Bite alarms are brilliant little gadgets that have revolutionised the way we fish. They’re designed to monitor any line movement and let you know as soon as something happens.

Not only are they more sensitive than the human eye, they never take a break, need the bathroom, or need to take a nap.  In fact, their ‘always on’ examination of your line let’s you take a break from staring at your rods waiting for that magical moment.  The modern fishing bite indicators sits snug on your rod rest with your line running through the top. When a fish decides to try and take a nibble, the line moves, and the bite alarm gives you a heads-up both visually and audibly.

You can also connect you alarm head to a receiver; this allows you to take a walk along the bank, chat to friends or just some well earned sleep without missing a bite.  You can connect multiple alarms to a single receiver, although most people go for a set of 3.

How Do Carp Bite Alarms Work?

How do they work? Well, there are two types, the magnetic wheel and the Piezo vibration sensor, invented by Del Romang in the early 80s.  From our perspective, there is no other alarm that offers the sensitivity of the Piezo Sensor, it is second to none.

A standard magnetic wheel setup is straightforward – your line pulls through, tickling the wheel, which then sweeps past a sensor and sets the alarm off. On the flip side, the Piezo vibration sensor, with its Y-shaped guide, picks up on vibrations, triggering the alarm to make some noise and light up like a Christmas tree. Vibration offers significant benefits over a basic roller alarm such as no snagging or freezing, and it detects vibrations in the line as well as linear (forward and backword) movement. Overall, the advanced vibration type alarm delivers significantly greater sensitivity to your fishing experience.

That being said, most bite alarms offer a similar range of features:

Tone/Sound

Delkim is famous for it’s warble, a unique sound that’s music to your ears when you get that run!

Volume

Up to 20 different settings, switch it up during the day or lower it for night time fishing so you don’t wake up your neighbour on the lake.

LEDs

With several rods on the go, the LEDs are a visual cue to help you select the right rod quickly and ensure a smooth catch.

Sensitivity

This is where a vibration sensing alarm will smash all other options, but whichever you choose you can adjust the alarm so that’s it’s sensitive to the fish, and not the weather. Dial it down for heavy rain or wind, turn it up for calmer waters.

Batteries

The Delkim alarms are powered by a single 9v battery, high powered, long lasting and available from just about anywhere.

Material

Tough, water-resistant plastic and manufactured for the wet.  Delkim’s are built to last with some users sticking with a single set of alarms for over 20 years!  Making these alarms weather resistant is important, especially as, at some point, one of your alarms is probably going to take little swim.

Bite Indicators

As additional kit, bite indicators are well worth the investment. They help to keep your line taut as it runs through the alarm as well as offering a further visual indication if anything is happening under the water.

Receiver

For those night sessions or if you fancy a wander, a receiver is your best friend. It syncs with your alarms and keeps you in the loop with sound and light alerts, ensuring you never miss a chance for a catch.

There you have it, a crash course in bite alarms, a great additional to any tackle box whether you’re bivvied up under the stars or enjoying a sunny day by the water.

Our flagship Txi-D bite alarm is ready to go straight out of the box, or you can check out our range of ‘how to’ videos to get the most out of your set. Click here to go to YouTube or here to download the Delkim App where you’ll also get access to exclusive offers and content.

Bite alarms are about making your fishing smarter, not harder. Happy fishing.