There are lots of bait alarms on the market and I have tried some of them. While I started off wanting all the knobs and buttons and adjustments, I realized that none of these things really matter as much as reliability. Having the ability to change the sensitivity of the alarm on the fly means nothing if the alarm won’t sound if it gets rained on. So, when I was looking for new alarms I wanted reliability above all else (it helps to keep off the bad dreams as well – the one with a 50lb fish taking all my line and getting snagged because the alarm did not go off).
After doing some research I decided on the ATT alarms from Gardner. These compact little alarms are super simple and yet offer exactly what I was looking for. There are no buttons at all and they are super waterproof. This did not mean that the alarms were not adjustable however and simply swapping the roller wheel is all that is needed to change the sensitivity. Having your cake and eating it too is always nice.
I was at first a bit worried about one of the most unique features of these alarms – the fact that they don’t have speakers and all the bite indication is accomplished by the receiver. I should not have been concerned however as this arrangement works perfectly and is actually preferable to the normal speaker in the alarm arrangement as you don’t have to broadcast to the whole world you have a run if you don’t want to.
There are a number of models of the ATT alarm – even a clear one! I choose the under lit wheel version that the whole wheel lights up on. I wanted this as it allowed me to see a run better from various directions. This has worked out well and it’s easy to tell which alarm is going off even if you can’t see the indicators.
The cover of the alarms also serves as the on/off switch and keeps them safe when not in use. I found this to be one of my favorite features as it kept me from forgetting to turn on the alarms which was another subject of paranoia. Also having a case that comes with the alarms is nice as you don’t have to go out and buy a separate one.
The receiver is programmable to each alarm on its own channel and you can change the color of the lenses can also be changed to match you alarms. Programming the alarms to the receiver was simple and the included instructions were easy to follow.
The receiver range is excellent, and while I have not measured it I have been as far as I was comfortable being from my rods and it still picked up great. The switch for the receiver is located on the top and I have not accidentally turn it off or on yet. If you are worried about it there is a case available that will keep it nice and safe!
So far I have been using them the better part of a year and have have not changed the batteries and they still seem to be going strong. I have been in some torrential rain, snow, sleet, and 90+ degree weather and have had no issues what so ever. Can’t ask for more than that I say!
I will update again after a year with more thoughts about these alarms and to let you know if I have had to change the batteries yet!
