Bite alarms.

[peter crabtree]

Toys, or useful?

Annoying?

Pathetic?

What do you think?

 

[seth49]

If I put a sleeper rod out, while I’m pole fishing or on the tip, it’s useful so that I don’t miss a bite, I have it set to a low volume, and I don’t put the line in the alarm until I’ve adjusted everything, so it only sounds when I get a bite.

Nothing worse than someone’s alarm beeping when there adjusting tensions etc.

 

[nottskev]

They are indispensable to some fishing styles and make complete sense. Personally, anticipating a bite, seeing it and striking it are the best bits, so I'm not attracted to set-ups which relieve the angler of that chore. There was another angler on the lake yesterday, and since I've rarely bumped into carp/ carp-style anglers, I asked him about his set up, from rigs to bite indication. His two rod set up, with a pair of 10' rods that telescope down, and two neat buzzer bars, was tidy and compact, and the two rods let him put baits out in two directions without going cross-eyed watching separate indicators. I just prefer a different way, and put up with the limitation of a single rod and the need to keep attention on it even though bites are infrequent.

 

[mikench]

As hard as it may be to imagine me owing buzzers, I actually do. I think I have 4 but rarely use them. Their use is limited to wide pegs on slow waters where float fishing is more productive but a sleeper rod out of the way with a buzzer is not in the way and gives a chance of a decent fish. Kev you are welcome to try one on a semi permanent basis.

 

[no-one in particular]

I find them mildly annoying but like Notts I understand them for some fishing styles. If I was an avid carp angler I might have one. I rarely leger these days and make do with a piece of bread folded over the line if I do, I can strike it off or wind through it and replace it easy enough. No batteries needed, probably invented before batteries but I am getting that way myself. I had a washing liquid bottle top with a bullet weight shoved in but I lost that so reverted back to the bread. For the very few times I leger in any way it does the job or I freeline, watch the line/rod top, much prefer that if the conditions, bait, species flow etc. allow it.

 

[nottskev]

As hard as it may be to imagine me owing buzzers, I actually do. I think I have 4 but rarely use them. Their use is limited to wide pegs on slow waters where float fishing is more productive but a sleeper rod out of the way with a buzzer is not in the way and gives a chance of a decent fish. Kev you are welcome to try one on a semi permanent basis.

Cheers, Mike. I'd be interested to try. I'm anticipating the owner liberalising the rules a bit, so I can fish a quivertip or float - both off the menu atm - but if that doesn't happen I might have to adapt to the place.

 

[mikench]

I have a couple of things for you so shall I get a little parcel together?

 

[nottskev]

I have a couple of things for you so shall I get a little parcel together?

That sounds good.

 

[mikench]

Pm your address to save me looking for it.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

There is absolutely nothing at all wrong with using bite alarms providing the user is mindful of other anglers in the immediate vicinity . . . . . I spent a decade targetting carp and tench using them with never a single complaint.

I think that many would argue that for multiple rod fishing over a long period that bite alarms are in fact essential . . . .

 

[sam vimes]

I fish a mixed fishery syndicate. The vast majority of members are only interested in the carp. Some switch to pike in winter. A small number fish for the bream and tench. Almost everyone uses bite alarms. However, you rarely hear them and it's not just because bites are infrequent. Most use alarms in silent mode. Used this way, they are no more annoying than a plastic rod rest head.

Bite alarms are absolutely fine. If they are annoying, that's down to the individual that's using them.

 

[no-one in particular]

I have only had a few times from memory and I have nothing against them per say but, it is when the angler seems to be constantly fiddling with one that it gets annoying, not ever having had one I don't know why they do this but it seems some do and when they are loud as well, that's when I get a bit irritated by them.

 

[waldi]

I've got a bite alarm!

Somewhere

 

[Keith M]

I’ve used bite alarms for large Carp and Pike for as long as I can remember. I used to have a couple of the ‘white’ Heron bite indicators which were based on Richard Walkers antenna design; which had the nasty habit if going off on their own giving you false bites; and when the first Optonics came on the market in the early 1980s my mate and I couldn’t wait to go out and buy a couple of these Optonics; which we later converted by adding some telephone speakers and latching circuits and later we added extensions to a separate sounder box which we could keep in our bivvies.
NB: this was long before the Delkim conversions came onto the market.

However if I am using a bite alarm today I only use it at minimum volume or in vibration mode; which is extremely difficult; if not impossible; to hear outside of my swim. Plus I only ever use an alarm if I’m using two rods after large Carp or I’m dead baiting with two rods for Pike in the winter; when runs are usually few and far between.

Keith

 

[Notts Michael.]

When I relatively recently (a couple of yrs ago) got back into fishing, I got a bite alarm ,as they seemed the norm/must have gadget, but in reality have only used it a few times.
after being irritated by people constantly faffing, unnecessarily adjusting and beep beep beeping with max volume alarms every 3 minutes at a lake I like to fish, I try to adjust, tighten up, set drop bobbin etc before even switching on the alarm when using mine on a margin sleeper rod, I'm 3 ft from it, so it really doesn't need to be set to ear damage volume. it's just a way of keeping tabs on a 2nd chance rod, whilst looking at a tip or float on another rod when I do use the buzzer, so the lowest vol setting is more than adequate.

 

[john step]

Where I go carping it would be very difficult for someone else to hear my alarms due to the space and lack of others. I must say though that as my left ear is practically useless and the right ear could try harder I have started putting the box on silent/vibrate and popping it on top of my head under my hat.
Works a treat especially when the sun is warm and I find I have dozed off after the fare my sandwich maker provides.

 

[dorsetsteve]

On a day ticket water with day only tickets it drives me a little potty listening to them, but those kinds of waters attract people and actions that don’t please me anyway and so I choose not to fish them. I do not see the need to use one in these kind of scenarios and it just strikes me as attention seeking nonsense “got one Dave”.

With that said they do have a place particularly with a receiver. If I’ve had a long day I will use one occasionally because the eye strain can get to me, the indicator can help with those bites that occur only in my tired mind watching the isotopes. It also allows me to sit well back and not worry I will miss the bait runner click. It also allows me to grab a few hours shut eye on an overnighter, the alternative of corse is to wind in or not sleep, the latter renders me a grumpy dad.

Appropriate use and consideration for others.

 

[Badgerale]

I fall in and out of liking them.

Lately I've been enjoying feeder fishing and the finesse that comes with watching the tip and striking that cagey bite.

But I do also love the excitement of that screamer run, with the alarm going and the bait runner churning as you scramble to the rods.

The whole beeping thing I find less annoying than I used to. I think this is because I'm now fishing with better quality venues with carp anglers who appreciate that nobody wants to hear them setting their bobbins every ten minutes, and also because they often use remote speakers so the beeps are more private to them.

At the day ticket places I used to fish it seemed unbearable surrounded by a lake full of cretins making constant loud beeps just to check if it was working.

Ironically, I often find myself the most noisy one now as I only have a cheap alarm, and am too impatient to leave it out for long.

 

[terry m]

I use them with consideration for others.

Absolutely no apologies for that.

 

[Philip]

Depends on the type of fishing your doing.

Try fishing a 100 acre pit for just 10 Carp for a few years and then ask yourself if bite alarms are useful or not.