The best bite alarm bobbins

The Korda Complete MK2 Stow Indicators are some of the most versatile and instantly recognisable bobbins on the market. Originally created for historic lakes like Elstow, they were brought to the mass market by Korda and have remained a bankside staple ever since.

The innovative clip on the side of the Stow Indicator allows the line to be trapped against it, creating a fixed setup and it’s this that makes them so versatile and accurate for bite indication. The line cannot slide through the Stow like it can on a normal bobbin, so every movement is registered. This makes them an ideal choice when fishing with slack lines, as you can still create some tension from the reel or rod line clip, so even a subtle movement will be noticed, setup right you may even see drop backs. Whatever the setup, if the line moves even fractionally, it will register on the Stow!

They come in a range of colours, and the acrylic is strong so they won’t break easily. They can also be weighted with quick change weights if the wind gets up or you’re fishing at extreme ranges.

If you’re an angler who appreciates a good looking bobbin, the Cygnet Clinga range will definitely turn a few heads. These high quality acrylic indicators are available in a wide array of colours and shapes, to make sure whatever the situation, they will have it covered. The hollow head also takes an isotope internally, so you can have them glowing after dark.

Ranging from a small old school head to a large XXL head, the bobbins are suitable to be fished from 2 yards out to as far as you can take a rig into the lake. The whole setup is interchangeable, with the bobbins unscrewing at their base, allowing you to change them in seconds should circumstances change during your session.  

The line holder is very interesting on these bobbins too and is what makes them so good. They offer both a normal, line through system, so the bobbin can run freely, as well as a tight line grip, allowing it to “cling” to the line, hence the name. No matter what scenario you are faced with, the bobbin can perform as well as any other out there.

Manufactured in the UK, the ESP Barrel Bobbins are built to the highest standard and made to stand up to the rigours of modern carp fishing. The stainless steel chain has a plastic clip screw one end and a metal, 3g connector at the other, serving as a way of weighting down the bobbin quickly and easily. If the wind picks up, you can unscrew the plastic out of the bobbin head and metal out of the hockey stick and reverse them, this will add the 3g weight to the bobbin in seconds, a really cool idea. There are two chains included in the pack, a long 18cm and a short 7.5cm version.

There are seven colours available, with the white PTFE head probably the most infamous, as the likes of Terry Hearn are synonymous with their use. There is also a 15g stainless steel head for extra weight, ideal if you are fishing at range, for drop backs or against snags and want as much tension in the line as possible. There are weights that can be added onto all the heads if you wish to. 

The head, like many others on the market, comes with a free-flowing design or a grip-style head to allow you to get the most from the bobbin in all angling situations.

Finished in a very stylish frosted acrylic, the Nash Bobbin Kits are truly some of the best-looking bobbins on the market. Available in six colours, they will be a perfect match to any discerning anglers setup and they boast some great features to make sure they perform well too! The bobbin heads come in three sizes, small, medium and large, so there is one to suit all styles of angling. 

The bobbins can be customised in a whole range of ways depending on your preferences, you can opt for a chain, a cord, different weights, magnetic brackets, the list goes on and if you own the Nash alarms, you can attach a Glow Pipe that will light up when you get a bite.

The two-stage line clips allow the bobbin head to be free running or fixed to the line, and it comes with a special rubber O-ring that allows you to alter the adjustment on the head to grip thinner diameter lines, such as braids, more effectively.

When you see the Fox Black Label Mini Swinger on a set of alarms you are instantly transported back about 20 years when this style of indicator was all the rage. Fox haven’t re-released their Mini Swingers as a nostalgia trip though, as these bobbins are incredibly useful when used in the right scenario.

The Mini Swinger has a gated-style clip to trap the line at one end and a solid steel bar through the middle instead of a chain that attaches to a hockey stick under the alarm. There is a 16g sliding weight that runs along the length of the bar, which can be altered in seconds by moving its position, depending on how much tension you want it to be under.

Due to the fixed bar, these swingers offer unrivalled detection in windy conditions, as they won’t blow around like more traditional bobbins, helping eliminate all those false bleeps. They are also incredibly useful when fishing on a 'washing line' setup, keeping the line taught before dropping back instantly on a take, without the risk of the bobbin getting tangled in the slack line.

A labour of love from Korda’s Damien Clarke, the Korda Black and Whites have been thoughtfully designed by carp anglers for carp anglers. Finished in either black or white, these super simplistic bobbins have a clean, timeless look that will instantly boost the aesthetics of any setup.

The Black and Whites are generally best used when fishing at range. The line clip is free running and doesn’t use a grip-style system, as Korda wanted it to highlight drop backs more effectively than a Stow can when used at long distances. The bobbins can take quick-change weights, elevating them up to 30g if you use the XL head, ideal for those big windswept waters where the undertow can cause issues with indication. The heads come in four sizes, from small, medium and large to XL, and are all interchangeable with each other and the Stow system from Korda. 

The line clip is adjustable, and by simply tightening the screw where the chain enters the bobbin head, the clip will begin to close, enabling you to tailor the clip to hold on any diameter line whilst also coming off when you get a take. There is a slot to take an isotope too, so you get visual indication after dark.

If you own a Delkim, the Delkim Slimlite Complete indicators are the perfect addition to your alarm set. The Slimlites are manufactured to compliment the Delkim Plus alarms perfectly, by simply inserting them into the jack plug, they are designed to illuminate when you get a bite or when using the Niteglow function. The bobbins will replicate every light function on the alarm in real-time, further enhancing the visual cues when getting a run. 

The unique part of these bobbins are the 'Tilt ‘N’ Slide' 'SlimCarb' stabiliser arms, with the indicator head designed to sit in-between them, they will prevent the wind interfering with the bobbin causing false bleeps. The bobbin moves independently of the arms, so they add no weight to the setup, they merely hold it in place, a really fantastic design which eliminates the issues anglers face using a lighter bobbin. The Slimlites can be used without the arms if you wish. 

The head has a Dual Function Line Clip which allows the bobbin to be free running or semi-fixed to aid the user when using a slack line, with 3g, 5g and 10g quick change weights available. The bobbins are available in all the colours Delkim do, so you can colour-coordinate them to your alarms, keeping your setup looking as good as possible.