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Bite Alarms.

T

Tone Smith

Senior Member
Just after what the latest and best bite alarms are. What are people using? What would they use is money wasn’t an issue? Are Delkims still the best? What other alarms are top end? Not just for barbel, but carp and general fishing. I’ve been out of the game for a while and just want some thoughts please.
posted here for more visibility/replies. Hope you don’t mind.
 
I only use alarms when I do a session up on the Trent or on the infrequent Carp trips that I’ve slipped back into but I use ATT’s. Small, neat, wireless with silent buzzer “heads” so as I don’t broadcast to the whole fishery what’s occurring and light on batteries. The downside perhaps is if I want to change the sensitivity, moving from still water to river, I need to change from a four magnet roller to a two magnet roller but only takes a giffy. I find them reliable and tick my boxes. Not a clue as to the cost these days I bought mine off my son when he was “upgrading” but he now wishes he’d kept them!
 
another for ATTS. not sure if delkims were ever the best more like another carp fishing fashion show...... lots of good buzzers out there now
 
Delkims are superb alarms, and for carp fishing with slack lines there is nothing finer due to the reed switch design. No need for Delkims however for barbel fishing, a simple roller alarm will suffice - loads to choose from, just make sure it has volume control and remote!

I use the JRC radar alarms both the DS3 and DSI. Think there is a new model now, but they are really well made with lots of handy features. Made in the Czech Republic I gather.
 
ATTs for me as well. Underlight ones with the receiver switched off (Unless in on a stillwater) then just look out for the light coming on.
 
Tone Smith said:
Just after what the latest and best bite alarms are. What are people using? What would they use is money wasn’t an issue? Are Delkims still the best? What other alarms are top end? Not just for barbel, but carp and general fishing. I’ve been out of the game for a while and just want some thoughts please.
posted here for more visibility/replies. Hope you don’t mind.
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My delks have been bomb proof for last 15 years
 
ATTS are spot on for the river with 2 magnet rollers, very well made and reliable. You could add 4 mag rollers for more sensitivity on stillwaters but the 2 mag rollers avoid annoying bleeps on the line from crap floating down in the current.
 
For flat out screaming runs a bell on a wire would work and it doesn’t really matter what alarms you use.
however I really only use alarms for pike fishing where floats ain’t suitable or that visible.
In this instance you cannot beat a delk. Roller alarms depend on line pressure and movement to trigger them and pike fishing requires you to know about a take at the earliest possible moment while keeping the residence to an absolute minimum. Delks (set up correct) will tell you a pike has picked up your bait long before any roller alarm.
Fishing for screaming runs it really doesn’t make much difference
 
my delks are used for pike fishing but they work well for everything the sensitivity setting is a must have for my fishing
 
Thanks for the replies. After a bit of research, and bank balance reality, I went for a set of sonik SKS alarms. They are going to be used predominantly for catfish and these fit the bill very nicely for the price. I hope they’re as good as the reviews and how they sound!!
 
Tone Smith said:
Thanks for the replies. After a bit of research, and bank balance reality, I went for a set of sonik SKS alarms. They are going to be used predominantly for catfish and these fit the bill very nicely for the price. I hope they’re as good as the reviews and how they sound!!
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It’s that all important bank balance reality Tone. Some of these alarms are clever intricate bits of electronics but I can buy a colour tv cheaper than the asking price of some ‘em 😳 I’m sure you’ll be happy with your purchase 👍
 
Im my opinion most alarms on the market today are pretty good there are a few that are outstanding for the money

budget have to be
getting rave reviews are the amazing Prologic Bat + Alarms thay really are wonderful alarms but for me the ultimate have to be Delkim

Personally I would never buy a set of alarms without a sensitivity adjustment
 
I bought some basic 2nd hand Delkim's years ago for about £40 each. They're great. Bullet proof with sensitivity, tone and volume adjustment. The batteries hardly need changing as well ...probably because they hardly go off 😀. No problems with malfunctioning in inclement weather. I can't fault them.

I know a bit off subject, for pike fishing I have a 2nd hand set of billies backbiters. Hand made drop off alarms. Although I haven't pike fished for 4 years they still reside in the garage. They hold value as well.
 
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Ady Brayshaw said:
I bought some basic 2nd hand Delkim's years ago for about £40 each. They're great. Bullet proof with sensitivity, tone and volume adjustment. The batteries hardly need changing as well ...probably because they hardly go off 😀. No problems with malfunctioning in inclement weather. I can't fault them.

I know a bit off subject, for pike fishing I have a 2nd hand set of billies backbiters. Hand made drop off alarms. Although I haven't pike fished for 4 years they still reside in the garage. They hold value as well.
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A lot of people rave about the BB’s but again your depending on that pike picking up and physically moving off with the bait and they don’t always do that. Only a float or a delk will tell you the instant she’s touched it. Roller alarms, drop offs and Back biters will tell you only if she takes line.
 
Richard the BB's have a fairly heavy drop back arm and it's adjustable. This helps keep the line tight to the bait.I've used them for quite a few years and have never had a badly hooked pike whilst using them. I've even had big pike (30 lb plus) at extreme long range 100 metres plus whilst using them. Admittedly the last big pike at that range had moved the arm without sounding. I noticed the arm twitch indicating a pick up and released the line from the clip before it started running. So this I suppose favours your observation. An immediate tighten up and the fish was on. I guess it's about paying attention to our tackle and not totally depending an alarm for bite indication. It's possible, using long traces, and not being tight to your bait, to deep hook pike whilst using standard delk type alarms. I've tried using standard alarms for piking but have always gone back to drop offs. Same with my peers. They all prefer drop offs for piking.
 
Ady Brayshaw said:
Richard the BB's have a fairly heavy drop back arm and it's adjustable. This helps keep the line tight to the bait.I've used them for quite a few years and have never had a badly hooked pike whilst using them. I've even had big pike (30 lb plus) at extreme long range 100 metres plus whilst using them. Admittedly the last big pike at that range had moved the arm without sounding. I noticed the arm twitch indicating a pick up and released the line from the clip before it started running. So this I suppose favours your observation. An immediate tighten up and the fish was on. I guess it's about paying attention to our tackle and not totally depending an alarm for bite indication. It's possible, using long traces, and not being tight to your bait, to deep hook pike whilst using standard delk type alarms. I've tried using standard alarms for piking but have always gone back to drop offs. Same with my peers. They all prefer drop offs for piking.
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I’ve used my delks afew times this season for pike in conjunction with either a drop off or line clip (both systems open bail) and I set them as high as I can get away with on the sensitivity. I find it quite fascinating at just how well a delk works compared to the system clipping the line. I’ve had the delks give clear indication from the line vibration a good few seconds before it’s ejected from the clip and in some instances I eject it myself through fear that she’s munching on the spot. I don’t think I would like roller alarms for pike personally as I don’t believe the feed back is always good enough.
im only just getting back into it now after years of not fishing for them but I can guarantee 90% of my piking will be done with a nice long pencil slider. There is no finer bite indicator that I know of.
 
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