# Rigging for Diver Ducks Video



## jerry russell (Feb 27, 2011)

OK, Larry and I finally got the video done for Rigging for Diver Ducks. It is a bit rough but I think it will help some of the newer diver hunters and may even show some of the old timers a couple of tricks.
My hope is that all comments will be positive so that this can become a solid learning thread.

I hope some of the more experienced guys will add some learning tools as well. There are two videos because Youtube almost puked when I tried to publish it. It is a shallow water rigging video but we will get to some deep water stuff soon.

Each video is 10-12 minutes. I hope they help some of you.

Jerry


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## Skyjacker (Feb 27, 2011)

Great video.  Thanks for taking the time to post that. Seriously.  Thank you!! 

My only question is, What would you do differently in deep water applications?


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## jerry russell (Feb 27, 2011)

Skyjacker said:


> Great video.  Thanks for taking the time to post that. Seriously.  Thank you!!
> 
> My only question is, What would you do differently in deep water applications?



We are working on the design of a, for lack of a better way to put it, self depth regulating weight system. Our research and development team (me and Larry) has been throwing around some ideas and will come up with something soon.

Dealing with 50'-70' depths on lakes such as Lanier, really does make thing more difficult when you are talking about more than just a simple line of decoys.

If we have some deep water specialist out there, let us hear from you.


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## hvickers2 (Feb 27, 2011)

Great videos lots of good info!


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## gb1075 (Feb 27, 2011)

If anybody out there is thinking about starting to diver hunt you better watch these videos.  You will rarely find information this detailed and informative especially on diver hunting. If I had seen these videos 4 years ago when I was trying to get started doing this I would have bypassed a lot of rookie mistakes on how to rig up a longline.   Thanks Jerry and Larry for spending the time to put this together you guys did a fantastic job.  I have ordered my mainline spool and will definitely find a way to mount it on back corner of the boat.  I hunt fast moving current with tides that change as much as 8 ft in 6 hours with depths that run anywhere from 6 to 25ft.  when i go to deploy i will have to start the mainline on the up current side of the area I am going to hunt and let the tide drift me back down as I clip on the decoys.  I dont know how well I will be able to make the turns in the line due to the speed of the current but I am planning on trying it out this summer after I get all my stuff in and rigged up. If I am not able to make all the turns like you guys i may go with a double or triple row of parallel mainlines with anchors on each end,  then use some 10 or so singles to create a pocket near the blind.  It will be very linear and blocked off but I think it will still work for diver hunting.  Either way the clip on system will be more efficient than the bag system I use now.   If you watch this video and are thinking that it seems like a lot of work, remember that when diver hunting you will usually have several hours to hunt ducks, instead of just 15 minutes after daylight.  In georgia that is something special all things considered.  Thanks again guys.


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## jerry russell (Feb 28, 2011)

Another "Tip of the Week". The longline spools shown in the video can be purchashed at Northern Tool. Another member on here said he found them at Lowes. Just remember that it is important that the frame of the spool (the stand) be made of metal to withstand the stress.


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## Ringer (Feb 28, 2011)

Great Videos!!!


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## Meat Dog Mafia (Feb 28, 2011)

Great video. You guy have got it down. Thanks for the info.


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## Burritoboy (Feb 28, 2011)

Sticky Material!!  Great job


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## duck-dawg (Feb 28, 2011)

Jerry,
Great video...I've yet to do much true "open" water hunting. The lakes I hunt have some sort of vegetation just about everywhere you go, and I usually end up hunting in the more open pads. That being said, I decided to try my hand at a few longlines this season and even in the pads, this is a quick, convenient method of deploying a large decoy spread. I really like how yall break up the linear look with your spread, I'll definitely give the multiple weight setup a try next year.


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## king killer delete (Feb 28, 2011)

Jerry has a great set up. It is alot better than mine.


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## Flaustin1 (Feb 28, 2011)

Guy, i cant thank yall enough.  This has helped me understand the concept tremendously.  If yall havnt figure the deep water out by next season, i'll chime in.  My minimum depth will probably be around 4 ft with 15 to 20ft being the norm.  Like i said, thanks alot.   It really shows that yall are some stand up guys just taking the time to post these vids.  Way to go on including the message to take a kid hunting.  Its one of the most important and enjoyable aspects of our sport.


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## Skyjacker (Feb 28, 2011)

jerry russell said:


> We are working on the design of a, for lack of a better way to put it, self depth regulating weight system. Our research and development team (me and Larry) has been throwing around some ideas and will come up with something soon.
> 
> Dealing with 50'-70' depths on lakes such as Lanier, really does make thing more difficult when you are talking about more than just a simple line of decoys.
> 
> If we have some deep water specialist out there, let us hear from you.



Well I regularly hunt in 20-30 feet of water and my thoughts would be to rig a floater next to the weights (black dog bumper maybe?).  You would have to use 3 times as much line and set it out farther because ulimately you don't want to create a steep hump of floating line, but more like a long arc of floating line like a rainbow.  

That would be my thoughts.  But that is why I use the self unwinding weights because I can deploy a lot of decoys really quickly.  The retrieval is the problem. 50 decoys will take you an hour to pick up.


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## jerry russell (Feb 28, 2011)

Thanks for the kind words guys. As I type this me, Larry and Rocko have been on the road for 5 hours headed for a Missouri snow goose hunt. The good thing about a 14 hour drive is that the GWAC engineering team has a LOT of time to talk about some of the deep water deployment problems discuss on here recently. Along about Nashville a dang good idea hit us on deploying in deep water from a boat. Not only will it work in deep water but it will also allow for a single hunter to put out and take up fast. When we get back from ridding the Midwest pod the white plague, we will post up a short video.


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## duck-dawg (Mar 1, 2011)

Jerry, here's an idea that seems like it might work well for hunting the deep water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8h-xy8UKWY 

It's been a while since I read the post on another forum (I think it's been removed since then) but basically all the rig consists of is a large net with an anchor line on each corner, and decoys zip-tied to it. I would imagine one of these rigs with a longline or two tailing beside it would work pretty well.


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## MudDucker (Mar 1, 2011)

Thanks for making it look so easy.  Now when the first 1000 new diver hunters get out there, be sure to take them to your hunting spot.  lol


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## jerry russell (Mar 1, 2011)

MudDucker said:


> Thanks for making it look so easy.  Now when the first 1000 new diver hunters get out there, be sure to take them to your hunting spot.  lol



Dang it, mud ducker you are missing the point. My goal is to convert everyone to diver huntin so that I can have all the puddle duck spots to myself!


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## jerry russell (Mar 1, 2011)

duck-dawg said:


> Jerry, here's an idea that seems like it might work well for hunting the deep water:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8h-xy8UKWY
> 
> It's been a while since I read the post on another forum (I think it's been removed since then) but basically all the rig consists of is a large net with an anchor line on each corner, and decoys zip-tied to it. I would imagine one of these rigs with a longline or two tailing beside it would work pretty well.



I saw this set up a couple of years ago an I thought it was a pretty good idea. I thought it had some potential but I never got around to working on it because it did not seem to be of the scale needed where we hunt. Our hunts center around BIG water (4-6 miles across) and our spreads have to cover some water to be seen. I do think this could work for some situations.


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## paulito (Mar 1, 2011)

We hunt in medium water but are set up to handle the deep as well. our rigs tend to be a bit more of the traditional linear set ups of long lines. Although with some of your ideas i will be changing that. But back to my original point. I run about 6 foot between decoys. Generally have spaces marked for 15-16 blocks per line. I have a solid 20 foot of line from the anchor connection to the first block hook up point for roughly 150 foot per long line total. If the water is a bit deeper i loose a block or two to gain the depth. couple of guys that know each other and our stuff can still put out 10-15 dozen blocks in around 20 minutes. just have to refine the system to what works for you. 

another idea for the data banks that i have had success with. replace the downstream or down wind anchor with a gatorade bottle or other type jug. Fill the jug with a couple of stones but then fill it with water. this will allow your long line to "drift" a bit with a changing wind. Of course it only works when running a couple of lines. however, it can be priceless when hunting alone. 

diver hunting can be a whole lot of fun. i wouldn't lose much sleep over having a whole bunch of converts next year. maybe 1 in 10 will put forth the effort let alone the investment to target big water birds. my wife just shakes her head when another dozen blocks arrives at my house to hang in the garage. i do love being able to successfully hunt at noon and still have great success whne all the puddle ducks have quit flying though.


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## MudDucker (Mar 2, 2011)

jerry russell said:


> Dang it, mud ducker you are missing the point. My goal is to convert everyone to diver huntin so that I can have all the puddle duck spots to myself!



Nice ... why don't you convert them to deer hunters and get them out of both of our way!


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## gb1075 (Mar 2, 2011)

Ok, I like the idea of the drifting down current end of the mainline.  Wonder if one of those small drift net/socks would work too.  I have so many ideas to try before next season.


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## king killer delete (Mar 2, 2011)

*How about*

An incoming or out going tide . Has anybody tried it in salt water?


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## The Kid (Mar 2, 2011)

I had so many questions about long lines before you guys posted this. I'm still pretty new to the whole waterfowl obsession, but I've got it bad, and plan on trying some diver hunting next season. Thanks for all the helpful info and good luck for whatever else yall are going after this year.


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## paulito (Mar 3, 2011)

For your tide question, i have seen where you can rig the long line through you anchor. in other words use a river anchor or something similar with an eye loop on it. Run the end of the long line through the anchor and attach a decoy to the end on the other side. now as the water depth changes the decoy floats and adjusts automatically for you. would work better in deeper water. on shallow tidal flats i would just rig normal and let them sink to the bottom.


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## UpSouth811 (Mar 5, 2011)

how long are the lines your using to get that many decoys on them?


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## jerry russell (Mar 5, 2011)

UpSouth811 said:


> how long are the lines your using to get that many decoys on them?



The spools shown here will hold 300' of 1/4" rope. We will use one or two spools depending on a number of factors.


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## king killer delete (Mar 5, 2011)

*reel*

Where do you get the reel and the rope?


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## jerry russell (Mar 5, 2011)

The reel from Northern Tool and the rope from Cabelas and many other places. It is 1/4" green sinking mainline.


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## king killer delete (Mar 5, 2011)

*550 cord*

I have tried to use 550 cord but its to light. Do you anchor booth ends or do you leave  one end in the boat? I really want to use this rigg in Fla. next season  to deploy a bunch of decoys fast . I got some more questions  if I dont reply tonight   I will talk to you later I gota go to my daughters 19th  birthday dinner. You and Larry drive safe.


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## paulito (Mar 5, 2011)

interesting you say that. i use 550 cord and love it. had no problems with it being too light. our lines are 150 ft long and i get about 15 blocks per line. i have 4 lines on one spool.


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## jerry russell (Mar 5, 2011)

I  use the 1/4" mainline because I like the heavier weight line in very high currents like river hunting with an anchor set.  If we deploy in these situations, I can drag my heavy boat all the way back to the anchor with this line. I also don't have any issues with tangling. Some guys use the 550 cord and I guess it would work fine. I have seen some slipping of gang clips using the 550 cord. This will not occur with 1/4" line. I guess it is just what each person prefers.


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## king killer delete (Mar 5, 2011)

*tangles*



paulito said:


> interesting you say that. i use 550 cord and love it. had no problems with it being too light. our lines are 150 ft long and i get about 15 blocks per line. i have 4 lines on one spool.


I put my decoys in a garbage can and  I leave them connected to the long line and pull the out of the garbage can . If I had a better reel system and I put the decoys on the line as I went along I think it would do better. But the system I have now is very hard to set in any current. I like Larrys system. What I am looking for is a way to set about 200 decoys in as fast a period of time as I can. Right now I have indiviual weights on each decoy they all have snap links on them so I can go to a long if I need to. The system that I use produces lots of tangles in the 550 cord. I think  the larger rope is key to sucess.


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## paulito (Mar 6, 2011)

Jerry, 

i hear ya on the slippage. although i haven't had a lot of problems with it i solved that with a loop at every 6 foot. the loop actually was more so for the rookies i take so they don't have to think in the dark about how far 6 foot apart is. amazing how different some peoples "estimation" can be. 

as far as the garbage can, yes that does sound like a mess waiting to happen. we are in the process of converting to all slotted bags. we can get at least 2 and if done right 3 dozen life size decoys per over sized slotted bag. we pre-load them per say in that they are already hooked up to the long line with a grapple anchor at the end. you can pull up to your spot, hook an anchor to the free end and deploy 3 dozen blocks as fast as the guy can drive the boat, no tangles. The key is the pickup and re-loading the bags correctly. not a time for a rookie as you will be screwed next hunt. 

as you can see there are a multitude of ways to make this stuff work. the key is practice and working out the kinks so it goes smooth in the dark. we have learned the hard way that 2 experienced guys in one boat can deploy a spread in half the time as 4 guys in two boats fighting each other. o dark thirty is not the time to have a bunch of chiefs and no indians when you've got this many blocks to put out.


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## UpSouth811 (Mar 6, 2011)

ok appreciate it....i have been using 120 ft lines but i really like the way you take the linear look out with that...i will definately give this a try for my shallow water rigging...


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## jerry russell (Mar 6, 2011)

Random diver tip of the week...

Rig about 10% of your decoys from the back of the keel. This is especially important on some of the independant decoys that are used to "break-up" your mainline blocks. It will greatly enhance you spread by giving it a more relaxed and less robotic look.


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## king killer delete (May 28, 2011)

*Great stuff*

I have duck hunted for 50 years and this is the best system that I have seen. I am a diver hunter and  I am already seting my stuff up to use this system.


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## jerry russell (May 28, 2011)

Guys,
 I have given a great deal of thought to the deep water deployment issue. The video that we have planned will REALLY simplify getting these decoys out in deep water.  You guys that hunt in deep water and/or fast current situations are gonna love this video. We are going to shoot the video from an elevated camera angle.

Stay tuned...


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## king killer delete (Nov 2, 2011)




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## Bdub (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks for the videos.... Im pretty new to duck hunting and the lakes I hunt are pretty over crowded and Ive been playing with the idea of heading out to the gulf to take a crack at divers. Def going to try some of this out.  Thanks for taking the time and caring about passing on the duck hunting tradition!


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## DuckHuntin101 (Jan 27, 2012)

Great video guys i believe next year im going to attempt to start chasing those divers.


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## jerry russell (Jun 22, 2012)

Hey Larry over 3000 views on youtube for the two rigging videos. Not bad for for a couple of goofs like you and me..lol


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## brittonl (Jun 23, 2012)

Enjoyed the videos fellas, nice job.


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## Larry Young Jr (Feb 1, 2014)

Had some pms looking for it.


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