Dead calm + Jerk string ... our answer to Mojos

MLBob Furia

MLBob Furia

Well-known member
Hunted with my youngest boy today. Nine decoys out in a pocket back up in a slough. No wind, and the water was like glass, so we put two of the decoys on a jerk string.

I sat back, watched, and called while he worked the jerk line and shot. This hen mallard caller looked alive whenever he moved her.

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Nice work Bob. Are you hunting from the bank or did you make some new blind for the boat?

Hope you and your family have a great Holiday season.
 
Looks great Bob!
I've been using a jerk-string alot this year with success but not real happywith my setup.
Are you using shock cord or a two string system? That swimmer looks right at home.
John
 
I just replaced the idler valve on a 1999 Windstar

The engine would run if you kept it over 1000 RPM's but as soon as you let it idle down it would stall
 
Those idler valves will bring in the ducks...when they work right. Bob, you have that on a salt water rod so you can cast it out and retrieve when ducks are in the air?
 
Bob,
Glad you got out and even better to make a day out of a less than ideal weather situation.
I liked the jerk string idea too, but my plastic hen just cant match that barking suzi.
Getting out with your son makes it better still.
 
I use a headless feeder BD for mine. Cedar of course. Off of the back loop I have around 6ft of bungee and about 7.5ft of parachute cord (in case the bungee breaks). At the end I have a longline clip that I attach to a kayak/float tube anchor. Then I have more parachute cord than I ever string out attached to the front end. Sorry no pics. Snowin like hell and the boat is all covered. Hope it stops before I uncover and leave in the am.

blast from the past

JimG
 
I use a small collapsible fishing rod with a spinning reel loaded with 10# kevlar line. I use two muffin pan lead weights with eye bolts melted in them. One weight goes under the deke and the other goes next to the boat to keep the line underwater. I filled an old Herters plastoid with 2 part foam, which kinda footballed it but it also made it real jumpy and tip up nice. Wouldn't need a rod and reel, I dowell with a couple golf T's to wrap the line and an eye screw would work great.
 
bob them dekes dont need no jerking ,ifin i snuck up on them id still be trying to skin them lol

good days are what we all keep going out for,
to keep the heart from sinking
when your getting nuthing,
the one day when all the stars line up
and the gods are in your favor..
i have a handful stored away for when im saying
to me self SELF WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE
-20 WITH FREEZING SPRAY IN MY FACE,
then ya see a big raft of burds in the distance and
ya think ya just maybe a single or 2 may
peal off and make your day...
 
For those who have asked, the jerk-cord set up I am using is made by "Rig' Em Right" waterfowl supply. It comes with a small, collapsable, grapple anchor and a line on a keeper. The first length of line is shock cord followed by a braided nylon sinking line. Comes with clips for 4 decoys. I have used up to four, but generally go with two.

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The anchor has an attachment hole beneath the flukes, so I chose to attach a small float to it using decoy line (birds ignore the float although I have considered carving a small grebe to hold & mark my pull-up line. Figured that made sense for pulling up the anchor rather than tugging it up with the shock cord (snap!). Also, the line attachment below the flukes facilitates collapsing them in the event that the anchor would dig in or catch a snag on the bottom.

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I try to wade out and set the jerk cord wherever water depth and bottom conditions allow, but I have also set it from the boat. Not the type of thing you want to be setting from a boat in a stiff wind, but in those conditions you wouldn't need to be creating motion with your decoys anyway.

The thing I like about it is that it all fits in a little pouch (see pic 3). I can even fit the float and its line in the pouch. The whole thing will fit in the pocket of a hunting coat or can be thrown in the corner of a decoy bag pouch. I may fool with putting the string for it on one of those kid's kite-winders with the handle, but so far no complaints. I believe I got this a few years back from Cabelas....probably free with card points.....but under $20 for sure.

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Bob,

I understand the basic system but have never used one myself. When you pull the string in and then release, how much line are you hauling in? Say about a foot or the length of a swinging arc from elbow to hand? Or are you hauling in more line, which I would assume takes two hands?
 
That and some BAAD decoys...

Cool, I just ordered one set. I'm gonna give it a try. Mark was using a jerk string when I hunted with the team up in MO last fall. You made up my mind.

Hitch
 
Bob,

I understand the basic system but have never used one myself. When you pull the string in and then release, how much line are you hauling in? Say about a foot or the length of a swinging arc from elbow to hand? Or are you hauling in more line, which I would assume takes two hands?
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Dave,
Nothing you have to overthink....pretty much foolproof.
The length of line you pull can be varied to create different effects. One can pull the line in with just one hand or extend the tug by grabbing the line with the other hand. The key for me is the speed & control with which you pull the line toward you as well as release it back. We've found that a steady, slow motion looks most realistic. The line can also be twitched shorter distances. The bungee part attached to the anchor stretches as you "swim" the decoys to you, then causes them to turn and "swim" the other way as the line is slowly released back. The key thing is that movement, ripples, and a wake are created, mimicking the movement of live birds sitting on the water.
 
Thanks Bob!
I've been wanting to try out a jerk cord set up...this one sold me. I'm going to order one up for next season. Ed
 
Thanks Bob

As I usually hunt alone, I was just wondering how much was involved with it. Some guys like to talk to the ducks right up to picking up their gun, some guys don't. I wasn't sure if this applied to the jerk string concept as well.

I could see myself yanking on the cord with one hand, giving a few quacks and such on the call in the other hand and completely forgetting just where the gun was as I tried to concentrate on which bird to shoot and when to take the shot. Heck, I have trouble enough finding the keys on the keyboard while not forgetting what it was I wanted to say.
 
The thing to remember about calls, or jerk strings, etc. is that they are meant to primarily get the duck's attention.

Don't make it complex....
Dutch
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I agree with Dutch. I quickly learned that this is an ATTENTION GETTER. Overdoing it seems to make the birds a bit cautious.

We have had some success with it causing birds who have landed down from our decoys to swim in or jump up and come over - but again don't overdo it. The idea is to sell them that "those birds are moving."
 
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