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Texas style rigs/ HOW TO GUIDE

19K views 31 replies 18 participants last post by  2500hdon37s 
#1 ·
A few members have asked me how I am able to make my texas rigs so cheap! so I figured I'd let the cat outa the bag and post up!

(EDIT- My most recent setup and how-to is at the Bottom of this page)

I have all my 3 doz duck decoys rigged like this and I've spent less than $30! (had some of the weights all ready.)
here is what you'll need to do it-
Tools-
good st of vise-grips (i prefur the large ones)
and a good sharp knife (I prefur my razor like Kershaw)
Matrials- (per doz.)
12 4oz egg sinkers @$0.35 each. (local tackle shop is where i get mine)
1 pack of 24 GHG cord crimps @ $2.99 (from Roger's)
200ft of Tangle Free brand line @$12 (does 4doz decoys with 4ft lines, all mine are 4ft. so $3 a doz.)
so lets do some math! .35*12= 4.2 (without tax)
$4.20 + $3= $7.20, $7.20 + $3= $10.20!

I also use some misc. carabiners that I had laying around the house and I put a doz on each one.
and I have also found the TangleFree line for less than $10 at MidwayUSA! so less than $10 a doz if you shop around! :thumbsup:

and here is how I do it.
First I make about a 1- 1.25in loop in the line and get that crimped.
Then I slide the loose end of the line through the decoy's line hole.
and then I attach the weight by sliding on the crimp. weight then crimp it to seal up the deal!

I like setting them up like this, as you can pick up the decoy and put the loop on your carabiner with out getting your hands wet!

this is how it looks once done!
(make sure the loop can be pulled through the hole)


and the weight-
 
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#2 ·
I've also found that if you have a lead pot and a 4oz egg sinker mold you can trim about $4 off the cost if you already have the lead! my brother bought a pot and mold to make him self some river fishing weights, so I barrowed it to do some decoy weights, as I just bought another doz. GHG mallards!
 
#5 ·
lamboicon said:
thanks for the right up. can I ask how strong the tanglefree line is. I had some line that looked like that and it would pop under a little bit of presser.
I have found tanglefree line to be one of the strongest pvc lines out there. it streches some but with my 2 hands I can't break it by trying to pull it apart.

i used red head pvc decoy line my fist try at this rigging, not only is it very stiff, its very brittle! I lost 2 weights my first hunt, and another weight on the 2nd hunt and thats when I switched to tanglefree line, and havent lost a weight yet!
 
#11 ·
2500hdon37s said:
duck501 said:
Were did u find the egg sinkers been looking around cand find any for less then $1
a local tackle shop has them for that price, and recently we just started molding our own with free lead from tire shops
Where did you find a good mold?? Been looking but can come up with anything.. most that i find that are over 6oz only have 2 molds!!!!!!!!!! I aint making 2 wieghts at a time :no:
 
#12 ·
I actually got my molds when I was on a trip up north (what we call our man trip) and we stopped at a gander mountain and they had tons of molds on clearance for $10! :eek: I just got the one that does a single 2, 4, and 6oz at a time because we do a lot of river fishing and in lakes/ ponds for cats as well so we just make a bunch up at once. still have to drill out the hole in the 6oz'ers if you run PVC cord, wouldnt with 400lb mono.
 
#13 ·
2500hdon37s said:
I actually got my molds when I was on a trip up north (what we call our man trip) and we stopped at a gander mountain and they had tons of molds on clearance for $10! :eek: I just got the one that does a single 2, 4, and 6oz at a time because we do a lot of river fishing and in lakes/ ponds for cats as well so we just make a bunch up at once. still have to drill out the hole in the 6oz'ers if you run PVC cord, wouldnt with 400lb mono.
I would still suggest that you do I made up 9 dozen and took to the rice fields last year that damn GUMBO mud really put alot of grit in them and didnt slide well after a couple hunts. The red clay here NC is not as bad but that shiot yall have out there ant dirt it is just concrete waiting to happen. :lol3: :lol3: :lol3: :lol3:
 
#17 ·
duck501 said:
Were did u find the egg sinkers been looking around cand find any for less then $1
I do not agree with the title. $11 for you, but not everyone else who doesn't have a mold or the resources to mold. The egg sinkers are not cheap and the bait shop you bought them from might have been on clearnace.

@Duck 501. The best place that I could find for sinkers was http://www.halessinkersupply.com/servlet/StoreFront. His shipping is based of weight only and not price.

but I originally bought 5oz sinkers from a tackle shop, and I just remolded them into 4oz egg weights.
 
#18 ·
I had a few of the pvc lines break on me and when hung up between hunts the lines were streched about 4-6in and that was just too deep for me and I was tired of having to shorten the cord and clip it on every decoy so I ordered the 400lb mono kit from SNLcorp and got some larger off shore clip swivels!

I mark 6 1/2in of line out- (makes the loop the same size as a Mojo texas rig, and im anal about all my lines being uniform)


then put on crimp and crimp it with side cutters of some pliers, I find this to hold better than just smashing the crimp



slide the line through the swivel on the decoy! (NOTE- THIS IS A CRITICAL STEP!!! :lol3: )


then mark your desired line length from crimp to crimp (again mine match the Mojo 36" texas rig system), and slide on crimp and weight (I am using 4oz weights ) then slide line back through crimp and snug up the line, then crimp and trim off exccess


should come out like this-
 
#21 ·
Just curious because I'm getting ready to make my own rigs too.

Wouldn't it be beneficial for people hunting tidal areas or areas with strong currents to use a pyramid weight since it won't roll?

I'm sure there are lots of different ways it could be done, just looking for ways people have been successful previously.
 
#24 ·
I use these too. They are awesome and saves a lot of time. I have 6,8,10,12 oz. Depending on where we hunt I grab a different set. I have clips on all of mine so I can remove the decoys if needed. If you guys need some sinkers I can make some up. I would just like to make a lot at one time. It's kinda of a pain in the butt but well worth using. You will not have tangled decoys at 5am any more :grooving:
 
#26 ·
a metal muffin tray can be used for making weights better still if you can find one of the older ones for pastry fingers sort of a half cylinder about 3 inches long. pour lead into them and put a fencing staple in them before they set or better still before you pour if you can keep them upright. wire works fine to.
 
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