Any of you guys run long lines for divers? I want to try saving a little weight in the boat so I'm gonna make up a gang rig. How long do you typically make a set of lines?

I have most of mine around 90 or 100'. 25' for an anchor at each end then just fill in decoys spaced about 3 to 5' apart on 18" droppers. Usually between 10 and 15 on a line. Use commercial longline clips but I leave everything attached and only take them apart at the end of the season or if there is a tangle. Make sure you use good main line. I use 120 tarred line.

Excellent, do the commercial clips "grab" onto the main line or do they attach to a loop?

Just make loops and attach clips.

Screw a loop


120 or 1/4" tarred main line. 80 tarred droppers 8-12" each. 4-5" longline clips. Google Doctari and get it all there - the clips you buy will not move up and down the line once snapped on. Brass snap clips on each end of main lines
Go to Home Depot and buy one of those orange spools that long extension cords go on. You can put 4 40 yard main lines on each clipped end of end. Clip anchor, drop it out, and clip decoys on as the line comes off the spool as fast as you can. Reverse for pick up

I may have to just save myself a little work and get a couple of the 140' doctari setups. Around 40 bucks a rig aint bad at all

Make sure to use 36" drops if you have a dog. I'd recommend a 1/4" main line that's extra stiff to avoid a tangled mess.

You don't need rings just clip right on the 120 tarred. I started with those doctari lines and they are great. I use 18"-24" drops even with my dog. Started with 36" and cut them down. The shorter ones are easier to handle. Also I am a big fan of keeping everything rigged up. I don't take my decoys off the lines between hunts. Its much faster and really no worries about tangles. I use either collapsable leaf bags, trash cans, or the 12 slot decoy bags depending on the decoys and boat I'm on. In the leaf bag or trash can just throw them in and don't worry about how they fall. They won't tangle at all. I just started using the 12 slot bags in the past 2 years and they are great too. Take a little more time to pick up but goes out just as easy and easy to store.

Thanks for tbe input guys. Ladt season I had to start keeping all my decoys in a Rubbermaid tub in the boat and bring them inside after every hunt to keep everything from freezing together or to the bottom of the boat. I'll probably just keeo that going with thr long lines as long as tangling isnt an issue.

12 slot bags are your friend

I run 9 -10 doz Blue Bills for late season divers
Slot bags rule.

What size boat you run buzz? I would imagine 10 dozen slot decoy bags would fill a rig up fast.

I used to run longlines on lake Erie. We would hunt in some big waves. It seems by me they do not mind sitting in 3-5 footers. When we would set the longlines and the motor would stall, those decoys would come flying off. To get 3-5 footers on Erie the wind is usually around 25mph. Which pushes the boat at a pretty fast clip. I get reminded of it every time I see Quin shoots that dart and they attach that barrel to jaws and almost take the chief out.

My good buddy uses rubber maid bins. They work just fine too. I don't like the plastic because they tend to break when it gets cold and ice is on everything but if you can keep them from cracking they work good.

We use lead core line as the main line with 2ft leds tied direct to decoy and main line no snaps less snags that way. Lead core line is weighted so it sinks and dog won't get hung up. When we pick up everything gets feed into a Rubbermaid can. One weight goes into bottom of barrel still attached and the other end weight gets unclipped and the loose line then is clipped to bungie so it's easier to find for setting up in low light situations. We haul out 11 lines 10 being various ducks with the 11th line being a short string of geese. 6 man limit on scooters long tails buffleheads bluebills redheads is a normal thing hunting the Chesapeake bay.

I like to run (three Long Lines) in hunting big water utilizing 550 OD cord.

1. 150' LL, (using 3" clips on all diver dekes with 4" connectors on all LL's).
2 120' LL
3. 75' LL

(a) I like to use a 5 lb anchor on front of all the long lines, with 3 lb j-hook on back of two long lines.

(b) I normally with use the shorter 75' line - end to swing free with the current.

Easy Breezy...no worries.