Jeremy Helmin is from Rice, Minnesota.
You can contact him at jhdecoys@clearwire.net
Jeremy wrote the following:
“I was born and raised in central MN in 1974. I have been working in a cabinet/mill shop for many years. I have always enjoyed working with wood and making things. I enjoy fishing, hunting and many other outdoor activities. I am noted for my jointed decoys that have a lifelike action. My interest in decoys began while experimenting and making musky lures and seeing how the lures move in the water and how fish would respond. It later evolved into making decoys. I would test and experiment with my decoys in the bathtub to see how they would swim and discovered something that had a completely different action from other decoys…a decoy that swims and wiggles back and forth like a real fish that is currently patent pending.
I began making decoys in 2003. I make most of them from white pine with copper fins. I also use oversized eyes in many of my decoys because I believe fish are attracted to eyes. All are handmade and hand painted. Many have curved bodies and can be fine-tuned with the top fin and sometimes an adjustment of the front fins. The tail wiggles back and forth while the spinner gives flash and vibration all while going in a forward circular motion. They are somewhat tricky to make and time consuming. I engrave my initials J.H. on each decoy along with the year made.
I now have a test tank in my basement where I test and swim my decoys instead of the bathtub.
When I spear I usually like to use larger-sized jointed decoy along with a floater decoy of a different color.
I would like to mention that I had help and great influence in making decoys by Dennis Bertram, Jay McEvers and Mike Ott.”
Picture courtesy of Jay McEvers
Photos courtesy of Jeremy Helmin
jhdecoys@clearwire.net