|
Ice fishing decoys
|
08-30-2003, 03:36 PM
I been viewing all the ice fishing decoys online at ebay . Has anyone ever tried a fish decoy while ice fishing and any tips on how to use them . Some of them are quite the art work . Do they attract the species that it is created after ? Like a bass decoy is for attracting bass . Can you tell I'm itching for some hard water . LOL
[signature] 
08-30-2003, 08:11 PM
I have no idea how well they might work in Utah, but they are used to lure predatory pike under large holes where they are legally speared in the upper midwest. During the last weeks of winter, the pike move into shallow bays, prior to spawning right after ice out. Some states allow spearing and that is what the decoys are for...to get them into range. This is usually done from within a darkened shanty, and they drop crushed egg shells or some other light material to make a light surface on the bottom...to make the pike more visible. They also get the odd lake sturgeon once in a while too. I suppose you would have your hands (and shanty) full if you hoisted a lively sturgeon or big pike up while they were still agitated.
I once had a guy tell me that he considered hunting elephants...until he saw the size of the decoys. [signature]
08-30-2003, 08:49 PM
Yea , I hate to pack some decoys for elephants . LOL . I was thinking of muskies thru the ice but maybe I need to put a hook on them decoys . They had quite a few at ebay and I remember someone talking about them before and I thought it was this forum but couldn't find anything . Thanks for the info and laugh .
[signature]
08-30-2003, 09:18 PM
[cool]Some of the new stuff is too pretty to use...like a lot of the new lures with the fancy finishes. And, just like lures, the old hand carved decoys have some collector value...especially in the areas where they are used and appreciated.
When you think about it, a lot of us use "decoys" when ice fishing...by putting a small Kastmaster or other spoon up from the ice fly and waxworm. The jiggling and flashing bring the fish in, and the flavered jig seals the deal. I fish tandem rigs a lot, both in open water and under the ice. An especially effective combo is a Rapala on the end of the line, with a fly on a dropper a couple of feet up. Some fish take the fly...away from the small fish chasing it. Bigger fish hit the Rapala, thinking it is distracted while chasing a fly. It's the reason why "pop gear" or dodgers work when trolling. Very few fish are going to want a piece of the hardware, but they are attracted by the commotion...and munch the intended bait or lure. That elephant decoy thing might not mean much to a lot of jump hunters or flyway blasters. But, as a kid, I paid my dues for a spot in the blind by trudging and setting decoys for ducks. I got a hernia and a heart attack just messing with duck decoys. The thought of elephant sized dekes is beyond comprehension. HO HO HO. If you are thinking of going after tigers through the ice, good luck. I do not believe I have heard of anyone who deliberately targeted tigers who scored through the ice. On the other hand, I have heard several stories of someone with a small rod, wimpy line and a teensie jig that hooked up with old snaggletooth. Some hard water tigers have even been pulled through the holes, if hooked lightly in the lip. Most either chew through light line or break off...especially if they start playing ring around the ice hole. I strongly suspect that a high percentage of the muskies hooked on such tackle did not go after the mini lures...but the perch or other small fish that had been hooked already. That was definitely the case with one ice caught tiger a couple of winters ago. I saw the pic of the tail of the perch sticking out the muskie's mouth...the dorsal spines effectively acting as barbs on the "lure" (live perch) to keep the littler fish from pulling free during the tussle. It is tough enough to get a musky to bite on a big lure even when they are the most active. Fooling one beneath the ice would be an accomplishment indeed. [signature]
08-30-2003, 09:33 PM
[cool]I dug up a couple of interesting links.
[url "http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/ice-fishing/darkhouse-spearing.php"]http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/ice-fishing/darkhouse-spearing.php[/url] [url "http://www.koberdecoys.com/ice-fishing.html"]http://www.koberdecoys.com/ice-fishing.html[/url] [url "http://www.fishdecoy.com/Wisconson.html"]http://www.fishdecoy.com/Wisconson.html[/url] [url "http://www.pheasantcountry.com/news/Story.cfm?ID=164"]http://www.pheasantcountry.com/news/Story.cfm?ID=164[/url] [signature]
08-31-2003, 01:19 AM
You are right , some of those decoys are painted well and I can't see someone using it on the ice .
I've seen people up at Strawberry using a big dodger above there small ice fly . I didn't see them hook up but I bet they got some looks under the ice and above . I'll always be going for the perch at Pineview and while I 'm there I'll be jigging for a muskie with my other arm . This summer I been scouting out spots that might be good in the hard water . If the water ever rises . I know it a long shot but hey it's fishin' . LOL Thanks [signature]
09-01-2003, 02:58 AM
Perch decoy was a bust for me. I got one 4 years ago thinking I could drop it down a hole and fish next to it no luck,too much hassle and my catch rate went down. I thought perch were a schooling fish if they saw the decoy they would hang around! not for me. I also tried to catch tigers. used it on about 5 trips. I do have access to more shapes and sizes. [signature]
09-02-2003, 07:22 AM
Just as Tube Dude said, the decoys are for folks spearing northern pike through large holes in darkhouses. We ran 36 of these when I was a kid in Minnesota, moving a non-producing house each week day, more on weekends. Using a chainsaw when the ice depth allowed (we only had a 20 inch bar) we opened the 2x3' holes and removed the loose ice. Each morning before school and each evening before bed we chipped the ice out of each house and used a net to scoop it out of the hole. Best time of my life: we got to ride snowmobiles! Many fishermen used live sucker minnows, up to 12" long, in harnesses or used the decoys suspended from a nail in the shack's ceiling. The dekes had to be moved every once in a while and there was an art to bending the metal tail just so to create a circular movement. A cast iron 7-9 tine spear was also suspended barely in the water waiting for the entry of a nort. Funny how TD knew about the egg shells as one would have to travel far and wide to learn of those being used. How did that happen? One would count how many were visible and when one or more was missing there had to be a fish sneaking into view.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Kevin [signature] |
|
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
|
