where to buy?

[bth]

I am looking to add a couple of wood decoys for this season and was wondering where i might b able to pick some up?  Looked at the local bait store they didn't have to many wood ones allot of plastic which i wasn't impressed with.  The on-line ones i have found seem to b mostly collectible which i am not really interested in right now.  Looking for a perch and maybe a shiner? 


Thanks for any help.
Bth

[StabinCabin]

www.darkhousespearings upply.com

[shadykiller]

u can go to fishdecoys.net and find people that make them. i have some from Jason Trout. they are very nice. not sure the price it was a gift and a guy they call buzz Duane Turnock He is in goshen Indiana. Does a realy good job And very fair price. he will make them bout any size u want.

[akwawe]

They have a list of carvers under the links section on the mndarkhouse.org website, they also list up coming shows where you can buy them.

[Higgins]

3 reasons I have never bought one 1. most are costly 2. I like the big decoys ones over 10" and not too many of them at a good price 3. I'm worried that they will not swim well cause I know the wooden ones all swim different depending on many different variables and what if the maker cares more about looks than function

I made my own (less than $3.00 a decoy to make) and they are not very pretty but the pike seem to love them, here is how I learned http://midarkhouse.org/articles/holmes_buildingafishdecoy.html

They are not hard to make (the balancing of the weight is the hardest part) but they are pretty time consuming

[stephensonswille]

Own most of the BearCreek decoys available and have had great success with them. But had to try and carve my own a few years ago and the feeling of spearing one with your own creation is that much better.

[bth]

Thanks for all the great info.  With no ice maybe i will try and start carving one.  Maybe it will keep my mind off this crazy weather

[kasilofchrisn]

One thing I have done in the past is to buy some cheap Lakco decoys such as these:
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/LAKCO-8-Wood-Spearing-Decoy.aspx?a=914558&pm2d=CSE-SPG-3-GOOGLE&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse

I got mine a few years ago at a sportsman's warehouse for @ $8-$10. I bought the white ones and then repainted them to match what I was looking for.
The lake I was spearing in had some Arctic char in it so I painted one to match. They did swim nice and the metal fins offered good adjustment to get the swimming action I wanted.

[jasonmichalski]

carve your own its more fun. Heres one I just did for a good friend.
It's about 6" long and it's decoy #12 as I just started last spring carving.

PC221138 by jasonmichalski, on Flickr

PC221130 by jasonmichalski, on Flickr

PC221131 by jasonmichalski, on Flickr

PC221129 by jasonmichalski, on Flickr

PC221144 by jasonmichalski, on Flickr

PC221145 by jasonmichalski, on Flickr

[PikeSticker]

I am looking to add a couple of wood decoys for this season and was wondering where i might b able to pick some up?  Looked at the local bait store they didn't have to many wood ones allot of plastic which i wasn't impressed with.  The on-line ones i have found seem to b mostly collectible which i am not really interested in right now.  Looking for a perch and maybe a shiner?

For a good start you could buy a handful of Lako Wooden decoys in 6" and 8" versions and several color patterns, including a primer finished one for painting your own pattern. (I use cheap water-based acrylic paints, then dip the whole decoy in a quart can of Spar Varnish when its completely finished for a 100% waterproof seal.) $7.99 each, either size. You could paint over any of them to colors of your own experimentation. Even do some whittling on them to add a different shape or scale/texture pattern for practice.  They will give you a very good idea of how simple it is to make your own and how and where to add the lead and fins for a good balanced decoy. And I can guarantee that on any given day one of these may perform just as well as a $100 deek by a famous carver.
Here is the website (TackleTheOutdoors.com) and the page listing the deeks. http://www.tackletheoutdoors.com/TackleStore/IceFishing/tabid/67/CategoryID/3/List/0/catpageindex/3/Level/a/ProductID/372/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName
I've got a number of these, plus have a box full of homemade ones and even bit the bullet on a $50 sucker on eBay by a very talented carver. They all bring in fish at some time or another. And some days I'll run through two dozen deeks looking for that magic bullet.

I just came across these guys (the TackleTheOutdoors.com website) as I was searching for someone selling the Lakos.  Here is the beginning page of their extensive ice fishing and spearing catalog of gear.
http://www.tackletheoutdoors.com/TackleStore/IceFishing/tabid/67/CategoryID/3/List/0/Level/a/catpageindex/1/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName
Sportsmans Warehouse in Anchorage, AK was carrying wooden Lakos a few years ago but don't know if they do any more. If you have a SW nearby you might check with them too.

(EDIT: Dang Chris...didn't mean to try and UPSTAGE your post. I skimmed right down the thread and completely missed your post on the LAKCOS.  I guess we "think as like minds." )

[StabinCabin]

They sell them at gander mountain bought some last year really cheap pain job all paint chiped  and the decoy had split never buy them again.

[kasilofchrisn]

For a good start you could buy a handful of Lako Wooden decoys in 6" and 8" versions and several color patterns, including a primer finished one for painting your own pattern. (I use cheap water-based acrylic paints, then dip the whole decoy in a quart can of Spar Varnish when its completely finished for a 100% waterproof seal.) $7.99 each, either size. You could paint over any of them to colors of your own experimentation. Even do some whittling on them to add a different shape or scale/texture pattern for practice.  They will give you a very good idea of how simple it is to make your own and how and where to add the lead and fins for a good balanced decoy. And I can guarantee that on any given day one of these may perform just as well as a $100 deek by a famous carver.
Here is the website (TackleTheOutdoors.com) and the page listing the deeks. http://www.tackletheoutdoors.com/TackleStore/IceFishing/tabid/67/CategoryID/3/List/0/catpageindex/3/Level/a/ProductID/372/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName
I've got a number of these, plus have a box full of homemade ones and even bit the bullet on a $50 sucker on eBay by a very talented carver. They all bring in fish at some time or another. And some days I'll run through two dozen deeks looking for that magic bullet.

I just came across these guys (the TackleTheOutdoors.com website) as I was searching for someone selling the Lakos.  Here is the beginning page of their extensive ice fishing and spearing catalog of gear.
http://www.tackletheoutdoors.com/TackleStore/IceFishing/tabid/67/CategoryID/3/List/0/Level/a/catpageindex/1/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName
Sportsmans Warehouse in Anchorage, AK was carrying wooden Lakos a few years ago but don't know if they do any more. If you have a SW nearby you might check with them too.

(EDIT: Dang Chris...didn't mean to try and UPSTAGE your post. I skimmed right down the thread and completely missed your post on the LAKCOS.  I guess we "think as like minds." )

No problem pikesticker. Yeah I got mine at Sportsmans in Anchorage as well.
I tried the bear creek plastic ones trustworthy was selling and I don't think I will ever buy another. They are water weighted and the water froze and cracked the one I bought. It was always a pain to shake all the water out afterwards as they have a very small hole in them where it fills and drains and I literally had to shake it like crazy to get all the water out each time.
The lackos aren't too bad they have adjustable fins and are easily modified/painted.

[spearingMN]

I like dueys only ones i use they will do what ever you want them to do. Plastic deeks seem to be a joke at least where im spearing at.