[Duurty1]

i was just wondering if anybody has modified weighted keel decoys into water keels and if so how did you do it. i am just trying to save weight and i have a dozen old decoys that i would like to do it to

 

[TagmBagm]

The bad thing about water keel decoys is their tendency to flip in waves and stuff. I would not suggest it. Keep the weight and have better decoys.

 

[Riverrat77]

Duurty... I converted all but my Carrylite Mallards to waterkeel this year. For a foot soldier, its easy, takes a TON of weight off your back, and we usually don't hunt big enough water here in windy enough conditions for the water keel to matter as far as stability. I've hunted the GSL with all waterkeel dekes in absolute white capping windstorms this season and haven't had any tipper problems. Some areas, that might be the case but on your WMAs or big reservoirs, it shouldn't be a big deal. The only place I've seen that happen was on the east shore of Utah lake.... some of those waves have tipped my dekes, but thats it.

To do it... depends on what kind of dekes you have. What I did on my GHG to convert them from weighted to water is I just got a sharp pocket knife, cut the very back (including the glue cap to keep the sand in) and the very front of the keel off. That way, you still have a long, stable keel and since they're so big, there is a lot of water held in there to keep the deke upright. I have done this with Mallards, Gadwalls and some teal and let me tell ya, my back is thanking me for it. Good luck.... I sure wish they made some of the better looking dekes in water keel for us foot soldiers, but I'm sure we're not who the market is geared towards so it probably won't happen. 8)

 

[TagmBagm]

I think the main reason for your back hurting is maybe your decoy bag. I know that when I carry my decoy bag with 40+ pounds in it then my back is sore by the time I am done, but if is carry Rabbit_Slayer16's bag with 30+ pounds it does not even feel like I am carrying anything. This is the reason I am getting a new one for christmas. I am tired of coming home and having a sore back, and I am not willing to change my decoys to water keel cause the water keel decoys I do have flip as soon as the waves come in big water.

 

[Riverrat77]

I think the main reason for your back hurting is maybe your decoy bag. I know that when I carry my decoy bag with 40+ pounds in it then my back is sore by the time I am done, .

Bag strapped onto a packframe... so its not the bag I'm carrying. It was the weight... I made all the dekes water keel and now, no sweat. I'd go all water keel if I could... but the Carrylite keels have some weird seal on them and I don't want to ruin the decoy so I'll leave those six as they are. I'm glad you don't have to carry my bag... I might spend more time pulling you out of the sand than we'd spend hunting. 40lbs.... :shock: :lol:

 

[TagmBagm]

It is probably more than 40 pounds cause I have never weighed it. I have my full size mojo, my bucket to sit on, and between 12 and 24 weight keel decoys. I don't know how much it weighs but the pond I would carry it into was over a mile and a half to it and another mile and a half back.