Ive been using a Green Hydro-Glow for 15 years and it works great!!! Drop it in the water and if there are shad in the lake you are fishing,within a 1/2 and hour thousands of them will be doing circles around you light!!......I use it mainly at Lake Powell in Utah/Arizona and ww absolutely kill the strippers at nigh with it.... I recently purchased a newer model LED and cant wait to try it out...it is smaller but puts out 3 times the Lumens as my original Green Fourecent Hydro-Glow

You said you dont mind paying for a quality Knife? I suggest the Bubba Blade Lithium Ion cordless Rechagable fillet knife,,, I absolutely love mine... They will run around $85-$140 depending on where you puchase.. I picked mine up on ebay at the lower end... Trust me on this, if you catch a lot of fish on your trip ,a quality electric Fillet knife will make quick work of your catch and cut your cleaning time down drasticly. Ive been fishing and cleaning fish since i was about 12 years old and now being almost 60 I have a few years experience on this subject. check this link out for more info on this blade... https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bubba-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Electric-Fillet-Knife-4-Blades-Li-Ion-Fishing-1095705/691227378

I havent tried carp either but found a recipie..... Get a piece of Cedar Plank,put your cleaned carp on the plank and season it generously,Bake it at 325 for about 25 mins.when done,remove from oven,throw the carp in the trash and eat the Plank!!!

Have you considered a baitcasting reel? Ive used open faced baitcasting Ambassador Reels for almost 40 years and at first they are a little difficult to use without contantly backlashing and having to spend too much time getting the birdnest out...But once I figured out how to adjust the spool tension according with line size,weight of lure or bait and how to cast very smoothly, I love them and use them about 98 0/0 when fishing... They are the longest lasting,most dependable reels I have ever used by far as long as you keep them cleen and lubricated properly!!! and if you use them in saltwater, you must rinse them with fresh water and relube to keep the casting like new and lasting many years.I have severl 20 years old that i still use because the cast so nicely and with really good drag systems that will last you many years!!!
Recenctly I discovered the Lews Speed Spool Baitcasters and Absolutly love them,,,,small compact bait casters that out cast my older reliable Ambassador reels... The Lews reels are my go to reels for freshwater only.... I think if your were to get and stick with the open faced reels and learned how to adjust the spool tension and magnegtic backlash properly you would love them as I have for many years.......
This is just my opinion only but Im sure many others who use them with tell you the same !!!!!
Good Luck,Tight Lines and Hope this bit of advice helps you...