Don’t Make So Much Noise!”
by Jack Becker
I grew up in a time when everyone I fished with told me to be careful. Don’t drop anything in the boat. The noise will scare the fish. My, how times have changed.
A few years ago, I fished with a Striper guide that carried a pool cue on his boat. He said tapping on the deck of the boat attracted fish closer to the boat and it kept them under the boat longer. He believed it put off a sound that was close to the sound made by a school of predator fish feeding on baitfish. He said he had been using this method on striped bass, hybrids and white bass for over 20 years. I noticed he had a favorite place on the boat he called a ‘sweet’ spot. He also changed the tempo and how much force he applied to lower the volume of the sound when he saw fish appear on his sonar, and he said it was important to use a quieter sound in shallow water, under 20’ deep. We took turns using the pool cue and it definitely made a difference. This was my first introduction to what he called “thumping,” and it certainly helped us catch a limit of Stripers that day.
The next day I began looking for more information about this so-called ‘thumping’ method of fishing. There was a lot of information available online and most everyone agreed it is most effective with schooling fish like stripers, hybrids and white bass (sometimes called sand bass). I saw several different kinds of “thumpers” online that were battery operated, as well as videos on how to make your own. My fishing partner and I liked the idea of using something that we could just turn on and let it do the work instead of taking turns with a pool cue, so we decided to buy one. I have to admit, I was still a little unsure of what it could do but we would give it a try. We were fishing for Stripers and occasionally Hybrids 2 or 3 times a week. Did we catch more fish? We sure did. When we saw a few fish on our sonar. We would use spot lock and turn on the thumper. We noticed fish would appear under the boat and stay around the boat longer when it was turned on. At times it seemed too loud and fish would leave so we would turn it off. I tried leaving it off at times when I was on spot-lock but we had much better results with it on. We were gradually learning how and when to use it and gaining confidence. Time after time our catch rate kept increasing. We began to wonder what could make it even better. I remembered the guide told me he found a quieter sound was more effective when the fish started appearing under the boat, it kept them there longer, and he liked a quieter sound and slower tempo in shallower water. We thought, “What If? What if we could make one with both speed and volume control plus a hands-free remote control using a radio frequency key fob, not Bluetooth or Wi-Fi?” After several brain storming sessions, the “Mini Thumper” was born. With the Mini Thumper, we wanted to have less moving parts, lighter weight, a volume control and a speed (tempo) control, all in a much smaller and lighter package with a self-contained rechargeable battery. We also wanted to make the unit completely hands-free controllable.
After 7 months, hundreds of hours spent testing on the water, and several design changes, we knew we had something very effective for attracting and keeping our target species, Stripers & Hybrids, under our boat longer. Now we had a device with many features not found in other models that were commercially available.
The first and most important thing to remember when using any fish attracting device is that you need to be around bait, fish, or fish holding structure to catch them. I can remember years ago asking an older fishing friend, who always caught fish while I was struggling, what his secret was to being so successful. He simply replied, “I never caught a fish I wasn’t around.” The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Learn the habits, seasonal patterns and where to find the food source your targeted species is feeding on and you will be successful.
Fish attracting devices are made to bring fish or bait closer to your boat. In many cases under the boat and keep them there longer. I can’t tell you exactly how close you have to be to the fish but we have seen fish 50 to 60 feet below the boat and fish 50 feet to the side and rear of the boat come closer after activating the Mini Thumper. Not knowing how far away they were before they became visible on the screen only leaves us wondering.
We have a 2-part process when using the Mini Thumper. First, we troll while searching for schools of bait or fish (Stripers or Hybrids). When bait or fish show up on sonar, we use spot lock and turn on the Mini Thumper. Before we had spot lock we would anchor or simply drift if there was very little wind. Next, we drop bait on weighted lines, keeping the bait above the fish marks on the screen or if there are no fish, only bait, we drop down to the depth where we saw the bait. Now the second part comes into play. We use one speed (tempo) and volume for no more than a few minutes. If we are not seeing fish on the screen or see fish but they are not active we change the speed and “volume” to see what triggers a bite. There aren’t any set rules. There is a lot trial and error. We repeat this process and we stay on spot lock for no more than 15 or 20 minutes. If the fish are simply inactive for whatever reason we move on.
One thing is for sure. If you keep doing the same thing, and you are not getting bites, you need to change the speed and or the volume, change the Mini Thumper location in the boat, or simply turn it off. Nothing works all the time. By experimenting, you will quickly learn what works for you. We have several guides using one on our local lake and have been getting very positive feedback. Lake Lanier striper guide Greg Distefano said about the mini thumper, “The ability to control the volume, and the 8-function wireless remote make this the best thumper I’ve used.”
A few features that are worth noting about the Mini Thumper are:
• volume & speed control
• compact & lightweight, weighs less than 5 lb. (including battery) and fits in most dry storage compartments, including kayaks
• a single moving part
• 30 + hours of run time on a single charge, using a 5ah battery
• wireless 8 function remote for hands free use, uses a key fob with RF signal.
(Minithumper Pro Model only)
For more information, and to see the Mini Thumper in action please visit our website: www.minithumper.com . If you have any questions, please email them to minithumpers@gmail.com .
