MAINE ANGLERS DISCOVER FISH DECOYS FOR NORTHERN PIKE AND TOGUE

Native Americans were the first to use imitation fish and wildlife as decoys to lure fish and animals to within killing range. Modern hunters have carried on the tradition and today's decoys are so technically correct they are oftentimes mistaken for the real thing.
Sadly, anglers have not carried their weight in perpetuating the science or art of making and using decoys to enhance their fishing luck. I was one boy fortunate enough to have one the most skilled craftsmen teach me the art. Harold Blaisdell of Pittsford Vermont, who was a freelance writer for Field and Stream back in the late 1960's showed me how to make a northern pike or lake trout (togue) decoy from a block of pine and the lid from a tuna fish can.
It was common to ice fish in darkened shanties and many times we could actually see the fish take the bait. Northern Pike and lake trout are easily alerted by these torpedo shaped decoys that, when dropped into the hole, will fall in an ever-widening circle. When the decoy is retrieved, it will make the same figuration of circles and the predator fish will come quickly to investigate, then take our live shiners or jigging spoons.
Back then, most decoy bodies were made from a discarded broomstick. Handles made from solid oak worked the best, since the object of using the decoy was to make it sink. Cut off a six or eight-inch length and taper one end to a dull point, torpedo-shaped.
Then, hold the body in a shop vice and drill at least a quarter inch hole most of the way through the length of the body. The cavity can be filled with lead split shot or pound a few tire balance weights or roof flashing lead to make the decoy heavy enough to sink quickly. Glue the open end of the hole to keep the lead in place.
Now, using any flat metal you can find, cut out four fins, two smaller one fro the front and two for the back. Make the fins nearly rectagular in shape but splayed a little so that one end is wider than the other, and round the corners of the smaller ends. Each of the front fins of the decoy should be around two inches long and the two back fins half that length.
Using a sharp knife, slice into the decoy body about and inch back of the nose, on either side, barely wide enough to slide each fin about a quarter inch into the body. Do the same with the back fins, then glue both sides of the fins with super Glue or Epoxy and let it set overnight.
Now you can paint the decoy to your artistic ability. Make a coupe of large eyes or glue on some store-bought dolls eyes. You can try to match the color of bait fish in the lake or simply paint the entire decoy pure white or flourescent orange or chartreuse. These are colors that will not darken or become fuzzy at deeper water depths.
Turn a small screw eye into the top of the decoy between the two front fins. You are now ready to test and tune your creation.
Attach the decoy to a jigging rod, using a snap or snap swivel and lower it into the water. Open the bail spring and allow the weight of the decoy pull off line. Watch as the decoy sinks. If it does not fall in smooth, ever-widening circles, you'll need to bend each of the fins until it does.
Using the decoy after it has been fine-tuned, simply drill another hole in the ice a foot or two from the one in which you have a baited line and drop the decoy. Wait thirty seconds and quickly bring the decoy back to the surface and drop it again.
Continue this action until you see fish hitting or slapping their tail fins against the decoy as it is raised or lowered, then tie if off and let the decoy hang a foot or so beneath the ice.
Sebago Lake is an ideal body of water to use decoys, and any of the big lakes in the Augusta area where northern pike can be found in numbers. North Pond, Sabbatus Lake and Messalonskee are my favorites.
And, by all means, pass the art of building and the sport of using fish decoys on to younger generations.

For more information on fishing decoys visit: www.oldfishdecoys.com or www.southlakedecoys.com