Using indicators

Carp fishing visual indicators are in between your bite alarm and your eyes. An indicator tells you which way the fish is moving, by how much, and sometimes when it moves. A hanger moving up means the fish is running away from you. If it moves down, that means the fish is coming towards you and is putting slack in the line (known as a drop-back). Indicators are missed more often than not, since bite alarms usually only give a few beeps before a fish is pulling line from the spool. A swinging indicator does the same thing, but on a longer arm, and usually does a better job of moving with the wind and/or undertow.

Most indicators are fitted with a small isotope or LED, so you can see them at night. It is a good idea to match the color of the isotope or LED with your bite alarm heads so you can quickly tell which rod is going off without having to think about it.

Weight is important when it comes to line balancing. If it’s too light, the line bounces around and gives false readings. If it’s too heavy, the fish feels the resistance and drops the bait. You can’t set it perfectly; you’ve just got to adjust it when conditions change and it’s not very different from what you have to do with a boat.

If you’re interested in the boats, the surveys and owner’s checklist are a good place to start. If you fish, the bite alarm articles go into different products, traditional vs digital, and what’s worth spending money on.