Fish Decoys, about fish decoys.

The contemporary fish decoy and its carvers are a wonderful example of a modern North American folk art. Anyone interested in folk art, wildlife art, fishing or the outdoors can appreciate the fish decoy. Fish decoys can now be found almost anywhere from the corporate office to the sportsman's den. Fish decoys have evolved over hundreds of years from a method of food procurement into an appealing and interesting form of collectible wildlife art.

Who first made and used fish spearing decoys?

The first people to spear fish through the ice using decoys werethe Native Americans of the great lakes area including the Potawotami, Menominee, and the Ojibway. These people built dark huts on the ice out of branches and animal hides and jigged primitive decoys of mussel shell, antler, or weighted wood to lure larger fish within spearing range. The decoy was meant to resemble some sort of enticing prey to the larger fish. The larger fish were typically Northern Pike and Musky, but also included Whitefish, Trout, and Sturgeon. This method provided the indigenous people with a supply of fresh fish during the long harsh great lakes winters. The first Europeans to the great lakes in the late 1500s quickly adopted the decoy and the spear as a method to procure fish during the winter.

How did the fish decoy remain alive into the 20th century?

The first fish decoy was patented in 1865 and as fishing lure companies sprang up in the late 1800s, these companies also produced fish decoys to satisfy the increasing demand. These fish decoys were wooden with metal fins and weighted with lead. The Creek Chub Bait Company in Garrett, Indiana and the South Bend Bait Company in South Bend, Indiana produced some of the finest factory decoys. The huts of hide used by the natives evolved into more elaborate ice houses called shanties. Many shanties together formed bustling ice villages upon the surfaces of the frozen bodies of water on which they were placed. Fish spearing reached a peak of popularity during the depression era, as more people sought out ways to provide for themselves and their families. Many wonderful fish spearing decoys were produced during this time. Men, known today as master fish decoy carvers, produced decoys of scraps that today are worth thousands of dollars.

An example of a simple factory made fish spearing decoy with button eyes. Made by the Randall Fish Decoy Company in Wilmar Minnesota.

An example of a simple factory made fish spearing decoy with button eyes, manufactured by the Randall Decoy Company of Wilmar, Minnesota. (not overly valuable, but interesting)

Where are fish spearing decoys used today?

Spearing is still legal for many fish such as pike, sturgeon, and whitefish in states including Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Montana.

What sorts of fish are decoys carved to resemble?

Generally any species of fish common to the great lakes area is duplicated in wood for spearing decoys. Soft boned species such as suckers, chubs, and perch are the traditional favorites, but other creatures such as frogs, turtles, crayfish, and salamanders are also great attractors. Modern fish decoys are being carved to resemble almost any fish or creature that you may imagine, even marine organisms are now being made into fish decoys. One might even see a mermaid fish decoy!

How are more modern fish spearing decoys used?

Modern fish spearing decoys are weighted with lead to allow them to be suspended to the desired depth just like wooden decoys have been for many years. Most modern decoys are made from basswood or cedar, but most of our decoys are carved from tupelo gum, a soft wood with low grain well suited to carving.

Jigging stick carved like a gar by our friend Sonny Bashore.

The modern decoy is, as it always has been, meant to be jigged through the water, thereby mimicking a real bait fish or potential prey. The decoy is attached to a jig stick (often simply a stick) and by means of a line tied to an eyelet on the decoy it is "swum" to resemble a living fish or prey. When the predatorial fish approaches the decoy, the fisherman attempts to spear the fish. The jig stick shown was carved by our friend and fellow carver Sonny Bashore of Ohio.

What is a decorative fish spearing decoy?

Decoy carving competitions are now held, whereat carvers can compete in a peer judged contest of carving and painting skill. The decoys that are taken to these shows are functional, but given the work required to create one, they are intended only as decoration or for collectible purposes. The decoys are judged upon likeness of species, as well as swimming attitude of the decoy when jigged in water. Carving competition decorative decoys is very time consuming, one decoy may take us 50-60 hours in some cases, such as the snapping turtle shown in our gallery. Carving competitions also feature categories for folk and more traditional decoys. Simply carving and painting a nice looking fish is one thing, making that fish carving into a fish decoy is another matter entirely.

Wooden fish spearing decoys hand carved by Kimmel