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How to rig decoys for depth ?

7K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Elvis Kiwi 
#1 ·
Dumb question but I've never set decoys myself. I always hunted with others who did the setup. how do you adjust the anchor line on decoys for different water depth?
 
#2 ·
Totally depends on your set up. If you only hunt 3 feet and shallower then Texas right em at 4 foot drops and toss them out. If you hunt variable depths then set the decoys up with lines 3 feet longer than your deepest water depth and use bungees, shock cords, etc and keel grabber weights and just reel out the length you need and make a hitch over the front of the keel with the line. If you hunt really deep water or divers run them on longlines with multiple decoys and anchor lines.
 
#3 ·
Dark Swamp said:
I always hunted with others who did the setup.
I love these types. And, the ones that sit in the truck smoking while it's 10* with a windchill of 0 blowing 20 m.p.h. Ha! Can't get enough. I don't know you, so nothing personal.

Scaup is correct. Or, you can use line clamps and adjust on the fly. More work, but then you are not retying depending on location.
 
#4 ·
I don't think it's necessary to adjust. I have depth adjuster crimps on a few dzn, and never adjust.

Use decoy line that sinks, and know that if you're hunting with a current, the decoy will run a bit further back than where you throw it.

If you're in still water, and the decoy line sinks, you shouldn't have issues with tangles.
 
#6 ·
KillerKowalski said:
Hunting depths from 3' to 22' what other options are you using?
My extremes are are not that drastic, but if they were I guess I'd be extra lazy and have separate spreads. :grin:

The crimp that I have would leave a ridiculous amount of slack on one side if I was hunting 3' of water with a 22' line.

What difference would it make if the excess was slack or just a long line? If excess line is a concern, I think the bungees would be the way to go.

I have 6-8' lines and hunt about 1' up to 6' deep without adjusting.

Without knowing the OP's hunting spot/situation, I/we could be steering him in the wrong direction...
 
#7 ·
Line depth depends on several things; the amount of force trying to pull the decoy, type of anchor, type of bottom.

If I am in a protected area with little wind, I prefer a line length no more than 6" more than water depth. This keeps the decoys from bumping and lines from tangling.

The more wind, the longer the line length. Twice or three times water depth may be right.
The less the anchor can grab on the bottom, the longer the line. A mushroom or grapple on a sandy, soft mud, or weedy bottom won't require the line length that a torpedo on a rock or hard mud bottom will.

River currents require a longer line (or a heavier anchor). You can go with super-short lines if you have very heavy anchors.
I prefer lighter anchors; custom made mushrooms of 3 oz or so. Anchor line is a lot lighter than anchors, so I go light on the anchors and long on the lines.
I like the adjustable lines, and have most of my decoys rigged that way.
 
#9 ·
Feelin' Fowl said:
KillerKowalski said:
Hunting depths from 3' to 22' what other options are you using?
My extremes are are not that drastic, but if they were I guess I'd be extra lazy and have separate spreads.
:lol3: If it was only that easy. I get the line "you have enough decoys already!"

Send me a PM if you are thinking about Early Season. If so, I have to bring the trailer back home.
 
#10 ·
KillerKowalski said:
Feelin' Fowl said:
KillerKowalski said:
Hunting depths from 3' to 22' what other options are you using?
My extremes are are not that drastic, but if they were I guess I'd be extra lazy and have separate spreads.
:lol3: If it was only that easy. I get the line "you have enough decoys already!"
:lol: I surely don't, but I would try to make things happen! :lol:
 
#13 ·
we have a line of about a yard on each decoy with a snap swivel on it
weights have a loop on them
shallow water clip decoy direct to weight
deep water...we have up to 30' at times we use 10-20lb fishing nylon with simple overhand knot on doubled up line to form loop at each end clip one on and thread through and over the weight. end of day all nylon goes in bag and gets burnt at home.
we have a heap of commercial long line that we may end up using this year as bottom is at about a 45 degree angle and weights shift.
 
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