# Duck Boat Question(s)?



## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

After packing 2 or 3 dozen dekes out through the mud and the water on my back a few too many times this year, I have resolved to get a duck boat set up by next season. The only problem is that I have no idea what I'm looking at as far as what is needed, i.e. what length of boat, motor type and size, and importantly, what I should look to spend(Preferrably looking to keep it on the less expensive side.) 

Ideally the boat would be able to handle 2 or 3 hunters, gear and a dog.

I have spent time looking through ksl and other spots, but without knowing what I should be looking for, its tough to know the difference between a serviceable boat, and a complete pile of garbage.

Any input is appreciated! Thanks


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## dark_cloud (Oct 18, 2010)

It really depends on where you want to hunt. I hunted for years out of a 14' boat with a 3 horse johnson outboard. Then that boat got replaced with a 16' with a 6 horse johnson outboard. I grew up hunting utah lake and the deep water. Then I went with a 16' with a 80" beam and a 50 horse outboard, fast boat. Sold that one and went to a 15' airboat, sold that one and now have a 17' airboat. If I had to choose from all the boats I sold I would go back to the 16' flat bottom with a wide beam. With this boat you can go outboard or mud motor, its stable with 3 guys and a dog, and will draft shallow water and handle deep water if you watch out for the big wind storms. 

And if you were really smart........you would give up waterfowl hunting, it gets real expensive.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

You need to get a boat like mine. 18' airboat with a 600 hp motor on it! You can pack as many guys, decoys and gear in there as you want and still have more power then you'll ever need  

Id get a simple flat bottom boat with a long tail mm on it to start out with. Then you can go from there


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

I'm rather particular with whom I will hunt ducks with especially out of a boat. I will hunt with 3 people, but they have to be very safety conscious. I have one friend who I will NOT hunt with when there are 3 of us going. He is the type that wants to shoot every bird no matter where it is in relation to the end of the boat, left side, right side or whatever. When I'm with him, I let him shoot until I know he is out of shells before I will ever stand up to shoot. Needless to say, I don't shoot too often when I go with him and he wonders why he always gets the most birds.
OK...all of that being said, my favorite boat was a 14 ft. semi-V with a 10HP long shaft motor. It had a 5 ft. width stern and would seat 3 guys and the lab and everyone had plenty of room. It drafted very little water and would go almost anywhere. I used it as a fishing boat as well and it would handle most big waters. Of course you have to watch the wind always.
Good luck with your decision and if I was to offer one bit of advise, I would not go shorter than 14 ft. and nothing less than 4 ft. width at the back end.


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## silverkitten73 (Sep 20, 2007)

I had the same problem as you. So I bought a 1680 alumacraft (Ithink that is the model), with a 15 hp yamaha shortshaft. You can zip up and down turpin bay or fly across unit 1. It is perfect for strawberry reservoir - it is the perfect setup. Only thing missing is a blind - but we still shoot ducks and geese like it is no one's business.

Go to Marine products and have them show you what they have. I really like the alumcraft boats.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

The first boat I purchased was a 14' crestliner flat bottom with a 9 HP mudbuddy longtail. It worked good for 2 guys but not 3. The second boat and the one I currently have is a 16' alumacraft flat bottom with a 27 HP mudbuddy longtail. It hauls 3 guys, gear and dogs and is comfortable to shoot out of with plenty of room for 3 guys. You are limited with anything smaller than a 16 footer.


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

i have a 12 footer and it is a 2 man and 1 dog boat at best so i would suggest going bigger for 3 guys and a dog. i think a 16 footer would be best from my limited boat experience. i have an outboard and like it a lot but you are limited on where you can go with them so next year i plan on having a mud motor for those hard to reach places but i will still keep the outboard for fishing and other places i can take it duck hunting. i have found out nothing beats hunting out of a boat but if you have a dog do take some time and train your dog to hunt out of a boat because there is nothing more dangerous in a boat than a dog that is all over the place and wont sit still, whether your moving or not. it took my dog a few days of boat training and a couple of trips to get him used to it but now he thinks he lives in the boat and i am not worried with him in the boat anymore.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Thanks for the input guys. Gives me a good starting point as to what I should look for. Also Sprig, I hadn't even thought about the dog in the boat. Have a lab pup that's 5 months old and hasn't ever been on a boat.....I will have to work with her pre-season next year before I try and take her out on it.


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

its not hard to teach them boat manners but it is very important to have a calm and steady dog in the boat. i taught this dog all about boats in about a week and then a couple of trips out hunting to put it all together and now that dog lives in the boat and he is very safe and calm in the boat. When i fire up the motor he usually just lays down for the ride. he is completely steady and knows "his place" or location in the boat. http://trainingyourretriever.com/otto/

it all starts with basic obedience training however, spend the time to get a super solid obedient dog on land before you worry about the boat. if you cant get him to sit and stay on land for a long period of time with plenty of distraction then it will be virtually impossible to get him to sit and stay and not rock the boat when it is heading down the water at 20+ miles per hour. nothing is funner than hunting in a boat with a well mannered steady dog but nothing is more dangerous than hunting with an unruly wild dog in a boat.


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## chuck harsin (May 1, 2011)

I am the owner of Widow Maker Boats, we build custom mud boats and airboats. If you would like to give me a call I would be happy to explain what to watch for if you go used, new or anything else that might help you in your decision. 8017256507


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## UtahWineOh (Sep 10, 2007)

I have been through a few boats and they have all had their pros and cons.

Started with a 14X32 with a 9.9 HP outboard. Good first boat, but the outboard limited where we could go. Back then it was me, a buddy, and one of my boys who wasn't shooting yet. Hunted out of that boat for about 3 or 4 seasons. The 32 inch floor made it a little unstable and one day we swamped it at the FB boat ramp. I was able to use the unstable excuse to convince my wife to let me go bigger.

Next boat was a 16X48 G3 flat bottom with a 27 HP long shaft. That was a great boat. Problem was that when I purchased it, I too didn't know what to look for and bought one with a middle bench (live well). We put a Mud Buddy grass blind on it and hunted out of it for about 5 years. That boat would push and hunt 3 guys with gear pretty well.

This last year I sold that boat and moved to a 18X60 Lowe Roughneck with a 35 HP surface drive motor. Completely open floor plan and very roomy. Motor pushes it OK, but i would like a little more HP to get up on plane. That boat will hunt 3 or 4. Problem with a big boat like this one is hiding it and having enough HP to push it fully loaded.

With regards to price, you should be able to pick up a decent used 16 foot flat bottom with a 25 to 27 HP longtail in the $4,000 to $5,500 range.

PM me if you want to chat. I'm happy to help.


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## Goshawk (Sep 7, 2007)

What about hull design. 
What are the advantages and disadvantages of flat nose vs. modified V?
Also all welded vs. riveted?
For a boat that would be used for ducks as well as an occasional fishing trip to Strawberry. 
Is there anything specific to watch out for when looking at used boats?


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

Goshawk said:


> Is there anything specific to watch out for when looking at used boats?


Yes, holes. :mrgreen:  :lol:

If you can get the boat on the water before the cash is laid down that would be best to make sure the motor and boat are in working order. I would also put a lot of notice on the trailer. the one i ended up with needed a lot of work to get the trailer back in shape, stuff the previous owner didnt mention or even know about. had to replace a few things that were rusted. luckily the bearings were in good shape, that is another thing to look at, the wheel bearings on the trailer.


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## kev (Feb 7, 2008)

A wise man once told me, "Never buy a boat sitting on a trailer". Bottom line, get it in the water. Unless you know the guy very well and/or can get some kind of written money back guarantee. I have sold a few boats over the years and I'm always happy to take a potential buyer our for a ride, or at least flop the boat in the nearest body of water so they can check it out.
Short of that you can ask them to put the boat over dry pavement of somekind, put the plug in and fill the boat up with a hose. You should be able to spot any drips and/or leaks. Water out, or water in, it all want to go the other way, so this method works just as well.
Later,
Kev


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## dark_cloud (Oct 18, 2010)

The water in and out doesnt always work. On larger boats that can handel larger motors I have seen the rivets hold water in or out just fine until there was a load from the motor running and then watch the water start seeping in. My last jon boat with a 50 horse did this to me. It was nothing to worry about, but I always had a liitle water in it at the end of the day. Rivets that leak are easy to fix, I have patched lots of them. I have even watched my dad patch a rivet with a cattail stem in the bottom of a v-nose boat and finished the day out. For a starter boat, I would try to stay with a 16x48 and nothing smaller. With the motor, it depends on where you want to hunt the most. Deep water or shallow? If you plan on hunting mostly deep water and want to use the boat for fishing, an outboard is the best. If its just duck hunting get a long shaft, and if you have the money and want both worlds get a surface drive.

I have hunted out of float tubes to boats up to 20 feet and felt that a 16' was the best setup for everything. Big enough for 2 bags of decoys, 3 guys, a dog, and still small enough to hide the boat in small cover. Good luck in what ever you find. Anyboat thats safe, beats walking and packing decoys.


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## RobK (Jul 3, 2008)

I would get a wide 16 ' or longer . my 1442 is at the max with two people, dog , gear .


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## RobK (Jul 3, 2008)

if i had the money i would sell mine and get a G3 1756

http://www.wedoweemarine.com/Page.aspx/ ... chure.aspx


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## RobK (Jul 3, 2008)

kev said:


> A wise man once told me, "Never buy a boat sitting on a trailer".
> Later,
> Kev


I learned that the hard way .  

i bought a 14' jon boat , trailer and motor for 1600 , it was setting on a trailer , filled with leaves and snow . When got it back to Cache valley . i hit a car wash and cleaned it out , thats when i saw all the welded cracks . Luckily for me the trailer and motor were worth what i paid for it . i junked the boat and bought a new G3 . NO way i am ever going to buy another used boat with out looking at ever square inch of the bottom . If i can i will by another new one .


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