Setting a spread on Farmer Jones’ small pasture pond? Working with the wind, it’s simple to toss a few floaters here, a few there, and three in the hole, making sure to leave plenty of welcome room in front. When the bag’s empty, the job is done. All that’s left is pouring a cup of coffee.
But moving water, say a small tributary river, can present a little bit of a challenge. The first is where on that mile-long stretch to set up. Typically, the birds will answer that for you, as ducks sit on moving water in certain spots for specific reasons, e.g. food, lack of current, an open shoreline that allows them to see predators. Often, eddies or backwaters, i.e. slower current, are favored. Here, the birds don’t have to expand energy fighting the flow.
Where possible, a combination spread of floaters and full-bodies or, if it’s extremely cold, sleeper shells, adds to the realism. So, too, does a higher anchor point on the decoy itself. Using the higher anchor point on your Mainline Mallard allows the leading edge of the keel to operate much like the ‘bill’ on a crankbait, swimming the decoy back and forth in the current. Too, rig a handful of your decoys from the rear; this is gives non-static look to the spread and adds to the realism.
Written by M.D. Johnson
