Alsatian

Has anyone used those "magnetic vibrators" that look kind of like hockey pucks? They have a battery pack that drives a motor to rotate an asymmetric mass that causes the whole package to vibrate. The vibrator is intended to create ripples in the water in one's decoy spread, to give the appearance of live action.

(1) How do you place these packages? Are they teethered to anchors to be just under the surface or are they intended to float on the surface, the teether simply keeping them in place?

(2) I see mine, bought at BassPro, are marked made in China. How long can I expect these things to last before they break? Any special precautions I should take to prevent water infiltrating the threaded coupling?

(3) Do they work to bring the ducks in?

bcvd45

I dont know about any of the first 2 but as for number 3. I would say yes they work. It seems that the more motion in your spread the better off you are. If you dont have to rely on the wind to blow your ducks around it is all the better. It also causes little waves that move all you other dekes. Save principle as the mojo....looks more realistic with motion.

SwampCollie

I used them for several seasons. And with pretty dang fine success. I have a Higdon Pulsator and a floating Mojo that pull the job of surface ripples now... but those things work pretty good for $15.

You can set them up one of a couple of ways. You can tie an anchor directly to it, and that works pretty good. I hunt mostly in tidal creeks and other places with current. What I did was take a feeder butt decoy and run about two feet of decoy line off the butt (which was anchored itself) and attach the shaker puck to that. That way, the motion was coming from very close to a decoy. Worked like a champ.

The issue isn't really breaking... its water and especially internal condensation (the beer can effect). If you are good at sodering and rewiring small electronics, you can keep them going a long time. If you hunt as hard as I do (20+ mornings a season), I could usually get two seasons out of them. Some work longer than others.

Oh heck yes. Especially on super still days where its very hard to get ducks to work tight. I think its $15 well spent dollars. I usually ran 3 or 4 of them... one per about three or four decoys.

Alsatian

SwampCollie: So, are the vibrators anchored so they are submerged UNDER the water and hence out of sight of the ducks or do they float on top of the water, in plain view of the ducks, but not off-putting for the ducks?

CodyGuess

they were excellent.. we use them an they are good for the price... i recommend them.. we do what swampcollie does an they work very well an the ducks like it when the super still days are here....

deke12ga

They're designed to float... If the puck doesnt break the surface you wont have any ripples... Swampcollie's idea about tying them to a decoy (or just placing them close to one) is a good idea. If the ducks get close enough to notice the puck isnt a duck (sorry for the Dr. Suess) you should be shooting at them anyhow...

DuckHuntin247

Yeah we have a couple. I believe the ones we have our called "quiver magnets". We cut flaps on the backs of our floater decoys, almost like the flaps on mojos. The velcroed the magnets to the bottom of the floater. They seem to work good, you just have place the decoy carefully. If you toss it out the impact of the decoy hitting the water will jar the batteries loose.

SwampCollie

Sorry I didn't see your counter question til now.

They float about dead even with the water surface. The flat top of the shaker is about flush with the water. They don't scare the ducks though. They are painted that nice neutral color. Ducks can't tell exactly where the ripples come from... just that the surface isn't stagnant still. In the timber we always just used our foot to kick the water up... that or a paddle churned sideways works well too.

Alsatian

Very cool. I'm looking forward to trying these things out Christmas Eve. Maybe about half the time I have been duck hunting the water is pretty close to dead still. I've got 2 of these things. If they work well, I'll probably get several more.

CanadaSlammer69

the quiver magnets work well, but on the lastday of the wisconsin season my buddybrought outa motion decoy that he made out of a bilge pump, a duck butt, and a blinker switch from a car. he wired this all to a small motorcycle battery that we put in a magnum mallard floater. this thing moved as much water as three quiver magnets. ill try to get the link up on how to make it. he said it only costs about 30 bucks for everything.