Are Bite Alarms really necessary

[Stealph Viper]

If you are only a short stay Carp Angler, say 12 hours or so, is it really necessary to have Bite Alarms and if it is necessary, do they have to be the best that your money can buy ?

What do you really get for your money ?

 

[noknot]

Simply put, YES!

You may ask why? The answer is to allow you to watch the water for signs of Carp, were as if you are watching a float, or bobbin ect, then you could miss them, it gives you the freedom to spot and maybe cast to showing fish!
As for the cost, I buy what I know will do the job, not necessarily the most expensive, but what are up to the job in hand!

Mine: TLB's, bombproof and 100% waterproof!

 

[The Scarlet Maggot]

If you are only a short stay Carp Angler, say 12 hours or so, is it really necessary to have Bite Alarms and if it is necessary, do they have to be the best that your money can buy ?

What do you really get for your money ?

Good question, even pondering it myself, I just don’t like the idea of something bleeping away. I’ve found it quite satisfactory to watch bites/runs develop on the bobbin, and if my attention is taken away the baitrunner clicking out line is ample indication. The only use for an electronic alarm as i see it, if not sleeping of course, is drop back indication when not watching your rod. But then if your angling and not just fishing you’re on your game, in the zone, you see those initial twitches on the bobbin even if you scanning the water etc. I would say it depends totally on the individual and the circumstances, i.e. length of time between bites etc, but for me, I just don’t need an electronic alarm, but then I fish with one rod at a time, more often than not during short intense periods at dawn and dusk.

 

[sagalout]

Yes, cheap ones, to wake me up if I'm fishing two ledgers, or to get my attention if I'm fishing one ledger and one float.

 

[noknot]

I will still say YES! Try a ten day session on a rock hard water where you maybe get one take in 3-4 months using four rods, mind blowing!

 

[S-Kippy]

I will still say YES! Try a ten day session on a rock hard water where you maybe get one take in 3-4 months using four rods, mind blowing!

Dear God...that must be the 9th circle of Fishing Hell. Not even if my kids were held hostage would I even contemplate doing that.

 

[noknot]

Dear God...that must be the 9th circle of Fishing Hell. Not even if my kids were held hostage would I even contemplate doing that.

Not at all,

It's called Carp angling................

 

[Rodney Wrestt]

It's all down to personal choice, they are not necessary but are beneficial. They don't have to be expensive, Fox Micron M's are good value and will last years.

 

[tortoise100]

My hearings not good enough to hear the bait runners on there own ,I also like to chat and have a social so need something to alert me at the right time.
I am currently getting into using a ledger rod with a free running method feeder rig but also on an alarm in case I need to pay attention to other things so i have something fun to watch whilst my other rod is on an alarm too.
I seem to be doing fine on my cheap as chips £5 alarms I just vary the weight of the indicators for different set ups and situations ie predictor fishing .
In fact a close friend replaced his delkems with much cheaper variety's after he left them on the bank thanks to witnessing my cheapo's .

But they are not absolutely necessary if you pay attention I just prefer having the choice of doing and looking at other things.

 

[blankmeister]

It's a bit of a change from the old dough bobbin or wine cork and hair clip, but each to his own

 

[cg74]

It's all down to personal choice, they are not necessary but are beneficial. They don't have to be expensive, Fox Micron M's are good value and will last years.

I'm in total agreement, my choice are a set of three Sundridge alarms for under £100, comes with a wireless receiver box, also very beneficial is the adjustable sensitivity setting and they all run on 9v batteries.

As some cheaper alarms often use 12v camera type batteries.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

If you are only a short stay Carp Angler, say 12 hours or so, is it really necessary to have Bite Alarms and if it is necessary, do they have to be the best that your money can buy ?

What do you really get for your money ?

Good question SV.

I'd still opt for alarms even on a 12 hour session, I set the volume to zero and I link mine to a remote box set to lowest (zero) volume and use the vibrator feature in day time so as not to upset those of a 'fragile' nature.

As to cost, no, they don't have to be the most expensive on the planet, buy what you can afford but go for one that has decent features: Tone, Sensitivity and Volume controls and a remote sensor box, and the job is done.

A set of Delkim Txi-plus with a remote box will set you back aound £500 but they are not 'necessary' when you can get a set of Fox's for a fraction of that price.

Whatever you chose make sure that they are totally waterproof and as a 'starter' set I'd thoroughly recommend Fox, I had and used mine for many years.

 

[Stealph Viper]

Thank you everyone, some very good comments.

Keep the recommendations coming in ...............

 

[r1paul]

Good question SV.

I'd still opt for alarms even on a 12 hour session, I set the volume to zero and I link mine to a remote box set to lowest (zero) volume and use the vibrator feature in day time so as not to upset those of a 'fragile' nature.

As to cost, no, they don't have to be the most expensive on the planet, buy what you can afford but go for one that has decent features: Tone, Sensitivity and Volume controls and a remote sensor box, and the job is done.

A set of Delkim Txi-plus with a remote box will set you back aound £500 but they are not 'necessary' when you can get a set of Fox's for a fraction of that price.

Whatever you chose make sure that they are totally waterproof and as a 'starter' set I'd thoroughly recommend Fox, I had and used mine for many years.

Peters right , set them low , so only you can hear them , job done .
I was very lucky with my set of delks , I bid for them on ebay , most of the sets of three with a remote box was going for £3oo -£350 , but I got lucky on three counts : 1 The chap had put them in general Fishing , not the carp section .
2 The auction ended early afternoon on a work day .
3 There was a world cup game on , sweet , got the set for £205

 

[noknot]

Nice one Les

I only know of two alarms the are totally waterproof, The TLB's and the ATT's..........

 

[Shine]

Even on a 12 hour session I use an alarm.

I have 2 fox eos-x. This is just a personal choice when it comes to names and the sound they make. If I'm fishing at say 90 yards and getting lots of line bites it will register on the alarm and I could try 10 yards closer in.
The main advantage though is when it's dark. Getting a take at 90 yards when it's pitch black with a star-lite out there just doesn't work. I can't see the thing

No I didn't need to spend £80 on each one when they came out, but got the best I could afford. Again this is just a personal thing, I believe you get what you pay for.

 

[David Marrs]

If you are only a short stay Carp Angler, say 12 hours or so, is it really necessary to have Bite Alarms and if it is necessary, do they have to be the best that your money can buy ? What do you really get for your money ?

I would say that a 12 hour session is too long to stare at a float or bobbin without taking a bit of time out so yes, IMO a bite alarm would be a good idea. For non-predator fishing I just use a set of 3 simple 'roller-ball' alarms which I bought brand new with a digital receiver for £50 from Ebay in a lovely hard case, Dec 06! They are rock solid,have decent rod-resting groove, are non affected by rain nor weather and have served me proudly. There are loads on the net in a similar vein and for a similar price. I also always aim to keep the volume down as much as I can.

What does get my goat a little though, is guys fishing an extremely small tennis court size, 2ft deep commercial (where I take my two young nephews) with 3 rods on pods, brotels, bedchairs and the LOUDEST bite alarms money can buy. Honestly, even the two young boys laugh as morse code at 2,000,000 decibels is transmitted at 75 words per minute across the complex, as yet another 6oz pastie falls for one of these Chimp's ebay tied, critically balanced, incorporating a 4oz lead, Chod rig.

 

[slime monster]

I have never used one

 

[tigger]

I will still say YES! Try a ten day session on a rock hard water where you maybe get one take in 3-4 months using four rods, mind blowing!

Hang on it's gone from 12 hours to ten blikin days all of a sudden

I suppose it would depend on how many rods I was using and how prolific a water I was fishing. I have float fished for 12 hours and most of that was watching a starlight !
I reckon if ledgering then I'd go for the alarms(unless river fishing then no alarms) ...I have two of the cheapest delk's and one of the inbetweeners and I do like them. My m8 has a set of sundridge alarms in a free alloy case with wirless receiver and what a top set up it is. I think it cost about 80 or so ripp's brand spanking off ebay. If I ever get any more alarms then it will be those for sure !

 

[Rickrod]

I can stare at a qiuver from dusk till dawn but when it comes to carp fishing i need my alarms as the sessions are just to long for me to look at hangers . Plus i like to look for showing fish . one thing i do do is to have the alarms turned down just so i can hear them and not everybody else . I also use them for bait fishing for pike i do watch to tips for tiny plucks but if my attention should drift abit any bleeb will draw me instantly back again allowing me to get a early strike preventing the chance of a deep hooked fish .