# Electronic Bite Alarms!!?



## TritonBill (Apr 9, 2004)

Does anyone use an Electronic Bite Alarm. I didn't know there was such a thing till I was browsing around some websites.

Here is a link to some of the top manufactures:
http://www.essexangling.co.uk/acatalog/Essex_Angling_Bite_Indicators___Alarms_14.html

If you use them, how and do they really work?

Just curious.
Bill


----------



## cwcarper (Apr 5, 2004)

A lot of us carpers use them...almost becoming an essential piece of carp gear. They work great fishing long nights for cats as well. I have the cheapest model made by Fox and they're very durable, sensitive, and well worth the price. As far as how they work...your line feeds through a magnetic wheel of sorts that adds just enough resistance to sound the alarm when the line moves through it. Many models have adjustable tension, volume, tone, etc.


----------



## OhioCatman (Aug 4, 2004)

Now come on guys. How come guys that target just carp think ya gotta have these $200 rod pods and these major dollar bite alarms. For bite alarms you can just buy a reel with a nice sensitive one like I use. Its an older penn levelmatic baitcaster (very light clicker). Or if ya already got rods, Bass Pro sells some that attach to rod for 6 bux that lights and beeps. As far as rod pods, You can get $4 rod holders at Wally World that spike into ground and are very sturdy and you can change the angle and a rod WILL NOT come out of it if it is in solid ground.


----------



## tpet96 (Apr 6, 2004)

Go to http://www.wackerbaits.com They are out of Chicago. They have a good set of WB&T alarms for under $30/alarm.


----------



## tpet96 (Apr 6, 2004)

> How come guys that target just carp think ya gotta have these $200 rod pods and these major dollar bite alarms.


That's the misconception. You don't. You can fish for carp with Zebco202's and catch carp. It's all the same. Some people have hobbies.......some like to collect stamps.......some muscle cars......some like to play guitar or something. SOme of us carpers like to collect and use European style gear. That's all. 

As for the alarms.......can you stand 100 yards down the bank socializing with buddies and hear your clickers go off?  That's the biggest reason we own them. Otherwise, we could just use a front rod rest, and listen for the drag or the runner clicker on the reels. Most of us fish in groups when we go out for the weekend. Get's boring just sitting in front of your rods listening. This way we can go all over creation talking with people, and still be able to hear these things. THink that's bad? Some people even go the lengths to have transmitters that transmit a run to a pager on their belt! TimJC in Ohio has made something similar with 2-way radios. One radio next to his alarms, one on his belt. Now he can go sleep in his car at night and wait for a run


----------



## TritonBill (Apr 9, 2004)

Well I'm a gadget guy,  , not surprising probably. I was really just curious when I read about these. 

It seems like a smart thing to have in certan situations, especially if you have the bail open on your reel. How would a sensitive pole help if you have the bail open and just want the fish to take off with the bait and not feel tension? I agree with with tpet about being a great thing in the fact that you don't have to set right beside the rod ALL night. When I'm bank fishing at night I get pretty tired too, maybe with an alarm I could take that snooze.  

Thanks for the info guys.


----------



## ShoreBoundOne (Apr 6, 2004)

I will second what Shawn said....i love using my pod and alarms. I dont know that i would open my bail and take a snooze while carp fishing around here though 

Mitch


----------



## tpet96 (Apr 6, 2004)

Mitch...

Normally if I'm not sleeping or wondering around, I'll turn my alarms off and just listen for the drag on my reels.


----------



## shuvlhed1 (Apr 13, 2004)

Like us catfisherman aren't guilty of the same things.


----------



## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

Hey OhioCatman- One other thing, I'm getting up there in age, and the days of staying up all night are over. With an alarm, you can " doze" off and still get that big cat.Like shuvlhed1 said, like we catmen aren't guilty also? I've spent probably $400 on rods and reels for cattin  Shawn brings up a great point. You can go 100 freakin yards down the bank to chat with some friends, and still catch that big cat/carp. CATKING


----------



## TritonBill (Apr 9, 2004)

Catfishing folks,
Do you typically set these alarms and leave your drag super loose so the fish doesn't notice any tension and let them run with it?


----------



## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

The reels alot of us use are either the " bait runner" style or " clickers" as in the Ambass. 6500 series. The clicker on both are engaged and the line is ran through the alarm.I guess you could loosen your drag and run the line through the alarm for reels with neither runner or clickers. THE CATKING !!!


----------



## tpet96 (Apr 6, 2004)

Before Da' Chick  got her runners, she would just loosen her drag and run it through the alarm. That is actually how I do it now with my big pits. I dont' have the runner feature by choice


----------

