Ask any hunter what attracts ducks to a decoy spread and you are likely to get the answer “realism.”
Natural movement on the water attracts ducks, and the ripples produced from a duck while it swims are as natural as it gets. But how can you get this natural affect from your spread? It’s as simple as using a jerk string. A life-like movement is mimicked at your spread with just giving nothing more than a light tug of the line that is connected to your spread. All that’s required to make your own jerk string is some decoy line, an anchor, a bungee cord, and snap swivels.
Use the decoy line as your main line. Knowing how much line you need depends on how far away tour decoy spread is located from your blind. You can always tie more line on, or cut some line off if necessary. For starters, I recommend starting out with a length of line ranging from 100 to 125 feet.
To prevent pulling your decoys into your lap, the jerk string will have to be weighted with an anchor of some sort solidly to the bottom. There are several options one can use. I prefer a small boat anchor, but coffee cans and milk jugs filled with concrete also work well. Any object that has enough weight to hold the line in place and still allow movement in your spread will work fine.
To make a jerk string, begin by attaching one end to the bungee cord to the anchor, and the other end of the cord attaches to the decoy line. The bungee cord is stretchable, which allows the decoys to return to their starting position when the line is pulled. This will create the movement and ripples that you desire.
Take an estimated guess as to how far from your blind it is to the first decoy in your spread. This is where you will attach the first snap swivel for the jerk string. I like to space my snap swivels at intervals of five to ten feet apart. Attach the swivels to the keel on each decoy. This will keep the line from getting twisted.
Before heading to the lake this fall test your line at a pond to see if any adjustments need to be made. Come duck season, you should have a good grasp on how to effectively use this system. You may even wonder why you haven’t tried your own homemade jerk string before now.
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Photo: Ducks Unlimited
