Carp Knocking on My Boat

[Tam]

I haven't slept for days. Finally learned that the constant knocking at the bottom of my boat are carp. To all fresh water boaters - HOW DO I MAKE IT STOP!?

[SabreKai]

According to my Dads' old war stories, hand grenades work pretty well.

[Still Hopefull]

Hook 'em and cook 'em.

[anjou]

Dont keep carping on about it.

Some might say a bottle of bleach keeps em away but that would be cruel and irresponsible

[rtbates]

They're mating, so not much will get their attention other than a club..

The trashing is the male depositing his sperm.. Good luck making them stop!

[Tam]

At least I'm not crawling around like a madwoman anymore with my ear to the floor and tearing apart compartments trying to find out what the sound is. The river bottom has shifted with this year's flooding and last month I ran aground twice so I was panicked that I had structural damage and everytime there was tension on my lines I thought the knocking was my boat popping and creaking about to split in two. I thought after I learned what it was I'd be able to sleep through it but no. Someone told me the carp are eating the aglae off the bottom but I'm meticulous with my anti-fouling paint and apply 2-3 fresh coats every spring. Someone else told me it's the female carp slamming against the bottom to dislodge their eggs. This is the first season I've had this problem. I packed it up and went home, probably for the remainder of the season. It's not so bad during the day but in the deep night when I'm out there alone (especially during the week when the others in the marina have gone home for the week) it has the exact opposite effect of spending time alone with your boat.

[zeehag]

i have pet fish here in mazatlan.. they do eat some of the stuff off the bottom of the boat and they love cat food. knock 3 times on the hull and they come up to see if there is food...bubba daboatkat watches em....i have snapper, catfish and blow fish and mojarra.... is kind of nice.

[David M]

It's Carp Code. Learn the code and knock back.

[lorenzo b]

Make a video and soundtrack of the wild carp mating and market it to the endless supply of stoned econuts and fishhuggers. It worked for the Humpback whales.
God knows how many blissful hours I spent in my youth listening to that record.

[Tam]

After reading the exhaustive thread on flyingthe Jolly Roger I wondered if sticking one under my boat would make them go away.

[zeehag]

lol... do you have a stereo? might be the stereo could cover the sound until you are more used to the company, or until you catch em all, whichever comes first.....

[Tam]

I do have a stereo but I usually sleep with the tv on. I wonder if it's possible the vibration of the tv and air conditioner is actually drawing them to the boat? As I said, I've been there for a long time and this is the first time this has ever happened. A few months ago I would hear just the occasional tap tap. But recently it's literally 24 hours a day in 4,5,6.. places on the boat at once. One night I laid there with my hands over my ears and couldn't stop myself from reciting The Raven in my head at 2 in the morning and just kept freaking myself out even more.

[NeptunesTrident]

If there is any growth on your bottom, (boat), that may be what is attracting them. The constant bump, bump, bump is just carp grabbing a meal. I hear one of those old hand crank military phones will work wonders to.

[SeaHearts]

How funny, we just had the same thing day before yesterday. Spent the morning freaking out trying to locate the source and finally discovered it was either fish or an invisible sea monster! The Captain says he has never had this happen in his 11 years on the boat. We are in salt water, btw.

[Tam]

It sounds insignificant (and I suppose it is) but it's maddening to not know what it is and the constant tapping is like chinese water torture. I should sink some steel drums maybe they'll tap out a nice tune.