Sucker Fish Ice Fishing Decoy

Sucker Fish Ice Fishing Decoy

<< >>
Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description (Brief)
Carved wooden ice fishing decoy in the shape of a Sucker fish made by the donor, Art Reuck, a spear fisherman from Minnesota. Fish decoys are used in ice fishing in which a fisherman cuts a hole into the ice of a frozen lake, lowers the decoy into the hole on a string to attract the fish and then spears the fish when it comes to the surface of the water. While spearing fish is illegal in most states, some of the northern most states, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin allow this form of fishing to continue. Fish decoys are usually hand carved from a strong wood, such as white pine but which is still soft enough to carve. The fins are usually made from aluminum and an exact amount of molten lead, specific to each fish, is added for ballast to allow the decoy to sink but still maintain a horizontal float pattern. According to the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum, carved fish are one of the earliest forms of American folk art which traces the practice back to 1,000 A.D. when hunters in the Bering Sea first used small bone or ivory decoys for ice fishing.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
decoy, ice fishing
date made
1994
maker
Reuck, Art
Reuck, Art
place made
United States: Minnesota, Pierz
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
metal (fins; hooks material)
Measurements
overall: 6 cm x 11.6 cm x 21 cm; 2 3/8 in x 4 9/16 in x 8 9/32 in
ID Number
1995.0358.01
catalog number
1995.0358.01
accession number
1995.0358
Credit Line
Art R. Reuck
subject
Sports
Ice Fishing
recreational
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.