The original Korda Katapult has been a favourite baiting tool for carp anglers for many years, and the latest version is even more user friendly than ever before.
When fishing at shorter ranges, there is no easier way of baiting up than through the use of a catapult, as long as you are using a bait which is compatible with one, such as boilies, tiger nuts or pellets.
Depending on bait size and weight, a catapult is good for accurately baiting up to around 80 yards or so, depending on wind conditions and how many baits at a time you are trying to fire out.
Catapults are a quick and easy way of baiting up
They are ideal for giving you a decent spread of bait over the area that you are fishing, if you opt to fire out pouchfuls of bait at a time, or put uniform shaped baits such as boilies accurately around your rig if catapulting them out one at a time.
One essential tip is never to mix different size or weights of bait together, as when you try to catapult out the mix, it will all go different distances and spread everywhere!
If you do want to put out a mix of bait, such as some boilies and smaller pellets, then fire them out separately, rather than mixing them.
It is also a very quick way of baiting up and one which causes minimal disturbance, as no casting of a spod is needed.
They aren’t always very user friendly
Catapults do also have their down side though, aside from the restrictions on the ranges that they can be used at, as the elastics are prone to tangling and require regularly being undone, sometimes every time you fire a pouchful of bait out.
The elastics and the pouches have also been prone to not lasting and meaning that you have to carry several spares, if you use a catapult regularly, or it simply keeps coming apart during use, with issues such as the elastics detaching from the pouch or frame.
Lastly, and quite possibly the worst thing about them, is that they can be prone to smashing your knuckles during use, which is painful and many a catapult has ended up in the lake after being thrown there by its angry owner after hitting himself with it yet again!
Korda Katapult – designed to solve the problems associated with using a catapult
So, when we designed this new range of Katapults we set about solving, or greatly reducing, as many of those problems as possible, to produce a catapult that was as user-friendly for the angler as we could make it.
Different coloured frames
There are now three different models in the range, to cover everything from mass baiting with particles at close range, right through to firing out individual boilies at longer ranges.
We have made it very easy to see which model of Katapult you are grabbing out of your fishing bag, as each has a different coloured frame, which makes it easy to instantly tell whether it is Light (brown); Medium (green); or Heavy (black).
Lightweight and strong carp fishing catapults
The Korda Katapult has a lightweight hollow frame, which is made from a very strong nylon, to enable it to withstand the rigors of continuous use.
The handle part of the frame is ergonomically designed to feel comfortable in your hand, and has a textured finish which allows you to firmly grip it even when your hands are covered with particle juice, and minimising the risk of your grip slipping and resulting in bait going everywhere.
Accurate pouches built for longevity
The pouches have also been built to last and are reinforced around the area where the elastics attach. Each one features drainage holes to allow particle juice to drain out, rather than plastering you in it when you fire the catapult, and are shaped for the perfect spread of bait.
The Light model features a larger pouch which is designed for putting out full pouchfuls of baits such as particles; whilst the other two are designed so as to give a very tight spread of bait when just using a few baits at a time in it, or a wider spread the more you fill the pouch up.
When pulling back the elastics, especially when close to being fully stretched, and especially with hands that are wet or covered in oil or bait juice, the pouch can easily slip out of your grasp and deposit bait in a spot where you didn’t want it.
The tag which we have attached to the back of the pouch takes away that problem and allows you to get a good grip every time you fire it.
No more tangled elastics
Tangled elastics are very frustrating when trying to put out larger amounts of bait quickly, as untangling them takes time, and if you don’t untangle them, you lose accuracy and range.
We have alleviated that problem though thanks to the use of ball bearing swivels where the elastics join the frame.
All elastics and pouches do eventually wear out after prolonged use, but when they do they are very quick and easy to replace, and spares are sold for each model.