gang rigging for diver duck decoys - how to you carry-organize the rig?

[albertaal]

Hey Guys,

Who uses gang rigs for diver duck decoys?

I have a dozen bluebills on a gang line - an anchor with a 100 foot gang line (mine is paracord) attached to it with bluebill decoys on 2 foot lines attached to clips that clip to the gang line. It is a pretty easy way to set-up diver decoys in a hurry, and the gang line rig works well.

I keep the gang rig in a regular decoy bag. I wrap the lines are each decoy and put the back decoys in the bag first, so the first decoy and the anchor come out of the bag first. But a a schmozzle does occasionally happen when the bag gets picked up wrong and the snarled mess ensues.

What do you use to organize the decoys and the gang line, so you don't have a snarled mess? I've thought about taking the decoys off each time and putting the decoys in a decoy bag that is slotted to have a decoy in their own space.

Any advice?

Cheers,

Alberta Al

 

[bluesclues]

I put the decoys in a decoy bag not attached to the gang line. I throw the line with one anchor out (the other anchor still in the boat) then attach each decoy to the line.

I have on occassion attactched each decoy on shore than dragged 'em all out with the boat.

I no longer keep the gang line attached in the decoy bag for the same reason you mentioned.

 

[albertaal]

Hey Bluesclues,

I'll give it a go on Wednesday. I unassembled the snarled schmozzle today.

Thanks and Cheers,

Alan

I put the decoys in a decoy bag not attached to the gang line. I throw the line with one anchor out (the other anchor still in the boat) then attach each decoy to the line.

I have on occassion attactched each decoy on shore than dragged 'em all out with the boat.

I no longer keep the gang line attached in the decoy bag for the same reason you mentioned.

 

[Cinch]

Not the best picture but the only one I have that shows I organize my decoys, weights and longlines. The decoys are in slotted bags (camo bag to right of dog), easier to put out and take down as well as protecting decoys. The anchor weights are in the bottom of the blue milk crate. The long lines are attached end to end and rolled up on a cheap cord/hose reel - which also rides in the milk crate.

 

[smokinberetta]

For a single dozen decoys I don't know why you would bother doing a long-line. Maybe if you were putting out 100 decoys. I run G&H supermag bluebills which are the size of a goose decoy. On a normal day I might run 2 doz. mag. mallards, 2 dozen whistlers and about 30 supermag bluebills. I have piles more of all of these decoys but with the size of the supermags EVERYTHING gets drawn right to them. I single line them all and to me it's not worth the hassle of long lines....

Oh Cinch, I notice you have a Cabelas blind bag........best one made in my opinion. I'm actually heading to Saskatchewan sunday morning for my annual week long hunt.......

 

[Cinch]

For a single dozen decoys I don't know why you would bother doing a long-line. Maybe if you were putting out 100 decoys. I run G&H supermag bluebills which are the size of a goose decoy. On a normal day I might run 2 doz. mag. mallards, 2 dozen whistlers and about 30 supermag bluebills. I have piles more of all of these decoys but with the size of the supermags EVERYTHING gets drawn right to them. I single line them all and to me it's not worth the hassle of long lines....

Oh Cinch, I notice you have a Cabelas blind bag........best one made in my opinion. I'm actually heading to Saskatchewan sunday morning for my annual week long hunt.......

Good eye, that bag is +15 years old and has seen many many days in the field (other then some worn out velcro there's nothing wrong with it). Looks like your timing is pretty much perfect for coming out to SK this fall!

 

[ciphery]

The decoys get removed from the gang line.
The indavidualdecoys go into a bag and the gang line gets wraped around an extension cord reel. Putting out decoys involves unwraping the line from the decoys keel and attatching the clip to the gang line, one by one by one.

 

[albertaal]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the explanations. I just got back from 3 days of shooting. I handled them like you guys mention. Works better than what I was doing.

 

[hoytcanon]

I see a lot of long lines rigged with the attached dropper lines... It is the droppers that usually get tangled... So we do the opposite, we use Tangle Free line (solid plastic cord) and attach an 18" dropper with loop to each decoy... These do not get tangled in the bags, then the mainline simply has slip hooks every six - eight feet. We use six main lines with 10 hooks per... The anchor lines are on 10 pound navy anchors. Dropd the anchor, clip on the mainline, and slip hook the decoys as it plays out, then move to the next line. We usually put out 5 dozen Magnum Herter's solid foam decoys... Usually mostly whistlers and bluebills with a half dozen each of bufflehead, reheads and canvasbacks... The dekes come in easy, just lift the anchor and unclip dekes as you pull in the mainline. As said above, we wrap the mainlines end for end in a continous string around a hand reel.