Long line rigging and deployment

[DeadEye_Dan]

I've been getting a few questions via PM about how we rig and deploy long lines and thought that it would be a good time to make a thread.

[NuffDaddy]

So how do you do it?

[Woody]

Thanks Dan, I appreciate it.

[DeadEye_Dan]

I'll start by saying that there is no "right" way to rig lines.
I know what works for me and what doesn't. Your experiences may be different.

We do not hunt with dogs, nor do we run our boats through the decoy spread - therefore we use "drops" attached to the decoy that are 18-24", with a long line clip attached the drop for clipping on to the long line.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378345938.770729.jpg

If you hunt with a dog, I'd advise drops of at least 36" to avoid the dog getting tangled, this also applies if you run your boat into the spread to avoid fouling the prop.

We attach and detach the decoys every time the rig goes in and out of the boat -
We do this primarily because we hunt varying water depths from 25-150'. (On the rig I use to hunt divers near shore or on inland lakes, I leave the decoys attached all the time as we are usually in 20fow or less and it's not necessary to adjust for depth as often). IMPORTANT - put a long line clip on every decoy regardless of if you choose to attach them each time or leave them attached all the time - you WILL at some point have a tangle and its nice to be able to pull the individual decoys out of the snarl - if they are tied on, you'll have to cut them off as re tie later - huge PITA.

We keep the long lines (or mother lines) on spools with the length of the line written on the side, so we can tell at a glance what spool we are grabbing. It may seem like over kill - but believe me if you are hunting 35fow you don't want to be dragging 250' of decoy line, decoys and anchors around. We just use common electrical spools for the lines...

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378346573.312391.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378346582.235269.jpg

Then we grab the appropriate spool (for the depth) clip on a weight and drop it straight down over the side of the boat until it hits bottom...

(G_max posted a pic of the weights we use to anchor the long lines on DHC - these things hold like their bolted down)

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378346913.726460.jpg

Once it hits bottom, you have to be ready to start clipping on your decoys, or you risk dragging the line farther away from your layout or other decoys....have your decoys out and ready to go, before you drop the long line anchor.

Once the anchor hits bottom we strip off 10' of line and start clipping on decoys as fast as we can - sometimes there's 3' between decoys, sometimes 6' - IMO that helps avoid the "tin soldier" look that diver spreads can take on.

That's the extremely basic version.

If guys are interested I can sketch up some of our standard open water decoy spreads with boat position/kill holes, etc.

[Olly]

This is good stuff, thanks for sharing. I'll sticky it for future guys to reference.

Sent from my phone.

[NuffDaddy]

Post up as much as you can Dan. I'm hoping to start doing a little diver hunting this fall, and I have no idea what I'm doing. Any help is appreciated.

[Woody]

Dan here comes one of the parts I got hung up on.

How do you attach each decoy to the long line?

From what I read there is a snap and swivle on each drop line/decoy, but how are those droplines attached to the long line in a way that they will not slide up and down it?

You said each decoy is randomly spaced so I assume there are not loops or something placed on the long line prior to going out.

[The Duck Hammer]

Thanks for offering up your wisdom Dan. Please share as much as you will.

[DeadEye_Dan]

Dan here comes one of the parts I got hung up on, Dan.

How do you attach each decoy to the long line?

From what I read there is a snap and swivle on each drop line/decoy, but how are those droplines attached to the long line in a way that they will not slide up and down it?

You said each decoy is randomly spaced so I assume there are not loops or something placed on the long line prior to going out.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348777.182788.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348795.472794.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348850.371236.jpg

6" clip
The clip, the clip open, the clip attached.

That's 1/4" line that I use for my inland rig and that clip will not move. We use 3/8" for the Great Lakes rig and its an even tighter fit. I've literally picked up the line anchor and towed a line of decoys with the boat to the point that the first 3-4 decoys we under water and they don't slide.
If you get your finger pinched in that clip, you'll remember it.

[Woody]

Dan here comes one of the parts I got hung up on, Dan.

How do you attach each decoy to the long line?

From what I read there is a snap and swivle on each drop line/decoy, but how are those droplines attached to the long line in a way that they will not slide up and down it?

You said each decoy is randomly spaced so I assume there are not loops or something placed on the long line prior to going out.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348777.182788.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348795.472794.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348850.371236.jpg

6" clip
The clip, the clip open, the clip attached.

That's 1/4" line that I use for my inland rig and that clip will not move. We use 3/8" for the Great Lakes rig and its an even tighter fit. I've literally picked up the line anchor and towed a line of decoys with the boat to the point that the first 3-4 decoys we under water and they don't slide.
If you get your finger pinched in that clip, you'll remember it.

Okay, I see they are special clips... One of the articles I read said to use deap sea fishing clip/swivle combos.

[AKPirate]

Great thread.

[Bufflehead]

Okay, I see they are special clips... One of the articles I read said to use deap sea fishing clip/swivle combos.

Those are junk and a PITA. You want the same clips Dan posted.

[DeadEye_Dan]

Some other mistakes that I've made that may shorten your learning curve.

1) don't go cheap. Cabelas/Rig em Right = garbage, but it's affordable garbage. I bought some Long Line clips from Cabelas - useless, they DID slide around and pop off the line. I can't count the number of decoys lost in the dark that popped off because of those damn cheap clips. Ended up not being so cheap when you consider the lost decoys and the fact they ended up in the trash replaced by quality clips.
Doctari Longlines has had top quality hardware (snaps, swivels, clips) and has great customer service. I am not a fan of their line - for reasons I'll explain next.

2) buy the stiffest braided line you can find. I've used Doctari line, and it's durable, doesn't rot, and holds up well. It's soft though, and has a tendency to snarl (as all "soft" line will). The stiffer braided line has all the durable qualities mentioned above, but I've never tangled it. Ever. And I've done some stupid stuff that should have resulted in tangles. Decoy Rigs in Indiana has the best line I've found - they have no website, so google it and call them for a catalog. Be prepared to shit when you see the prices - and then read point #1

3) SNAFU's will happen. Build your rig so that it can be taken apart with out a knife - you don't want to spend $$$ making a line only to snarl it your first time out an have to cut a $25 line in 3 places or start with a 24" drop and have to cut it and then end up with a drop that's too short.

4) SNAFUs happen. They happen more often when you are in a hurry. I tell new guys in my boat "tangles don't happen when you are putting decoys out. They happen when you pick them up - because if its not tangled when you pick it up, it won't be tangled when you put it out". For years (and still several times a season) I hunt by my self out of a 20' boat, and deploy 5-6 lines, by my self, while driving the boat. I've tangled decoys every way you can imagine. Slow Down.

5) I put crab pot floats on the ends of my boat anchor lines. When hunting from the boat I get the anchors where I want - then when I need to run down a cripple or get dead birds I simply unclip the anchors an toss the entire line out of the boat. The floats keep the line above the water and when I come back I can re-anchor exactly where I was in about 30 seconds by snagging the floats and tying off again.

6) take one decoy and put 3-4 strips of reflective tape on it, along with 20-30' of anchor line and a single anchor. When setting up in the dark, place this decoy 1st and use it as a reference point to set your other lines around. It's easier than you think to get separated from your decoy spread in the dark and a quick sweep of your spotlight gets you back on track, pronto. Then just pick up that decoy prior to shooting time.

(I should add we don't go out on the big water in the dark - so those last tips about setting in the dark I only use when hunting inland lakes/small water)

[DeadEye_Dan]

Dan here comes one of the parts I got hung up on, Dan.

How do you attach each decoy to the long line?

From what I read there is a snap and swivle on each drop line/decoy, but how are those droplines attached to the long line in a way that they will not slide up and down it?

You said each decoy is randomly spaced so I assume there are not loops or something placed on the long line prior to going out.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348777.182788.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348795.472794.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348850.371236.jpg

6" clip
The clip, the clip open, the clip attached.

That's 1/4" line that I use for my inland rig and that clip will not move. We use 3/8" for the Great Lakes rig and its an even tighter fit. I've literally picked up the line anchor and towed a line of decoys with the boat to the point that the first 3-4 decoys we under water and they don't slide.
If you get your finger pinched in that clip, you'll remember it.

Okay, I see they are special clips... One of the articles I read said to use deap sea fishing clip/swivle combos.

Here they are. Get the big ones. You might find them cheaper at a commercial fishing gear site - but for .61/pc, I can't complain.

http://doctarilonglines.com/longlineclipssnaps.aspx

[Woody]

Dan here comes one of the parts I got hung up on, Dan.

How do you attach each decoy to the long line?

From what I read there is a snap and swivle on each drop line/decoy, but how are those droplines attached to the long line in a way that they will not slide up and down it?

You said each decoy is randomly spaced so I assume there are not loops or something placed on the long line prior to going out.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348777.182788.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348795.472794.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348850.371236.jpg

6" clip
The clip, the clip open, the clip attached.

That's 1/4" line that I use for my inland rig and that clip will not move. We use 3/8" for the Great Lakes rig and its an even tighter fit. I've literally picked up the line anchor and towed a line of decoys with the boat to the point that the first 3-4 decoys we under water and they don't slide.
If you get your finger pinched in that clip, you'll remember it.

Okay, I see they are special clips... One of the articles I read said to use deap sea fishing clip/swivle combos.

Here they are. Get the big ones. You might find them cheaper at a commercial fishing gear site - but for .61/pc, I can't complain.

http://doctarilonglines.com/longlineclipssnaps.aspx

I also just realized, what they meant by deep see fishing clips... logline fishing not trolling. Forgive me I might be retarded.

[Woody]

Some other mistakes that I've made that may shorten your learning curve.

1) don't go cheap. Cabelas/Rig em Right = garbage, but it's affordable garbage. I bought some Long Line clips from Cabelas - useless, they DID slide around and pop off the line. I can't count the number of decoys lost in the dark that popped off because of those damn cheap clips. Ended up not being so cheap when you consider the lost decoys and the fact they ended up in the trash replaced by quality clips.
Doctari Longlines has had top quality hardware (snaps, swivels, clips) and has great customer service. I am not a fan of their line - for reasons I'll explain next.

2) buy the stiffest braided line you can find. I've used Doctari line, and it's durable, doesn't rot, and holds up well. It's soft though, and has a tendency to snarl (as all "soft" line will). The stiffer braided line has all the durable qualities mentioned above, but I've never tangled it. Ever. And I've done some stupid stuff that should have resulted in tangles. Decoy Rigs in Indiana has the best line I've found - they have no website, so google it and call them for a catalog. Be prepared to shit when you see the prices - and then read point #1

3) SNAFU's will happen. Build your rig so that it can be taken apart with out a knife - you don't want to spend $$$ making a line only to snarl it your first time out an have to cut a $25 line in 3 places or start with a 24" drop and have to cut it and then end up with a drop that's too short.

4) SNAFUs happen. They happen more often when you are in a hurry. I tell new guys in my boat "tangles don't happen when you are putting decoys out. They happen when you pick them up - because if its not tangled when you pick it up, it won't be tangled when you put it out". For years (and still several times a season) I hunt by my self out of a 20' boat, and deploy 5-6 lines, by my self, while driving the boat. I've tangled decoys every way you can imagine. Slow Down.

5) I put crab pot floats on the ends of my boat anchor lines. When hunting from the boat I get the anchors where I want - then when I need to run down a cripple or get dead birds I simply unclip the anchors an toss the entire line out of the boat. The floats keep the line above the water and when I come back I can re-anchor exactly where I was in about 30 seconds by snagging the floats and tying off again.

6) take one decoy and put 3-4 strips of reflective tape on it, along with 20-30' of anchor line and a single anchor. When setting up in the dark, place this decoy 1st and use it as a reference point to set your other lines around. It's easier than you think to get separated from your decoy spread in the dark and a quick sweep of your spotlight gets you back on track, pronto. Then just pick up that decoy prior to shooting time.

(I should add we don't go out on the big water in the dark - so those last tips about setting in the dark I only use when hunting inland lakes/small water)

Thanks for all the help, hints, and suggestions, Dan.

[NuffDaddy]

Did you really just quote the whole damn thing just to say thanks?!?
:lol::lol:

[assateague]

Dan here comes one of the parts I got hung up on, Dan.

How do you attach each decoy to the long line?

From what I read there is a snap and swivle on each drop line/decoy, but how are those droplines attached to the long line in a way that they will not slide up and down it?

You said each decoy is randomly spaced so I assume there are not loops or something placed on the long line prior to going out.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348777.182788.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348795.472794.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1378348850.371236.jpg

6" clip
The clip, the clip open, the clip attached.

That's 1/4" line that I use for my inland rig and that clip will not move. We use 3/8" for the Great Lakes rig and its an even tighter fit. I've literally picked up the line anchor and towed a line of decoys with the boat to the point that the first 3-4 decoys we under water and they don't slide.
If you get your finger pinched in that clip, you'll remember it.

Okay, I see they are special clips... One of the articles I read said to use deap sea fishing clip/swivle combos.

Here they are. Get the big ones. You might find them cheaper at a commercial fishing gear site - but for .61/pc, I can't complain.

http://doctarilonglines.com/longlineclipssnaps.aspx

I don't know that I'll ever do it myself, but I was always wondering how those clips worked as well. I pictured just a "regular" clip, like on a lanyard or whistle or something, and couldn't figure out how they stayed put.

[Willie]

Doctari has a code to use at checkout that will save 10%, maybe 15%. I can't remember the code, but he'll tell you if you call or email him.

My setup is exactly like dans, except I use dumbbell weights, and I spray painted my drop cord reels green and put wire ties on the handle to identify the line lengths.

[QH's Paw]

A few other things to mention. Usually, if your clips are sliding they just need to be adjusted with needlenose. Some come new with a slight bend that keeps them from tightening on the line.
I would say just about everything Dan mentioned in his first post on terminal tackle is how we do it too. Including laying the deeks out in a line on the gunwhale, deck etc, with the droppers all hanging the same direction down on outside or inside of where they are sitting. Because so much of our hunting is in current or tidal water, I have gone to pyramid anchors and only use window sash weights that are the newer blocky lead type with looped cable. The old style roll around too much
I do do a couple more variations than Dan on my deployment as I hunt rivers more than open water.
I have found, over time, if you are hunting near land, you can actually lay the lines out and assemble/attach all the deeks on the shore and then grab one end and drag them into place. When there are several people, this allows others to get the lines ready while the captain is towing lines into place.
I haven't had problems with the #120 tarred lines like Doctari sells but, you can buy it much cheaper through Memphis net and twine and other commercial fishing suppliers. The link below is basically the same stuff Doctari sells but you get far more buying bulk spool. You still need to add brass clips to each end after you cut to size but, these spools will make 3-5 long lines depending on chosen lengths.

http://www.memphisnet.net/product/2212/ ... arredseine

and here is what I use for droppers now.

http://www.memphisnet.net/category/s?ke ... +36+tarred

[QH's Paw]

Doctari has a code to use at checkout that will save 10%, maybe 15%. I can't remember the code, but he'll tell you if you call or email him.

My setup is exactly like dans, except I use dumbbell weights, and I spray painted my drop cord reels green and put wire ties on the handle to identify the line lengths.

Just go on the 'Fuge" and use their link and Doctari site adjusts the prices, if they still offer the discount.

[QH's Paw]

Also, I didn't notice if Dan mentioned but, when you order/buy your clips, make sure they have the heavy swivel. Sometimes they sell them cheaper without the swivel. Don't make the mistake of buying without the swivel or you will hate yourself after the first twisted mess you clean up.

[Willie]

Doctari has a code to use at checkout that will save 10%, maybe 15%. I can't remember the code, but he'll tell you if you call or email him.

My setup is exactly like dans, except I use dumbbell weights, and I spray painted my drop cord reels green and put wire ties on the handle to identify the line lengths.

Just go on the 'Fuge" and use their link and Doctari site adjusts the prices, if they still offer the discount.

This is what I was trying to spit out.

[Woody]

Got the big clips in the mail today and rigged up the 30 blocks I had ready to go.
Another couple dozen left to paint and rig.

Thanks Dan and everyone else!

[DeadEye_Dan]

Once you had the clips "in hand" you see how they'll work on your lines??


Glad to offer what little help I can

[Woody]

Once you had the clips "in hand" you see how they'll work on your lines??


Glad to offer what little help I can

Yeah, actually the pics you posted got me up to speed.

They are alot harder to operate than I was expecting. Using them in gloves is going to be interesting.

[Woody]

Grabbed some empty magnet wire spools from work and wound up the long line last night.

[Woody]

I learned my lesson guys...

You all warned me to change the connections on my longlines. I said to myself I've got a couple months ill do it latter. Well after fishing this morning my dad and I decided to practice putting out gang rig decoys for the first time. As I put the first decoy on the line, pop there goes the longline anchor.


Now, I know... Do what y'all say.

[DeadEye_Dan]

It's bound to happen. At least your out there in the daylight, working out the kinks, before the season opens.

You'll soon find out what works best for you and tweak your program.

[Slingshot]

Hey fella's we tarred are main lines to stop the slipping on the smaller lines but its not pretty but it works.It also helps the rope sink and stay down in faster current.