Decoy techniques

[Jdawg sk1]

What depth should the decoy be at nominally ? How much should I jig the decoy ? can you have too many lures in the hole? What kind of line do you use for your decoys ?

I'm planning on heading down to Nelson resevoir this weekend for my first spearing attempt so I'm just getting the last of the things in order and I should be all set . If any Montana folks wanna come and join me out there feel free I'll be the guy with Saskatchewan plates

[Laska]

Depth depends on feet of water your in (fow) and it' widely varies depending on the spear guy, I generally set one decoy 2ft of bottom and the other or live sucker a foot above that in around 12fow or less. The more you jig the deak normally the faster the pike fly in. I generally jig a deak every 10-15min or 5min if it's slow. I run 50lb red braided tip up line and I haven't had a single issue with just a snap swivel. I run 2 deaks max.

I got a buddy out there that has been hearing they are crushing monsters on Nelson lately. I'll be on Montana in that part of the state end of January!

[Jameson]

Something on the bottom, or near it, and something in the middle. So if it's 10 feet of water one that is 9 feet down and one that is 5 feet down. Usually a fake decoy near bottom, and a live sucker minnow hung half way down. Will definitely switch it up if the fish seem to want one over the other. Tomorrow I will be trying both decoys at half-way, because today both fish ended up coming into the sucker half-way down. Switch things up and see what works.

[merkman]

What depth should the decoy be at nominally ?

[Gordie]

You have to remember that a pike has eyes on the top of its head so you should in theory run your decoys a high with that said , I have run my decoys a foot under the ice to a 4 foot under the ice and that is in just about any depth of water I spear from 5ft to 20 fow.

How much I jig the decoy depends on the fish and I will let them tell me what they want some times its a very aggressive jig and a lot of it while other times the decoy just sits in the hole motionless. There is no right or wrong way its what works for you and I try and remember just what was happening when the fish comes in and try and duplicate that.

This year I am trying to keep a journal of each time out and what has gone on like weather and what fish I see along how they have reacted. It may seem like a lot of work but actually with these darn smart phones its really easy so save the data that I can look at next season or the next time the weather is similar.

You can run as many as you want, but I'm not fond of a puppet show.

I typically run two decoys in the hole at one time. In the past one live decoy and one fake decoy ,but as of lately I have been using mostly fake decoys and I have done well.

I am not afraid to just use one decoy at a time either.

Time over the spear hole is the best learning tool you can have, and you will soon find out what works and doesn't ,but it is nice that there is place like HSO and its members here that are willing to share what works for them.

Good Luck

[rockman]

How effective is using a Dardevle spoon without a treble hook, as an attractor on a second line, or on a main line with a decoy?

[MJ1657]

How effective is using a Dardevle spoon without a treble hook, as an attractor on a second line, or on a main line with a decoy?

It works very well especially with a spinner.

I basically run my decoys like Gordie explained. I always use a live minnow.

[pikestabber]

How effective is using a Dardevle spoon without a treble hook, as an attractor on a second line, or on a main line with a decoy?

Use two spoons... Remove both hooks and use the split ring from one to connect to the other. You can try any combination of linking them together and all will give you a different action... Fat end to fat end, skinny to skinny, one facing forward and one facing back. I tend to think of spoons as my long range attractor while my deke/sucker are what brings them the rest of the way in once they spot the spoons flashing. Not to say spoons don't bring in fish all the way, they do, but generally only the real active fish come in for them. They do shine out a long ways, though, and I think that helps get the attention of wayward passing pike (they are good for bringing in whitefish and other curious fish, too).

[Gordie]

Quote:

How effective is using a Dardevle spoon without a treble hook, as an attractor on a second line, or on a main line with a decoy?

Some times that's all I use and if I had to choose one thing to go out on a lake with it would be a R/W daredevil.

I run it on a teaser or as we call it a hillbilly spinner , but lately IO have been jigging them. I do not use a hook because it falls back into position better and I think that the erratic flutters and wobbles are what attract the pike the most.

When I run them on a spinner typically the pike come in and just look at it and do not hit it.

When I jig it they will come in to grab it, but typically miss it and come back for a second look.

[rockman]

Are lures like large/musky sized bladebaits, or rattlebaits, minus the treble hooks, getting too aggressive as attractors? Or could these lures be used for when pike are really coming in hard, and fast? I am looking at what I have available to use, from my open water lure inventory.

[Gordie]

Rattle baits are a great locator bait and will attract panfish, at least that is what I have found. I have also caught pike on rattle traps.

As for the removal of hooks you do not have to do that anymore as long as you are not fishing with another line or tip ups, Personally I take the hooks off because it can make a monster of a mess if the pike hits and your not ready, sucks having all the lines tangled in the shack.

I like the pike size spoons over the bigger muskie sized ones too. although my favorite is a daredevil that is in between the muskie and the pike size. Like about a size 6 ,also the trolling spoons and flashers for trout work great too.

[merkman]

I am looking at what I have available to use, from my open water lure inventory.

Just try everything.... :-)

.

[rockman]

Yea, I suppose that's at least half the fun seeing what works, and what doesn't.

[mrklean]

Are lures like large/musky sized bladebaits, or rattlebaits, minus the treble hooks, getting too aggressive as attractors? Or could these lures be used for when pike are really coming in hard, and fast? I am looking at what I have available to use, from my open water lure inventory.

I was thinking about modifying a bulldawg and trying to use that as a decoy sometime

[MJ1657]

I like to drop my minnow and an artificial of choice down and just let them sit there. If I start seeing pike right away I know its a day that they wont need a lot coaxing to come and take a look. If nothing has happened in the first 20 minutes or so I start to jig my artificial decoy and see what happens. I will vary from a quick little jig to aggressive jigging and at that point try to figure out what works best.

[Gordie]

I like to drop my minnow and an artificial of choice down and just let them sit there. If I start seeing pike right away I know its a day that they wont need a lot coaxing to come and take a look. If nothing has happened in the first 20 minutes or so I start to jig my artificial decoy and see what happens. I will vary from a quick little jig to aggressive jigging and at that point try to figure out what works best.

This what I do too, and the fish will eventually let you know what they want.

[rockman]

Do you guys use some kind of harness for the minnows? Otherwise, what is needed to rig them up?

[Archerysniper]

Do you guys use some kind of harness for the minnows? Otherwise, what is needed to rig them up?

They make a live harness that you tighten around the sucker, I don't like them because I have had to many swim away from them. I like to use the pin style for the sucker I have only lost a few this way and most were when a pike stole them.

[rockman]

Can these pin style rigs be bought at most bait stores, or where's a good place/site to get them?

[MJ1657]

Can these pin style rigs be bought at most bait stores, or where's a good place/site to get them?

Most bait stores have them. I like to use the style that has a lead weight built into them.

[rockman]

Thank you, to everyone, for the replies to my questions.