protecting decoys

[hillmann]

Two weeks ago I was netting whitefish( Simular to spearing but replace the spear with a net). Things were real slow so we droped in a whitefish decoy that I had made last year (first time ever in the water other than the bathtub) to try and get them to swim closer. It was just a couple inches below the ice when a large (30inches?, double the lingth of deycoy and then some) jumped out of the weeds and nailed it.  The decoy was never made for this so two fins were pullde out and the attatchment point for the line was ripped out. I pulled the net as fast as I could and cought the decoy before it drifted out of range.
My question is do you just build your decoys so they are less fragle or is it uncommon for a northern to hit them that hard?

[BuschWhacker]

  It's not uncommon at all for a northern, large or small, to smash the deke, or even try to swim off with it.  I've haven't had one knock the fins off or pull the screw eye yet, but most of the ones in my box have teeth marks on them.
  The front fins on my dekes insert into the hollow for the lead weighting, so they'd be pretty tough to knock out once they're set in the lead.  The rear fins are epoxied in.  Eventually the epoxy wears out and a fin will pull free, but usually it seems the fin will break off from metal fatigue from being bent and slammed around before the epoxy fails.  Many of my everyday dekes are 15+ years old and still going strong, in spite of the teeth marks

[rezeye]

you must build a coat of steel armor to protect them from the mighty pike

[PikeSticker]

I build mine with the ability to withstand a head-on collision with the side of the spear hole at 30 mph. No air bag needed. My front and rear fins extend through the decoy to each side. Belly lead secures the front fin and if needed a tiny finishing nail secures the back fin as well as one for the metal tail. I use the longest thread on a screw eye that I can find and with the most aggressive size thread to hold up under the stress of a 20 pounder running off with it.

I'm more concerned about protecting them from each other in the decoy box as there are about 15 or 20 in there on any given trip with lots of sharp edged metal tails and fins to scratch my paint jobs. I use a half inch layer of foam in the bottom of the plastic box (Plano utility box) and a layer of foam and bubble wrap on top to take up the remaining space to prevent rattling around during transport. I've got one eBay store bought decoy that I wrap individually in bubble wrap at least for now until it gets "weathered" and broke in. 

[BuschWhacker]

you must build a coat of steel armor to protect them from the mighty pike

"I've cut your bloody fin off!"
"No you 'aven't...!"
"Yes I have!.."
" 'Tis merely a flesh wound!!"

[darkhousefisher]

you must build a coat of steel armor to protect them from the mighty pike

 

[Uncle Al]

Put socks on them. When the wife finds a single sock in the dryer, tell her "Thanks" and put a deke in it, and put it in the box.

[nin akawawa]

Ive made a few decoys with different types of wood and cedar is way better at standing up to water and the elements than say like bass wood.  The paint does not chip and break away from swelling as much.  The cedar is harder to make your decoy pretty but we are not out here for a beauty contest.......

[hkdup]

throw a rib bone down the hole so you have a decoy for your decoy if that dont work call rezeye and miss spears they'll take care of mr pike for ya

[rezeye]

I protect them with my spear

[hillmann]

I protect them with my spear

If I try that I loose my hunting and fishing privlages for 5 years and a $1500 fine.  I don't think the decoy is that valuable.

[rezeye]

If I try that I loose my hunting and fishing privlages for 5 years and a $1500 fine.  I don't think the decoy is that valuable.

this is the spearing section is it not

[hillmann]

You are right. Why don't you come down here and show me how to protect my decoy with a spear and I will watch out for the warden.

Seriously though, the only place in Wisconsin it is legal to spear northern is on Lake Superior.  I have a friend talked into going with me on a day trip some time this winter, but he is going to become a dad agen any day now so I don't think the trip will happen.

[stephensonswille]

It sucks that wisconsin doesn't allow spearing because with that law it makes it illegal to spear on the menominee river because it is boundry waters

[Higgins]

I use a half inch layer of foam in the bottom of the plastic box (Plano utility box) and a layer of foam and bubble wrap on top to take up the remaining space to prevent rattling around during transport. I've got one eBay store bought decoy that I wrap individually in bubble wrap at least for now until it gets "weathered" and broke in. 

Ha Ha I thought I was the only one protecting my decoys..........I made a small suit case into my Decoy box with foam laid into it and then I cut out insert spots for my dekes to lay in.

My question is do you just build your decoys so they are less fragle or is it uncommon for a northern to hit them that hard?

My Decoys are built very strong with Cedar lead and epoxy but that's not enough, I also rigged up a "fishing reel" in my permanent spearing shack that will raise and lower my dekes into the hole and I also like my rig because if a pike does try to take off with my decoy the drag on the reel will kick in and then if need be I can fight with the pike and get my deke back

[rezeye]

You are right. Why don't you come down here and show me how to protect my decoy with a spear and I will watch out for the warden.

Seriously though, the only place in Wisconsin it is legal to spear northern is on Lake Superior.  I have a friend talked into going with me on a day trip some time this winter, but he is going to become a dad agen any day now so I don't think the trip will happen.

the anti spearing law sucks but tell your friend congratulations and that he should celebrate his new born with a trophy 50" pike speared out of Lake Superior I flew over that lake in a PB4Y-2 Privateer fire bomber back in 1999 or 2000 to drop on a fire in michigan from hibbing minnesota took us eight hours turn around for one drop

[hillmann]

I will have to tell him that would be a great way to celebrate.

It looks like I built my decoy much weaker than you guys. carved from basswood and the fins are only held in with enamal paint for glue.  But keep in mind that it was not intended to be used for pike.  I only got the idea of going spearing after i made the decoy and I realized that I now have everything I need for spearing except the spear and I could make one of them in and afternoon(I think).