Diver Tactics Q&A Thread

[tylor]

I had a dozen can decoys from a DU event sitting in the shed for a couple years - rigged them and put them out this morning for the first time with a couple of bluebill deeks - killed a bill and my first can ever (I had never even seen a can, at least close enough to identify, in the area before). I'm hooked, gonna have to start chasing divers.

[RumRiverRat]

I have been using a line of 12 Oversized GHG Cans on a 100ft diver line with a blob of 3 to 4 dozen Bills and Cans at the end closest to the blind.

Looks kinda like an exclamation point.

The end of my diver line is 50 to 60 yards out.

I leave a 5 to 10 yard kill hole and then place a blob of decoys in front of the blind.

The kill hole is 10 to 15 yards from the blind.

The far edge of the kill hole is about 25 yards from the blind.

It has produced 27 ducks and 3 Mergansers in the last 2 days hunting the same 200 acre lake.

[Meyer8043]

Looking to get more into diver hunting. I only have 2 dozen mallard decoys. I'm looking to get some new decoys so how many and of what species would be a good start and can i incorporate the mallards into the setup at all? Any info would be appreciated!

[RumRiverRat]

Buy

2 dozen Oversized Avery GHG Cans.

2 dozen Oversized Avery GHG Bluebills.

Rig up 2 gang lines, use the Cans on the lines and use the Bills for filling in the J hook or the U or the W.

[onlydrakes4me]

I usually hunt puddlers, but have shot some divers. I was wondering if anyone knows of a good diver call ( if there is such a thing) and what model or brand.

[RumRiverRat]

Growl into a Mallard call.

Bump

[Moonie]

I usually hunt puddlers, but have shot some divers. I was wondering if anyone knows of a good diver call ( if there is such a thing) and what model or brand.

Cabelas sells them, gander may as well, but haven't seen them there. This is just my opinion... you don't need it. My dad gave me a diver call he got years ago. I never use it and still have had good success. I would buy shells with the money instead.

A good spread helps a lot more for divers (again, my opinion).

Back to your question tho... mick lacey makes one, so does flex tone. No clue if they sound good.

[nate larson]

Diver calls are usually pretty dang quiet...by the time they are close enough to hear the call it is time to blast away at them.

Now flagging divers on the other hand might be a good idea.

[morefishplease]

I have to agree, I have one, but this old timer once told me "best diver call is the one I left in my truck"

[onlydrakes4me]

well that answers my question, thanks

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

Some people think I am an [PoorWordUsage] for doing this but i take a dozen mallard decoys and put 4 dekes close together and then run the rest out on a super (anywhere from 50 - 200 yards out) long line out. I love the setup and it honestly works every time!

I love to see bills haul arse over a 200 yard line of mallard decoys lol.

Only reason I started this is because I have no diver decoys and didn't have the money to buy any at the time so I just tried it and been using my same 12 crappy GHG decoys ever since for divers.

[RumRiverRat]

Decoy Setups that I have used

One of my favorite diver spots consists of a cattail island in the middle of a lake.

With a S or SW wind I setup like this.

The long black line is the Diver Line 200 feet long.

If the wind is W,NW or N I just rotate the spread so I have crossing shots.

[RumRiverRat]

To the top!

[HugoBox]

I just picked up the clips made for attaching the blocks to the gangline. I always used caribiners on the demes and rings in the mainline in the past but it can be a b@tch with gloves on. I'm thinking that 1/4 inch solid braid rope will work just fine cause I'm a bit too cheap to bur the Doctori brand. Does anyone with experience have any input?

Now if some divers would actually show up....

[walleyehunter80]

no one has mentioned mojo's. do or dont use them?

[HugoBox]

Don't for divers. Prolly cause the water can be much deeper and hard to firmly plant a stake. I guess the floating style would work. I'm a fan of waving a flag if anything.

[Roosterslayer05]

Last time I went out diver hunting I put out 4 ringer dekes on a jerk rig and threw 3 super mag bluebills in the landing zone with a pair of canadas. I decoyed every flock I saw. Shot my limit. Divers are easier to decoy than puddlers in my opinion. Decoy spread doesent have to be complicated either.

[HugoBox]

Last time I went out diver hunting I put out 4 ringer dekes on a jerk rig and threw 3 super mag bluebills in the landing zone with a pair of canadas. I decoyed every flock I saw. Shot my limit. Divers are easier to decoy than puddlers in my opinion. Decoy spread doesent have to be complicated either.

I think you make a good point on keeping it simple. On small water it doesn't take many decoys. On bigger water though I'm a stupid bigger is better guy at times so 6-8 dozen decoys may fall out of the boat from time to time. Great if the birds are around, a real pain if they're not and the temp is below freezing.

[Roosterslayer05]

Yea I was hunting small water. Im all about keeping it simple while my hunting buddy is "bigger is better". Both work at times. I just thought it was funny that guys were saying not too use canada decoys and I usually do. The divers come into them fine in my experience's. I had one of my best mallard hunts over 4 super mag bluebills. Never know whats going to work. If I hunted big water more often I would prob use more decoys.

[HugoBox]

Rooster-

It's amazing what a jerk string can do huh? First used one about five years ago and it's a life saver on clam days.

I can't believe all the waited hints over the years when the hocks looked like stumps on windless days!!

[Gordie]

In Nodak this year the birds were really decoy shy from being shot at during the first part of the season so I must of changed up my spead about 4-5 times and the 5th time I didnt even get back into the boat and my son is telling me to get down, dont move, here they come, turn around and shoot dad... so I knew I got it right.

I was hunting big water out there and niot pot holes.

I went from running two lines stagerd to a vee spread to a long line J stlye then finally a long line with a break in the middle and three red head decoy in a line 20 ft off the side of the Blue Bill line and had a bout 7-8 mally next to the catails of the front of the boat.

I will be setting up a jerk line for my next run..

cannt wait until the goldeneys hit leech

[mixxedbagg]

Yesterday I was on a marshy lake with a big open area in the middle. I started out hunting in the vegetation but I noticed that there was a large mixed raft of divers in the middle. So, I got up the nerve to try and get closer to hunt them. As I got closer I was confronted with my main problem...how do I hide? How do you guys do it?

I am hunting out of a smaller jonboat. I don't have a blind on the boat because I don't have a dog, so I have to use the boat to retrieve the ducks. (Is there a good blind setup for a small jonboat that doesn't make retrieving the ducks more difficult?) The only cover around the main part of the lake was little patches of bullrush...not very good cover. I threw out a string of the dozen bluebill dekes I had--5 deke line, a gap, 7 deke line. Then I got my boat (low profile) into the rushes, rolled a strip of camo burlap over it, and sat in the bottom of the boat with a low profile and a face net on. I had some goldeneyes approach the spread on a couple of occasions, but I think they could see me a little too far out. Ideas...that don't happen to include buying a dog and a totally different boat? Thanks! I'm learning a lot here.

[HugoBox]

Clearly cover is good but divers aren't like mallards. Usually if they aren't working right it's a decoy issue (see Elwoods post above). If you are not moving around a bunch they'll come right in even if you're standing up. Obviously it's no ideal to be ou in the open but my point is to focus on wind and blocks. I'd really suggest hitching a ride with someone who's been at it a bunch of years. For those of us who grew up hunting we take for granted all we learned through osmosis. You're asking all the right questions and it seems like you're already doing pretty darn good - heading out wiu an old guy (like me) can help shorten your learning curve. Not sure how close you are to the north metro but you'd be welcome to jump in with me sometime.

[mixxedbagg]

Thanks HugoBox. I appreciate the offer....north metro is a little far though. I'm in Itasca County.

I didn't realize that divers were less skittish about cover. Thanks for that tidbit.

[RumRiverRat]

Hugo we should get out and compare notes!

[email protected]

[BoxMN]

HugoBox is full of it we only got a little buffie this morning for the 5 dozen dekes we had out, hahaha! But we should have had a few more... my barrel is bent, and so was MPesters... but those that came in came in nice.

RRR where do you usually go? I shot more divers in NoDak this year in one weekend than all of last year in MN. I hope this deer opener will change that for me though, we head out by Fergus Falls, and duck hunt the deer opener, and deer hunt the second weekend.

BTW - the old guys who we learned from always siad no need to get out there too early, to wait until "decoying time" about sunrise, and today would have been a great example of that. Nothing until the sun came over the horizan.

BTW - HugoBox is my bro, so please mods don't think I am harrassing him

[Notcho]

Yup when i'm out for divers it's usually about 1hr or so after legal shooting time, no need to get up early. And the best camo is sitting still!!! Over the years I found it makes no difference if you have full camo or not as long as you stay put and don"t move. Some of my ND hunting buddies still hunt divers in Carharts and snowmobile jackets!

[HugoBox]

Yup when i'm out for divers it's usually about 1hr or so after legal shooting time, no need to get up early. And the best camo is sitting still!!! Over the years I found it makes no difference if you have full camo or not as long as you stay put and don"t move. Some of my ND hunting buddies still hunt divers in Carharts and snowmobile jackets!

That's funny. We use to hunt with an old timer who wore a red coverall. Sit still and they're happy t come in.

[mixxedbagg]

I'm going out tomorrow to try for some of the divers in that big raft in Itasca County. It's supposed to be windy (WNW) and I only have a dozen diver dekes. I plan on setting up with the wind at my back and pushing the boat into some bulrushes. No blind yet--just burlap over a jonboat and sitting really still. If it doesn't go well, I'll cut my losses and hit a small lake near my home. Either way, I'll be on the water, so I win.

[the man]

I'm getting in to hunting divers and a have a few questions for you guys. In your long lines do you have an anchor on each end of the mainline or just one? How long is your mainline on each long line? How should I go about scouting to find a lake to shoot some divers once they come through?