What is the best duck hunting boat?

[jordano]

since you want to be able to take your boat out into the salt water I would suggest getting a boat with a little bit more of a "V" bow so it rides better in chop and some waves.. here are a few of my suggestions.

http://www.loweboats.com/showroom/welded-jon/roughneck-jon/rv190sc.php

http://www.wareagleboats.com/boats/detail.asp?id=8&catID=1

these boats are both 18 1/2 foot boats with high sides and good semi-V hulls... they are made to both fish and hunt.. let's just say that I have my eye on them for when i can get a boat of my own! 

[h2ofowlr]

I would go bigger on sides if you have the money.  Guys use the Lowe and Wareagles in the bay, but I have scene 3 get swamped in the last 2 seasons and heard of several more.  The lowe has about 19.5" sides and the Wareagle is at 26" sides.  We about lost my 18' Sea Ark last year.  The weather went from calm to 4-5' swells in 45 minutes.  We had lots of water in the boat by the time we made it back to the rig.  Great if you stay in the river or lakes.  If you want a good safe salt boat you almost need two boats or go with a Older North River / Willie / Alumaweld.  You will have a minimum of 30" sides and higher transom.  Heavier to handle the rough water and a thicker hull for when you hit things.  I tore a hole through the bottom of my roughneck about 5 years ago hitting a stump.

[greenhead_killer]

these same responses go for the columbia out of vantage? ive been looking for a little over a year now and i think id like a war eagle but not sure how they would handle as it can get very nasty out there

[jordano]

these same responses go for the columbia out of vantage? ive been looking for a little over a year now and i think id like a war eagle but not sure how they would handle as it can get very nasty out there

o yeah that'll be plenty good for down there!

[Glockster]

What is the best duck hunting boat?

The kind owned by your buddy   

Go with Gatortrax with a mud motor for shallow and backwater penetration, you can't beat it.  Only an airboat can go where they do.

For big water, I'd go with a Boston Whaler or Bankes, or Leeshore out of Pt Townsend.  Kinda silly in my opinion to go with a super specialized duck boat like a bankes that's not good for fishing, skiing or any of the other offseason activities we have around here.

I can't figure out the War Eagle mystique.  G-3, Lowe, etc, all make the same low sided flat bottom vessel that's great for shallow calm waters, but pretty dicey for big stuff.

[AWS]

I hunt Wilapa, Greys harbour and the Potholes with this rig but hunt alone.  With everything decked over she handles big waves pretty good, extra floatation in the back and 60 decoys under the deck she rides well even swamped.  Not the pedastal base in front of the cargo hatch and there is a small transom that bolts to the bow for a electric trolling motor to change it over to a fishing boat.  You can walk it through ankle deep water.





For me this gets pretty close to the perfect duck hunting boat.

I also have a Marshrat set up with oarlocks and a transom plus a 15' square stern canoe with a camo cover and a 3hp motor for for the places that I can't get the big rig into.  The canoe will carry alot of decoys and the rat will hide in a puddle.

AWS

[carpsniperg2]

Good looking boat

[carpsniperg2]

Here is one for sale in our classifieds. Looks like a sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet boat.

http://hunting-washington.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=2912&title=gator-trax-duck-boat&cat=13

[sakoshooter]

The one you can afford.

[sakoshooter]

Actually it depends on hunting style, area hunted, salt or fresh water, rivers, lakes, big or small water, rough or calm. Trailerable of do you need to be able to carry it?
I really don't think there is a 'perfect' duck boat. Too many variables. That being said, I do most of my hunting with an aluminum 15' canoe as my main mode of transportation. Camo'd of course. Pros: I can lift, carry, drag or paddle it into areas not accessible to other modes of water transportation. It's also quiet and really enjoyable for jump shooting. I use a home made version of a double ended kayak paddle. My paddle is slightly bigger and the shaft is a little longer as the canoe sits higher than a kayak and is also wider. Cons: It's not the best for long trips. Over an hour one way is hard on my knees and hands. It sucks in big rollers on the Puget Sound. I've got first hand experience too many times. Not enough room. Me, dog, gear - full up. Partner? Then I gotta leave some gear home.
I hunt big and small water. I want to be able to lift my boat into the water and back onto the trailer if no good launch is available but have a good galvanized trailer for when there is a decent boat launch. I also want my boat to be big enough to hunt from in open water and wide enough to stand when shooting without rocking so bad that you can't hit anything if the dog moves or your partner stands up right when you're going to shoot. I'd put a stowable type of blind on it also. It also needs to be light enough to man handle around the mud flats of Nisqually and Willapa etc, yet heavy enough to be stable.
I also want a modified V hull rather than a flat bottom for cutting those big waves without getting beat up or damaging the hull but also don't really want a V bottom as they tend to sit deeper in the water which will not allow me to get to some spots I now hunt. Hull size in conjunction with weight create displacement. That's what's gonna make your boat stable in the water. Hell of it is, a happy medium needs to be found.
I've been looking hard at a Lowe 1652MT w/gal trailer from Cabelas myself. I don't really like that middle seat but to get away from it I'd need to go with an all welded hull at about twice the cost.
There are a lot of really nice boats out there that will cover most any aspect of waterfowl hunting. Is there a perfect one: Yep, the one you pick out.