A fish decoy is an object in the shape of a fish or some other animal that is used as a decoy to attract fish. It is often used during ice fishing, particularly in the American Upper Midwest, upstate New York, and southern Canada. [1] [2] Unlike a fishing lure, a fish decoy usually doesn't have a hook. [1] They have been prized as a form of folk art for as long as they have existed, but have gained popularity and collector value following the Great Depression era. [1]
Fishing decoys have a long history in North America, having been used by Indigenous peoples since at least 1000 AD. [3] The first fishing decoys were made from wood, bone, or antlers, but over time wood became the standard material. When Europeans began colonizing the area, they learned the use of fish decoys from the Indigenous peoples, and began carving and using their own. Fur trader Alexander Henry the Elder wrote in his journal in 1762 about how he and his company used fish decoys to fish in the winter near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario:
"A spearhead of iron is fastened on a pole of about ten feet in length. This instrument is lowered into the water and the fisherman, lying upon his belly with his head under the cabin. He then lets down a figure of a fish carved in wood and filled with lead. Round the middle of the fish-effigy is tied a small packthread; when at the depth of ten fathoms, where it is intended to be employed, it is made, by drawing the string and by the simultaneous pressure of the water, to move forward after the manner of a real fish. Trout and other large fish, deceived by its resemblance, spring forward to seize it: but by a dexterous jerking of the string, it is instantly taken from their reach. The decoy is now drawn near to the surface and the fish takes some time to renew the attack, during which time, the spear is raised and held conveniently for striking. On the return of the fish, the spear is plunged into its back and, the spear being barbed, is drawn out of the water." [2]
Fish decoys are primarily used when ice fishing with spears, although fish decoys have been employed during "normal" (non-ice) fishing to attract fish to where a fisherman may have placed several baited lines. Most common forms of fish decoys are weighted and attached to a line. The line is often attached to the roof of the ice shanty (sometimes called a darkhouse or fish house), some other stationary object, or held with a jigging stick. The fisherman will then "swim" or "dangle" the decoy to attract a fish in close enough to spear.
Fish decoys can be used to attract predator fish but also sturgeons.
Another form of decoy that is sometimes used is called a "floater". This type of fish decoy is not weighted, but is attached to a weight that holds the decoy at the desired depth.
There are other fish decoys which have one or more hooks attached. In Minnesota, and some other states, these decoys are illegal and are referred to as "cheaters". In Michigan, a hooked decoy is legal and is simply counted as one of the number of lines that each angler is allowed to employ. These decoys are used since some species of fish, such as pike, are very aggressive and will attack the decoy. The application of hooks provides an additional method to ensure the catch.
Given that ice fishing was one of the primary ways to gather food during the harsh winters of northern North America, fish decoys were highly prized by their makers and users. They have been a form of folk art for as long as they have been around, but since the Great Depression era they have especially begun to be valued and collected by makers and enthusiasts. Styles range from basic to photorealistic to stylized with Northern European folk art patterns. [4] [2]
Among notable 20th century fish decoy artists are Gordon Charbeneau, Abe De Hate Sr, Gordon "Pecore" Fox, Hans Janner Sr., David Forton, Yock Meldrom, Larry Joseph Peltier, Oscar W. Peterson, William Jesse Ramey, Tom Schroeder, Harry Seymore, Andy Trombley, and Ted Van DeBossche. These carvers (and numerous others) are considered vintage master carvers because their work predates the modern "collector" phase of fish decoys. Their carvings were primarily intended as tools to aid the fisherman in harvesting fish.
A fishing rod is a long, thin rod used by anglers to catch fish by manipulating a line ending in a hook. At its most basic form, a fishing rod is a straight rigid stick/pole with a line attached to one end ; however, modern rods are usually elastic and generally have the line stored in a reel mounted at the rod handle, which is hand-cranked and controls the line retrieval, as well as numerous line-restricting rings that distribute bending stress along the rod and help dampening down/prevent line whipping and entanglement. To better entice fish, baits or lures are dressed onto the one or more hooks attached to the line, and a bite indicator is used, some of which might be incorporated as part of the rod itself.
Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is insufficient to overcome air resistance, it cannot be launched far using conventional gears and techniques, so specialized tackles are used instead and the casting techniques are significantly different from other forms of angling. It is also very common for the angler to wear waders, carry a hand net, and stand in the water when fishing.
Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniques such as handlining also exist. Modern angling rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a cranking device for storing, retrieving and releasing out the line, although Tenkara fishing and traditional cane pole fishing are two rod-angling methods that do not use any reel. The fish hook itself can be additionally weighted with a denser tackle called a sinker, and is typically dressed with an appetizing bait to attract and entice the fish into swallowing the hook, but sometimes an inedible fake/imitation bait with multiple attached hooks is used instead of a single hook with edible bait. Some type of bite indicator, such as a float, a bell or a quiver tip, is often used to relay underwater status of the hook to the surface and alert the angler of a fish's presence.
Crappies are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus Pomoxis in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers.
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival and livelihood.
Jigging is the practice of fishing with a jig, a type of weighted fishing lure. A jig consists of a heavy metal sinker with an attached fish hook that is usually obscured inside a soft lure or feather-like decorations. Jigs are intended to create a jerky, vertical "jumping" motion to attract fish, as opposed to other common lures like swimbaits, spoons and spinnerbaits, which move through the water more or less horizontally. The jig is very versatile and can be used in both salt and fresh water. Many deeper water fish species are attracted to the lure, which has made it popular among anglers for years.
A fishing lure is any one of a broad category of artificial angling baits that are inedible replicas designed to mimic prey animals that attract the attention of predatory fish, typically via appearances, flashy colors, bright reflections, movements, vibrations and/or loud noises which appeal to the fish's predation instinct and entice it into gulping the lure. Angling activities using lures are known as lure fishing.
Handline fishing, or handlining, is a fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands, rather than with a fishing rod like the usual angling, of which handlining is a subtype. Handlining is not to be confused with handfishing, which is catching fish by hand. When handlining, one or more fishing lures or baited hooks are attached to the line, and a fishing lure and often a weight and/or a fishing float can also be attached to the line. Handlining is among the oldest forms of fishing and is still practiced throughout the world today.
Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/feeders, nets, spears, gaffs and traps, as well as wires, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners, clevises and tools that make it easy to tie knots.
Coarse fishing is a phrase commonly used in Great Britain and Ireland. It refers to the angling for rough fish, which are fish species considered undesirable as food or game fish. Freshwater game fish are all salmonids, particularly salmon, trout and char. Generally, coarse fish are freshwater fish that are not salmonids, though there is often disagreement over whether grayling should be classified as a game fish or a coarse fish.
A fishing float or bobber is a lightweight buoy used in angling, usually attached to a fishing line. Angling using a float is sometimes called float fishing.
An artificial fly or fly lure is a type of fishing lure, usually used in the sport of fly fishing. In general, artificial flies are an imitation of aquatic insects that are natural food of the target fish species the fly fishers try to catch. Artificial flies are constructed by fly tying, in which furs, feathers, thread or any of very many other materials are tied onto a fish hook.
A surface lure or topwater lure is a diverse class of fishing lure designed to attract predatory fish through commotions produced at the water surface, imitating preys of interest swimming at the surface such as injured baitfish, frogs, wading mice, lizards and water snakes, drowning insects and dabbling ducklings. These lures are preferred by some anglers due to the belief that they attract larger-than-average fish, and from the added excitement of actually seeing the sudden splashes created by fish aggressively breaching the surface to strike the lure, in some instances even clearly seeing the fish stalking the lure before striking.
Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs and edible marine invertebrates.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fishing:
A duck decoy is a man-made object resembling a duck. Duck decoys are typically used in waterfowl hunting to attract real ducks, but they are also used as collectible art pieces. Duck decoys were historically carved from wood, often Atlantic white cedar wood on the east coast of the United States, or cork. Modern ones may also be made of canvas and plastic. They are often painted to resemble various kinds of waterfowl.
Fish sculpture, fish decoys, fish carvings and fish trophies are the names given to a style of painted wood carving practiced by various artisans. The works are kept as decorations and collectible as folk art.
William Jesse Ramey was an American vintage master carver of fish decoys. His work is sometimes attributed to "Jess Ramey", though he was known to his friends as Jesse. His work, along with Oscar W. Peterson's, formed the basis of what is now considered the "Cadillac style".
Oscar W. "Pelee" Peterson was an American carver of fish decoys.
Oscar "Pelee" Peterson is among the best known and most widely imitated fish carvers.