Opening Day Ducks - Why Surface Drives

[Delta Duckman]

Date hunted 11/15/25 opening day:

Mother nature is not being nice to us down here in south Louisiana. Fog in the mornings, low tides and no wind all bad circumstances for a duck hunt. Despite those conditions we had a good hunt Saturday morning. My son, his friend and I were able to shoot a 18 duck limit mostly teal. We did have 4 pintail, one drake and 3 hens. Two other guys hunting on our lease shot their 12 duck limit are in the picture.

As the hunt went on we watched the water drain out of the marsh. In the old pirogue days there would have been concern and worry about having to paddle 100 yards or more back to a boat in deep water. Picking up ducks that were shot and decoys nearly impossible. With our new 40HP ProDrive with full power reverse on a 19 foot Go Devil boat we picked up everything in the slop you see. Absolute game changer.

[ghosthunter]

Nice

[storyteller]

Hey Delta man, are you running a slick coating on your boat bottom?   reason I ask, that does look really shallow, I have seen different coatings that you can push your boat sideways with your hand.   Curious.    Thanks

[Delta Duckman]

When I upgraded the motor to the 40HP we had a 36HP ProDrive for 15 years. I repainted the hull but did not put any type of special coating like a product called Gator Glide.  I know people who use it and like it.  One issue with Gator Glide type of product is when launching a boat do not unhook the strap off of the bow to avoid premature launces.  The boat can slide off the trailer. 

It is a soupy type of slop down here that is what the motors are designed to work in.  If it is hard sand like some areas they don't work well at all, nothing does.  In our area the motor does the job without the coating.