Rigging them up?

[Phoneguy]

I just received my first set of decoys. I got a dozen GreenHead Gear Hot Buy Mallards.

So how do I rig them up. Can I use braided line or should I use some kind of shock cord.....and how long? Also anchors. Can I just use some kind of fishing weight (how heavy) or should I get something special.

If anyone can point me to a tutorial I would appreciate it!

Thanks
James

[kyleklassen]

use braided cord, fishing line will break when ya chuck 'em and the weight comes tight. weights depend on where your huntin' you can use anything but something that wraps around the neck or keel are best. preferably the keel to avoid paint damage. pencil lead works good. but valve springs ,sparkplugs ,wheel weights thick wall steel pipe cut into sections. a few links of chain, fishin weights, bunch of nuts and bolts all work to. old kitchen sink will work too.

[sneg]

I got some hot buys as well in my spread. I use braided/polyester thin lines ( does not rot). Use lead fishing weigth 1 1/2 oz . Odd shape is better for anchoring. It hold great in marsh with ever changing current,even with small floating ice. I attach line to each decoy. This allow to make decoy pattern set up any shape I wish.Small issue was to make sure that line does not unwind during transportation. That overcomed with addition of rubber anchor lead, I have got from Cabellas. Works fine. Unfortunately rubber is not strong enough if anchor catch up something on bottom.Also wet rubber damages quickly under freeze.Length depends were you wanna hunt. For BB you'll need 1-1.5 m. For WH marsh you'll need longer, 2-3 m. If you set up your decoys inside channel than you need even longer. Length would not hurt, extra few feet would allow for your decoys to wonder around with breeze.Too long cord will be difficult to set up,as if current change decoys can tangle together.Good luck.

[f350ps]

I get my line from Pacific Net or Redden Net in Steveston. I put 16' on each decoy with 6 oz. weights. I prefer to have longer lines that way you're good for most places. K

[branthunter]

I get my line from Pacific Net or Redden Net in Steveston. I put 16' on each decoy with 6 oz. weights. I prefer to have longer lines that way you're good for most places. K

I've got 10-15' lines on a lot of my duck decoys too ( and about a dozen with just 3'lines )---if hunting in shallower water I just leave some of the longer lines wrapped on the decoy (I use a figure-8 wrap--that lets me just unwrap the line to the depth I need, take a turn on the neck, and toss'em ). For hunting the ditches I use 5-8 dekes on longlines ( with the longline wrapped around-and-around the body for easier deployment) and with a tail line to keep them from swinging with the tide and I set the shorter single lines along the shallower edges. All the weights I made myself using a cupcake/muffin tin hi-jacked from the kitchen, melted down downrigger balls and heavy gauge copper/brass/SS wire. (3-4 oz. for singles, much heavier for the longlines). For lines I use the heaviest gauge green braided line from Nikka in Richmond----too thin is too rough on the hands. Every time you cut the line make sure you fuse the cut ends---us a propane torch or one of the new butane firestarter sticks---or you'll end up with a bunch of fuzzy ends full of mud .

[The 'Hummer']

On a lighter note. A number of years back, my buddy & I headed to AB for Pheasants & Ducks. Like all of our trips there, very successful, and memorable. Keeping in mind, the only thing in life he is serious about is Duck hunting and setting out decoys, the mistake he made is in asking me to help him set out & arrange the decoy display. Mistake #1. I happened to bring one of my daughters 'bright' bath tub ducks and accidently dropped it amongst the decoys. After the 1st half hour of Ducks coming in and veering off when he checked the decoys........... I thought I may have to hitchhike home.

[Phoneguy]

I just made a bunch of muffin tin weights from pellet gun ammo from the range. 4 weights about a half inch deep weigh 4 lbs, so one lb each. I think they are to heavy. Should I keep them and just cast some smaller ones too, or are they really to heavy. I am thinking 12 lbs of lead as well as decoys, shotguns, ammo, etc would be a heavy haul out!

[kyleklassen]

get hacksaw and shave them down a little. if your hunting rivers or offshore put a couple together.

[branthunter]

I just made a bunch of muffin tin weights from pellet gun ammo from the range. 4 weights about a half inch deep weigh 4 lbs, so one lb each. I think they are to heavy. Should I keep them and just cast some smaller ones too, or are they really to heavy. I am thinking 12 lbs of lead as well as decoys, shotguns, ammo, etc would be a heavy haul out!

Those bigger ones should do good for long line weights. I'd get a smaller muffin pan for your single duck weights. The one I used was about the diameter of a loonie and I poured the lead about 1/2" deep. The nicest weights I've ever seen were some I got from f350ps that came with some snow goose decoys I bought from him years ago. They were a square sided cone shape with all the edges rounded off and probably weigh about 4-5 oz. each. Others I've seen are a perfect cone shape about 1" to1 1/4" deep from point to top and the diameter of a loonie across the top.

[Phoneguy]

Dollar store has some stainless steel shotglass sized ....cups. Those would probably work?