duck boat setups

[jakeweb]

I'm looking into getting my first duck boat! I really only hunt a few smaller lakes in the Moses lake area, and I'd like to explore the canal off of Frenchman hills road in Grant county. Do you think I need a flat boat such as a jon boat or could I also explore a v hull style boat? Would I be able to get around with a 16 foot v hull or is all the water to shallow? Just looking for everyone's  thanks guys

[NW-GSP]

Tagging, interested in close to the same.

[lokidog]

I used to use an inflatable over there as well as a canoe.  Those lakes are all small enough that a canoe could be used safely and is easier to haul into some of the smaller waters.   

[Revwrangler]

I hunt out of a kayak. Light and easy to use. Doubles as a layout blind if you back it into the reeds and cover yourself up. I've taken plenty of ducks that way. How ever I must admit I don't get over to hunt that side often. However would love to hunt Moses Lake/Pot Holes area one of these days.

[jakeweb]

I've thought about sneak boat types however I usually hunt with a friend or 2 so I would like a boat with some swivel seats, and room to carry around some decoys, and of course the most important part..my lab! I have done a sneak boat hunt before down narrow canals and that was a blast, but felt bad leaving the dog at home...and I think he still holds it against me 

[lokidog]

Keep in mind, anything over a 12' v-hull and you will probably need a boat launch.  Two people and a dog in a canoe is very doable and can be carried in just about anywhere.

[ghosthunter]

I am using a 16 ft alum. Cover it with shadow grass.

My buddy has a 18 boat with open floor no seats and a blind on it. We sit in lawn chairs and shoot out the side.

[jakeweb]

I really like the open floor! But your 16 looks good, how much water is needed loaded down? I'm thinking a 14-16

[Revwrangler]

The dog factor i don't like either. I want something easy to load that I can bring my lab in. Lots of sneak boats can, but they are expensive and I really like the maneuverability and easy loading of my kayak. So I just split time between hunting that way and walking in to blinds.

[Badhabit]

I hunt and fish the Potholes, Winchester, Frenchmans and Lind Coulee. In Sept. the only other boat that can get back to where we fish is the Mardon airboat. Mine is a true flat bottom boat as compared to a jon boat that has ribs. Jon boats can go about 90% of the places a flat bottom can. The ribs really dig in when sliding over a sand bar or beaver dam. For 3 shooters a dog or 2 and decoys, I'd definitely look at a 18'. 54 to 60" wide and as big of a mud motor as you can get. My boat will do almost 30 mph with just me. My is 18' and 50" wide.

[AWS]

A couple of pics.  I've had this boat since 76 and it's been a work in progress.   2003 I decided to deck it over and make everything lockable.  I call it the "Freelancer" 5 dz standard duck decoys and 6 goose floaters fit in the front cargo hold.  Oars, decoy retrievers, anchors, shooting boxes and fuel tank lock in the side lockers.  The center cockpit aqrea is 18x48" and it has an angled back rest, I pull the boat into a little cut and sit down in the cockpit and it's nearly invisible.  You can take a wave over the side and it won't swamp just the cockpit fills and I have a large bilge pump hooked up to it.  With five dz deeks in the front hold and extra floatation on either side of the transom well it floats like a cork even full of water. 

It is light enough that I can jump out and walk it through ankle deep water.





AWS

[lokidog]

AWS, that boat looks great.  Nice job!

[ghosthunter]

I really like the open floor! But your 16 looks good, how much water is needed loaded down? I'm thinking a 14-16

That's abour right. I added a dog ramp since this photo. I am going to get it set back up for hunting this weekend. So I can get back on the lakes.
If I could find a wider boat with flat bottom , I would get it.
Got this one for 150.00 with trailer.

I have been watching for a little wider boat.

Two guys in predator chairs sitting on the bottom between the seats,with shadow grass mats over us. Dog on bow.
If just me the dog prefers to be in front on deck between seats.

[ghosthunter]

Here is my boat found a pic from last year.

[M_59]

I used to use an inflatable over there as well as a canoe.  Those lakes are all small enough that a canoe could be used safely and is easier to haul into some of the smaller waters.   

Just my opinion, but "safe" and "canoe" don't belong in the same sentence when referring to hunting situations. Especially when there are dogs involved. I prefer an Aquapod for those scenarios.

[ghosthunter]

Here is my buddies boat.

[lokidog]

I used to use an inflatable over there as well as a canoe.  Those lakes are all small enough that a canoe could be used safely and is easier to haul into some of the smaller waters.   

Just my opinion, but "safe" and "canoe" don't belong in the same sentence when referring to hunting situations. Especially when there are dogs involved. I prefer an Aquapod for those scenarios.

I guess it depends how big you are and how well behaved the dog is as well as its size, I know there are some guys nad some dogs I would not want to be with in a canoe....     Only went over once in all the years (15+) of hunting out of a canoe, and that was because my ex-wife did something stupid.  We even got her shotgun back off the bottom.  I did prefer hunting out of the inflatable though.

[AWS]

A canoe is only dangerous if you do something stupid in it, like trying to use one during duck season when you have little experience in one.  I used one for many years and hunted Skadgit, Nisqually, Greys Harbour, and the Potholes resv.  I knew the Potholes good enough that I could put in at Mardon in the fog and run a compass heading to the sand dunes.  I wouldn't do it today with guys running across the lake in the dark staring at their GPS instead of where they are going.

I grew up in a canoe, fishing, camping, running trap lines, duck hunting and ricing out of one.

Dogs in a canoe, one of then reasons the American Water Spaniel was the darling of market hunters in the upper Midwest was its size, it was bread to work out of small skiffs and canoes used oon the rivers and marshes there.  The labs popularity almost coincides with the development of the reliable outboard.

A canoe is a great boat, most of this country was explored and settled with it.  If your going to hunt out of one get to know it in the summer on a nice warm day and push it to its limits a dunking in the summer is a fun day , in December it could kill you.  There is no highly portable boat that will even come close to hauling a large spread of decoys as effortlessly as a canoe. 

When I moved to WA the one thing that didn't get left in WI was my canoe.

[AKHUNT]

Heres a pic of my little duck boat.  Its a boat that I built about 10 years ago.  Its got a little 6hp mudbuddy on it and does really nice in shallow waters.  Not a speed boat by any means, but its easy to hide.  Good for 2 plus a dog.  I normally dont run more than 2 dozen decoys up here, mostly its fewer.



Here is a pic of my other duck boat.  This is probably the most versatile (and funnest to drive) of the boats I own.  I built a frame for the blind and bought some panels from a mudmotor dealer and it works great.  Most of our marshes have relatively short grasses in them, so this boat can be hard to hide in some places.  The boat gets used a lot to haul things to the cabin, fishing....and the set up does well in just about everything except for shallow gravel/rock rivers.  Jets cant be beat at that point.

[JJD]

See the Sticky thread;
Boats, Blinds, Etc
Lots of good stuff there too

[jakeweb]

thanks guys, youve all got some awesome set ups.

[Kola16]

This is an awesome pic But where's the boat jk