One of guide Andrew Tubbs’s tricks is to tap on the deck of his boat with a shovel handle when hybrids and stripers are biting slowly.
Sometimes, tapping on the hull attracts stripers and hybrids to the baits below. The trick is to develop a tapping rhythm that the fish like, which is usually a constant tapping. Imagine an old steam engine such as the one that powered the “African Queen” in the old Humphrey Bogart movie, and you have the right idea.
Changing the location of the tapping also changes the acoustics. The loudest sounds emanate from parts of the hull that are not filled with foam flotation.
It is amazing how often a blank depthfinder screen lights up as hybrids and stripers zoom in to crush bait after tapping begins. However, if it does not work after a few attempts or within an hour or two, the tapping should be stopped. On some days, it does not work. On other days, watching the screen will show that the tapping chases the fish away. But, when nothing is happening, it is always worth a try.
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