Thump up the stripers

The Thumper brings them to your baits

The striper bite is still going strong this month on the Santee Cooper lakes, and anglers can catch them with multiple methods.

Capt. Joe Dennis of Captain J Hook Charters (843-245-3762) said this time of year, a strong tactic that’s often overlooked is thumping in the dark.

“Striper anglers use a number of methods to attract fish, including thumping the bottom of their boat with a pool cue or cane,” he said. “I use a Thumper from Thump ‘Em Up Fishing, which is a lot easier to use. You just set it and forget it. The Thumper does all the work, so your hands are free to fish.”

The Thumper (www.thumpemupfishing.com) has a number of settings, allowing anglers to change how quickly the device thumps.

“When it’s dark, I like to set it on a slow pace,” he said. “And as the sun comes up, I’ll get it going a little faster. But you can adjust it depending on how well the fish are responding.”

Dennis became a believer in the Thumper years ago when he was fishing near another angler that was having more luck than he was.

“I kept hearing something thumping on his boat, but he wasn’t holding anything with his hands. And he was catching more fish than I was,” he said.

Skeptics are quickly converted when they see the Thumper in action.

FISH SHOW UP

“You can see how effective it is just by looking at your depthfinder’s screen,” he said. “Once you turn the Thumper on, it only takes a minute, sometimes less, to see fish appearing on the screen below your boat.”

Dennis said this month, anglers can catch their share of stripers in the flats using live blueback herring and cut river herring. But he prefers to fish in 35 to 45 feet of water, mainly on the lower lake, and he likes to start super early.

“This time of year, I like to get on the water by 4 a.m.,” he said. “That’s when I find the stripers are most active.” 

Once on the water, it’s just a matter of finding the right depth, setting his trolling motor on anchor mode, then dropping live herring straight down on a Carolina rig with a No. 3 or No. 4 circle hook.

“With the Thumper turned on, I watch the screen of my depthfinder, and that shows me what depth the biggest concentration of stripers are holding,” he said.

ADJUST AS NECESSARY

He has his anglers drop their baits to the right depth, close the bail, then wait. He said anglers can either put their rod in a rod holder, or hold the rod themselves.

“We’re using circle hooks, so the rod holder does a good job, but it’s more fun for anglers to hold the rod,” he said. “That allows them to really feel the bite.”

He said when stripers hit, it’s usually a pretty strong bite and they hook themselves. And once hooked up, Dennis said there’s no reason for anglers to get in a hurry.

“You want to keep a bend in the rod and just let the fish wear themselves out. Drop the rod tip slowly and steadily as you reel, and always keep a bend in the rod,” he said.

“If the fish starts pulling drag, let it run, but keep that rod bent. The drag and the rod together will tire the fish out.”

Keeping the Thumper going, and adjusting the pace of it depending on how the stripers are reacting, this style of fishing can remain steady. If you’re seeing fewer and fewer fish on your depthfinder’s screen, Dennis said moving to another area is a good idea.

“You usually don’t have to move far,” he said. “Just use the trolling motor to move within the same general location. As long as you’re staying in the right depth, you should find more fish quickly.”■