The Best Duck Decoy Weights Reviews for 2021
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When setting up a decoy spread in the water for duck hunting, it might be helpful to have some decoy weights. These weights, also known as decoy rigs or anchors, weigh down or hold your decoys in place and keep them stationary, ensuring that they don’t float down the river without you.
Decoy weights are usually quite simple; just some metal weights with some cables for attaching to the duck decoy. But that doesn’t mean they are all the same; you could spend about as much or as little as you like on good weights, and they can be used in a variety of different ways to get what you’re looking for.
Now you've got your decoy gloves on and are ready to start rigging up, let's go through our reviews of the best duck decoy weights for you to buy.
Top 5 Rated Models Comparison Table
Image | Weight Rig | Weight | Style | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 ounces | Texas Rig | |||
7.5 ounces | J-shape | |||
8 ounces | Texas Rig | |||
4 ounces, 6 ounces | Texas Rig | |||
5 Ounces | Strap Style |
Reviews of the Best Duck Decoy Weights
Lifetime Decoys claims their Texas-style rigs are the longest-lasting, most tangle-resistant decoy weights in existence. So we had to check them out and see how their bold claim stacked up. This package of 12 rigs features 48” long weights, weighing 4 ounces, and coated in PVC, making them even more durable and preventing them from getting tangled. They also include a large carabiner.
Almost everybody who has used these Texas rig decoys says that they do not tangle at all; that’s a really good track record. Lifetime Decoys also backs them up with a 3-year warranty and a money back guarantee; if you don’t like, they will give your money back and let you keep them.
Cons? They are the most expensive set of decoy weights we have seen, but other than that, there isn’t much not to like.
Overall, these Lifetime Decoys rigs are awesome, an excellent for both shallow and deeper water, and our choice for the best decoy weights you’re going to find.
Pros
- High-quality, Texas-style rigs
- Tangle-free PVC coating works well; they do not tangle at all
- 3-year warranty and guarantee
Cons
- Most expensive
These decoy weights from Greenhead Gear are some of the best money can buy. Unlike most other rigs, they are J-shaped, which lets them grab directly on to the decoy keel. You then use decoy bungee cords to keep them firmly in place.
And firmly in place, they will stay; they seriously will not come off the decoy. This unique design also means that you will not have any loose weights chipping your decoys, banging into the side, or getting massively tangled up. It’s a unique, durable and easy alternative to cable rigs, and are easier to clean, store and transport.
Downsides? They can’t be hooked together easily, like other systems, such as Texas rigs, which may be a hassle if you like to connect a large spread together.
But, they are pretty cheap, and the design is solid and won’t go anywhere. We think they stack up to any other Texas-style or another rig; it just depends what you want to use them for.
Pros
- Solid design; j-hook hooks directly to decoy keel and stays in place
- No loose weights to rattle about
- No tangling; the cords wrap around the keel for storage.
Cons
- Can’t connect rigs together easily
Choose some of these 6 oz decoy weights in one of three lengths – 30”, 54”, and 60” – so you can choose a length you like. The sliding weight design allows you to deploy and place these decoys super easily; you can throw the decoys accurately wherever you’d like them with one hand, and the weight then automatically slides down and keeps them in place. The looped ends allow decoys to be carried on the included carabiner or on the outside of your bag and makes collecting them super easy; simply clip them onto the carabiner and go.
The lines on the Rig’Em Right anchors are also tangle-free, and they’ve been given the Duck Commander Seal of Approval. So you know you’re getting a high-quality piece of gear.
The only thing we didn't like with these is that in order to snap multiple rigs together, you have to lift the entire rig out of the water, as the line is fixed on the keel of the decoy. This can be annoying when rigging a bunch of decoys at once.
But overall, these are solid decoys for a decent price, and the one-hand, sliding-weight design is super easy to use.
Pros
- Sliding weight design lets you throw with one hand
- Easy to pick up; just clip the loops to the carabiner
- Tangle-free cords
Cons
- Connecting multiple rigs together is difficult
These Texas-style decoy rigs from MOJO Outdoors come in three options – 4 oz and 36”, 6 oz and 18”, and 6 oz, 48”. All are very well priced but still high-quality. The design lets you connect decoys together to the heavy-duty mono line, which allows the decoys to slide over the weight in a natural manner when picked up. Each line has a loop at the end where you can rig them to a carabiner or hook for transporting them or for rigging them together all at once.
The Mojo rigs are designed to be deployed very easily and quickly, and reviewers and hunters find that they succeed at this. You can rig up a dozen or half dozen decoys in just a few minutes and get on with your hunting.
A few complaints; the cables can rust easily, as they are not PVC-coated or waterproofed like so many other cables. They also tangle easily, which is annoying, especially when most of the other rigs on our list are tangleproof, and these are advertised as such.
But overall, they’re fine Texas-style rigs, easy to use and available in several different lengths for cheap. We just wish the cables wouldn’t rust or tangle.
Pros
- High-quality
- Looped ends connect to carabiner for easy carry
- Quick and easy to deploy
- Decoys can easily be clipped together
Cons
- Cables are not coated; rust easily
- Tangle easily
Greenhead Gear intends these 5-ounce strap-style decoys to be versatile and appropriate for any situation. They’re much like the set above, but instead of a j-shape hooking directly to the keel, they are strap style: they have a hook-shaped weight made of “virgin” lead (we believe that means pure and newly molded) hanging from a classic decoy strap, and keeps your decoy firmly planted where you want them.
These are some of the better strap style decoy weights we've seen, thanks to their quality build and ease-of-use. They are quite versatile too, working in any situation and with pretty much any spread, whether that’s a shallow water field spread or some magnum goose floaters. When it’s time to put them away, all you have to do is wrap them around the keel of the decoy, and they’re all set, making them easy and convenient to put away and store.
Like the Keel Grabbers above, you can’t easily connect these decoy rigs together, which is too bad. It’s always nice to be able to connect a spread easily. We also aren’t sure 5-ounce weighs are nice.
But otherwise, we think they make a great option for some cheap strap-style decoy weights. Each weighs 5 ounces, and you get 12 in a pack.
Pros
- Strap-style decoy weights
- Works with virtually any decoy style/situation
- Affordable
- Hook-shaped, virgin lead weights
Cons
- Cords are not tangle proof
What to Look For In Duck Decoy Rigs
Weight Style
This is a very important consideration and one that may not be as straight-forward as one might think. When choosing a decoy rig, one must take into consideration where they are hunting, water depth, the kind of line, wind, water currents – a whole host of different variables.
A few different kinds of weights are Texas-rigs, which are simple and easy to use and let you hook multiple decoys to each other at once. And strap weights, where a lead weight hangs from the cord and keeps the decoy weighed down.
Cords/Material
Keep an eye out for cord material; some will be made of nylon or some plastic material, while others will be metal cables. Many newer cords are also coated in PVC, which prevents them from rusting and corrosion, and keeps them from getting tangled in a huge mess; this is a huge convenience, especially when you have many different decoy weights altogether.
Final Thoughts
Our top pick for the best duck decoy weights is the set of Lifetime Rigs 48” Texas Rig. These durable rigs have an awesome tangleproof PVC coating that really works; they do not tangle at all, and they’re guaranteed to last you years of regular use. They are bit pricier than similar rigs, but worth it.
Our second choice would be the Greenhead Gear Keel Grabbers. These use a very different design, with hooks that grab directly onto the decoy keel and are held in place by a bungee strap; this results in a more solid decoy spread with less clanking and easy storage, as the cords just wrap around the keel.
Either way, grab a set of decoy weights and start rigging up your spread. The ducks are calling.