Retrieving ducks
- Thread starter Beadwindow
- Start date
- Location
- Kawartha Lakes area of Ont
Check the Equipment Exchange for duck boats.
Bob
Bob
Make yourself a floating jigger. Take a section of round, dry wood that will float well. I usually made them about 8" or so long. You want one end of the junk of wood to narrow down until it looks like an ice cream cone. Screw in a small closed "eye" bolt into the semi-point end. Then screw/nail large hooks all around the circumference of the jigger. I use trawl hooks, which are plentiful from any commercial fishing supply store/chandler, but I'm sure you can find large size freshwater hooks in your neck of the woods, i.e. hooks suitable for large lake trout, salmon, etc... Once the jigger is complete, go buy yourself a roll of heavy twine or heavy monofilament. I personally prefer black twine that has been treated to prevent rot, as I used to use the floating jiggers a lot in the salt water.
To use it, is pretty simple. The weight of the junk of wood will allow you to twirl the jigger pretty fast and then permit you to cast it dozens of yards out into the pond, lake, slough, etc.... You pull the jigger back to shore and try to hook the duck with it. It helps to throw accurately, but even if you muffed it, you can walk along the shoreline and line up the floating jigger with the dead duck/goose. Once the jigger gets close to the bird, a swift jerk is all that is necessary to ensure that the bird is securely hooked. If you placed your hooks properly, you'll probably hook the bird with several at one time. Then just drag the jigger and duck into shore and cast out for the next one. To keep the jigger from getting caught up in my knap sack I used to keep it in one of those cardboard gift tubes liquor bottles come in. I later went with a plastic welding rod holder with screw top.
To use it, is pretty simple. The weight of the junk of wood will allow you to twirl the jigger pretty fast and then permit you to cast it dozens of yards out into the pond, lake, slough, etc.... You pull the jigger back to shore and try to hook the duck with it. It helps to throw accurately, but even if you muffed it, you can walk along the shoreline and line up the floating jigger with the dead duck/goose. Once the jigger gets close to the bird, a swift jerk is all that is necessary to ensure that the bird is securely hooked. If you placed your hooks properly, you'll probably hook the bird with several at one time. Then just drag the jigger and duck into shore and cast out for the next one. To keep the jigger from getting caught up in my knap sack I used to keep it in one of those cardboard gift tubes liquor bottles come in. I later went with a plastic welding rod holder with screw top.
