When preparing for a bankside carp session, you have to make a lot of choices about your gear. Setting up alarms as a system keeps things simple. Using a system means that you’ll have to make less decisions at the water’s edge and easier recognition of what sounds and colours mean.
One easy way of doing this is to start with a complete set, rather than adding pieces individually. For example, Delkim’s digital ev-r presentation sets come with everything prepaired, so all you’ve got to do is take it out of the box and you’re ready to go.
Number of alarms
Next you’ve got to decide how many alarms you’ll need. Most sets come with 2-3 alarms. The receiver can handle 4 alarms, so you have a bit of room for expansion should you need it.
Easily telling rods apart
The bank is a big place and you’ve got to be able to tell what is going on with your rods from afar. The EV-R alarms come with 8 tones and 6 colours, so being able to tell each rod apart is easily attainable. Once you’ve told your rods what to do, the receiver does the rest.
Sensing and volume
The EV-R Alarms use a vibration sensor to detect line movement. There is also a mute button, which comes in handy if you are nearby other anglers and want to be discreet, or if you are setting up or reorganising your equipment.
Keeping it Practical
Run through a quick routine to familiarise yourself with your equipment:
- Assign a color to each rod and note which is which.
- Check that your receiver shows each alarm correctly.
- Set the volume based on your swim.
- Check the fishery rules regarding rod limits and other restriction which may pertain to you.
Alarm aids in angling, not replace awareness. Remain attentive to your rods. Make sure you follow the rules pertaining to the fishery you are fishing.
The final decision
With a sorted setup, you can pay attention to water instead of equipment. Sort out how many rods you will fish and the configuration. Then give each rod a identity.