Bite Alarms

[Miggy]

Just wondering exactly what is needed to fish with a bite alarm, do i need a drop off indicator, or any other piece of equipment to fish with them

 

p.s if anyone knows any website's i can go on that show me how to set them up properly i would be very grateful

 

 

Cheers Fellas

 

 

Mitch

Edited October 23, 2006 by Miggy

[Kappa]

Just wondering exactly what is needed to fish with a bite alarm, do i need a drop off indicator, or any other piece of equipment to fish with them

 

p.s if anyone knows any website's i can go on that show me how to set them up properly i would be very grateful

Cheers Fellas

Mitch

 

You will need:

Two bank sticks (one for the bite alarm and one for the rear rod rest)

A bobbin or drop off indicator (you need on so that you can detect bites where the fish comes towards you with the bait thus slackening the line)

Something to allow you to give line to a running fish (a bait runner reel or you can fish with a open bail arm with the line held on a line clip or a elastic band).

 

I would also recommend you get:

A screwdriver and spare batteries in case you find your alarm won't work after you've got to your swim.

 

You should set them up similar to this

 

After you cast you should tighten the line so it is fairly tight against the lead. Then clip the bobbin on the line directly behind the bite alarm ideally with a rod ring between the alarm and the reel(see the pic above). If the line is too slack if your bobbin is heavy enough it will drop to the floor simply tighten the line until the bobbin stops dropping. Then prepare your reel so that if you get a run it will give a running fish line. This is very important you will lose your rod if you don't.

 

It really depends on how and what you are planning to fish for. I've described the method you might use for carp and tench. If you are planning to fish for perch or pike or without boltrigs you might want to set-up differently.

 

If you have anymore questions let me know! By the way one last thing, you don't have to spend a fortune buying new reels, rod pods and fancy bobbins to fish with alarms. For example you can easily make homemade runclips and bobbins.

 

 

Rich

Edited October 22, 2006 by Richard Capper

[lyn]

Make sure they are turned off when setting up and never have them on a river bank! Just 2 of my biggest pet hates of angling other than that I think you have been told everything else

 

lyn

[Miggy]

thanks rich and lyn but i was just wondering ... how much distance should there be between the drop off indicator and the rod as i dont want my rod going in. Does the line go through the indicator ... does the indicator attach to anything else apart from the bite alarm .... im really confused.

 

any help would be appreciated... diagrams would be good

 

 

cheers fellas

 

mitch

Edited October 23, 2006 by Miggy

[lyn]

How long is a piece of string. It may be worth looking in on the carp forum, Gaffer may have some pics. I don't have the need for them that often but it depends what you are fishing for ie; if I am carp/tench fishing I have my indicaters on the front and for pike on the back.

 

Most shop bought indicators are a set length so that solves your distance problem. As long as you tighten up to your lead/feeder before you put your indicater on you won't have a problem. The John Roberts butt grips are good to have on the back rest. As long as you have a baitrunner on or open bail arms (I do this when pike fishing) then you won't loose your rod.

 

lyn

[RUDD]

After you cast you should tighten the line so it is fairly tight against the lead.

 

Rich

 

RUBBISH

 

You should keep line slack so that it all sinks to the bottom (unless using braid which floats).

You can then set the lightest weight bobbin / indicator you can get away with.

 

Having a tight line has been proven to show less bites : a fish moving a slack line has to pull it tight to start with so you see the bite BEFORE the line starts to tighten/stretch.

A fish moving an already tight line only stretches the line more and you will only see the bite once the line has fully stretched. If coming towards you the fish takes the tension out of the line and you only see the dropback bite once the line goes slack.

[Kappa]

RUBBISH

 

 

You should keep line slack so that it all sinks to the bottom (unless using braid which floats).

You can then set the lightest weight bobbin / indicator you can get away with.

 

Having a tight line has been proven to show less bites : a fish moving a slack line has to pull it tight to start with so you see the bite BEFORE the line starts to tighten/stretch.

A fish moving an already tight line only stretches the line more and you will only see the bite once the line has fully stretched. If coming towards you the fish takes the tension out of the line and you only see the dropback bite once the line goes slack.

 

Hi Rudd,

 

I occasionally fish carp puddles to test new techniques and baits etc. When fishing here i often see novice anglers fishing with alarms with huge bows of line so that once the get a run the fish is halfway around the lake before there is an sort of indication on the alarm. Whilst you might be right about using the slack line, I'd argue that until you are experienced in fishing wth alarms it would be prudent to use a tightish line as one might with a feeder and a quivertip. I'm not suggesting having hauzer tight lines just so you can "feel" the lead.

 

Miggy, the length of drop on the bobbin is personal preferance and depends on how you are fishing. However you MUST have a system that allows you to give line to a running fish or you WILL lose you rod no matter how high the drop of the bobbin unless you spend the whole day holding it or have a very very stable rod pod (which is more likely to let you lose all your rods). I'll draw a pic sometime when I have time.

 

By the way Miggy where are you based? Have you thought about going for a walk around a commercial big caarp water and ask some of the anglers there to show you how they setup?

 

Rich

Edited October 23, 2006 by Richard Capper

[Miggy]

I live in a villiage called south kirkby and i might be looking to fish a lake called sally walshes ( known for the biggest recorded carp in yorkshire- sally - )in hemsworth or stubbs hall on the a638 wakefield doncaster road.

 

 

 

cheers fellas

 

 

ps. i am going to setup my rod's , rod pod and alarms in my garden and pull the line , trying out different slack on the line therefore i will know if my rod will go in and get a general idea of what would take my rod'(s)

 

thanks again

 

any more input by you guys would be great

 

cheers

 

mitch

Edited October 23, 2006 by Miggy

[Kappa]

I live in a villiage called south kirkby and i might be looking to fish a lake called sally walshes ( known for the biggest recorded carp in yorkshire- sally - )in hemsworth or stubbs hall on the a638 wakefield doncaster road.

cheers fellas

ps. i am going to setup my rod's , rod pod and alarms in my garden and pull the line , trying out different slack on the line therefore i will know if my rod will go in and get a general idea of what would take my rod'(s)

 

thanks again

 

any more input by you guys would be great

 

cheers

 

mitch

 

Sorry to keep banging on about this, do you have bait runners? If not you could put you reels on backwind (though this may lead to tangles) alternatively you can put an elastic band on the rod handle just above the spool then put a loop of line under the band and leave the bail arm open. leaving slack line is not an alternative to allowing a carp to take line. Don't leave it to chance can you afford new rods reels and being banned from the lakes?

 

Rich

[Miggy]

i am looking for a new reel and the one i have is not a baitrunner and i am not looking to buy a baitrunner , on the elastic band issue i am not sure what you mean does having a line clip help ??

 

 

 

cheers

 

 

mitch