Leaving your Decoys out the entire late season?

[lavarock64]

A few fellow hunters have been leaving there spreads out the entire late season and I'm considering the same.  It makes it convenient if you only have limited time.   I hunt a dock on Cayuga that can get some 5 foot wave action.  Any advice on the best / cost effective way to weight / rig the system ?  I've seen guys use fence panels with a dozen or so decoys down to one heavy weight, also some use rugged long lines. Thoughts?

[on the lam]

No expert here, but I believe the issue I would worry about is dekes getting covered with ice or snow, looking unnatural. Imo

[Missdemeanor]

Lava.... don't take this the wrong way, but leaving your rig out all season is just plain laziness. Part of duck hunting is making a pattern for your rig and actually having the birds land exactly where you want them... if you leave them out, you will have to make adjustments anyway to account for the changing wind. On the lam is exactly right.... those blocks will be wicked iced up. We bring our blocks inside everynight, thaw email out, and they look fine the next day. The easiest way to deploy and have the blocks look somewhat natural, I use a long line.... then I use single sets as a blocker. I've seen the net rigs before.... blocks that are real close in a tight group don't look natural...imo.... if you see a flock of birds on the water, they group up real tight before they spook and fly away..... just my opinion.... I'm sure that there are a thousand other ways to set dekes. Just what has worked for me.

[guffins fisherman]

Leaving fake birds out all the time to let the live ones to mingle with when no one is looking only serves to educate the live ones as to the difference.

[Pistol24]

How are you able to retrieve you duck if you can't get decoys out due to five footers. Leaving decoys or is pure laziness. Some of these ducks are smarter then the people pursuing them. IMO.