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    Bite Alarms Archived Message

    Posted by Marko on 30/12/2011, 9:17 am

    Well I have been playing around with this since I got back from the snapper1000 and admiring the many Christmas rod holders, rods and quads moving along the beach.

    I wanted to make a indicator with light, so that for any reason I was not close to my rod, say over 50m away I could see that I had a strike. There are many electronic versions available on the net, mainly for carp fishing, but in true kiwi diy style "come on mate do it yourself" I wanted to make my own.

    I'd been collecting a few bits and pieces, so the day before yesterday with the kids in bed I decided to start putting it together.

    I have a ali rod holder I made at work. I used another piece of ali angle that attaches to the rod holder with 2 stainless countersunk machine screws and wing nuts for quick removal. A flat bar attached for a swing arm and for the moment a clothes peg to hold the line, a 9v battery, a stop light switch from the auto sparky, wire and connectors...





    Setting the tension with wind, swell and weed was going to be hard thing... I went out for quick test yesterday and in true marko form I forgot my camera after threading my way round the r&v camp site I headed down to main beach about 1km from the river mouth nearly low tide. It was windy off shore and as I found out, lots of weed. With no extra tensioners on the peg the swing arm sat nicely under load. I was about 10m from my rod and could see the arm sticking out clearly. Half hour later I looked up and the arm was down. I went to my rod and sure enough "fish on", my fish alarm worked with weed and wind. I wound in a small but feisty and tail hooked tope.

    A bit later I had another strike but this time it was the weed. All' n' all very encouraging, as I can hear and see when the swing arm drops during the day and know it lights up like a Christmas tree

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