Fishing Victoria Forum

Bite detectors can be audible, visual or both audible and visual.

Bells

The oldest bite detector I know about, are the bells that you can clip onto the tip of your fishing rod. The idea is if you get a bite, the tip of the fishing rod then moves making the bells rattle, so you can hear them.

Good points,
you don't have to continually watch your rod tip for any signs of movement.
They are cheap.
Some bells you can also add a glow stick, for night time.

Bad points;
the metal does not like the salt water environment.
The edges of the clip are sharp and can cut your line.
If you don't take them off the tip of your rod when you cast, you can loose them.
The sound can be very annoying if you don't take them off before winding the line in, or fighting a fish.

Visual Bite Detectors.

Glow Sticks
Perhaps the most commonly used visual bite detector, is the simple glow stick, that attaches to the rod tip.

Good points
They are cheap
Work well a night
Come in three sizes, small, medium and large.
Water proof

Bad Points
The diameter of the rod tip varies greatly from rod to rod. So if you have a number of different rods, one size may not fit them all.
If not clipped on properly they can fly off when you cast.
Your line can get caught on the plastic clip.
If you do a lot of night time fishing, costs can mount up.

Battery operated Light Indicators

To be written

Visual Audible Bite Detectors.

To be written.

I use the battery operated bite detector when fishing is slow. It wakes me up when it goes off.

Good old fashioned is a piece of bread (especially fishing river, dam or calm bay).
Make it doughy and put it on your line and slide it down either 1-2 meters away from the rod, or loosen off slightly and place it between the reel & first eye so it hangs down in a "V".
When they bite it bounces and being bread it either falls off or you pull it off.

using bread might confuse Fish-cador..lol.. after the fish alarm goes off, they may jump up and look for the morning toast

i've used the bells many times.. and glow sticks taped to the rod tip... both very handy at night in particular.

:crazy: Sometimes I get glowstick that come with just a plastic sleeve and no clip, how the hell am I meant to attach it to my rod?!?!

Finnigan wrote::crazy: Sometimes I get glowstick that come with just a plastic sleeve and no clip, how the hell am I meant to attach it to my rod?!?!

There should be a small length of tape in the packet, tape the tube to the rod, then put the glowstick in the tube

I use bells, they can get a bit annoying at times as they can get tangled in your line if you don't take them off when you get a fish.