# favorite mallard spread for open water



## duck (Dec 31, 2014)

how many decoys? do you just use mallards


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Small pond = small spread 1/2 dozen or so Mallards. Maybe a few teal and pintails mixed in.
Big open water = big spread with all species of ducks, including divers. I like using decoys that have a lot of white on them. (pintails, buffleheads, canvasbacks, shovelers) are all good one's.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

just depends on what type of mallard area you are hunting. I know people will say just a handful late season but if you've ever come across a late season hole that's open there can be hundreds of ducks stacked in there right on top of eachother and I always wish I could carry out more decoys. Same thing hunting in 3 blade areas where I wish I could put out 10 dozen dekes. It just all depends. But I mostly use 15 to 18 dekes, cause that's all I can carry out. It definitely gets the job done but late season I'd love to throw a massive spread to make it look like a big flight of birds was in town! but the beauty of a smaller spread is your motion dekes will make it look a lot more natural. I would sacrifice numbers and good looking decoys for bad looking dekes but they had movement to them.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

and you have to remember that this is like asking what your favorite gun or load to shoot is..... This is a personal preference thing and what you have faith in and confidence in and knowing the areas you hunt and what the birds respond well to...... Heck I always keep my widgeon dekes away from my mallard dekes cause I am convinced mallards hate widgeon. :grin:


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Small pot hole or small ponds no more then a doz and half. with mallards pintails and teal. Big pond any where are 200 blocks of all differnt species and around 3 or more doz of honkers floaters.


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

I'm really liking fowlmouths setup. It's magic the ducks are memorized to the point they have to land in it. He doesn't even have to call ?


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## duck (Dec 31, 2014)

what would you use for a river that really isn't the X


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

fish-n-fool said:


> I'm really liking fowlmouths setup. It's magic the ducks are memorized to the point they have to land in it. He doesn't even have to call ?


 :grin:

I landed a flock of mallards on the ice today, and had another flock locked up ready to land at the same time. I checked the one's on the ice for bands and didn't see any, so I pounded a greenhead out of the flying flock, then shot at and missed the greenheads that jumped off the ice.:doh: There's just something about watching ducks land on clear ice and slide into home plate.


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## duck (Dec 31, 2014)

i can't get the dang things to commit no matter how what i try I've tried big spreads little spreads and everything in between :mrgreen:


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Something like this seems to work.;-)


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## massmanute (Apr 23, 2012)

I was thinking a good mallard spread would be a mallard, cooked and made into a pate and spread on some nice crackers or crusty bread. Yum!

Wyogoob, care to chime in?


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## duck (Dec 31, 2014)

fowlmouth do you typical use mojos this late in season i haven't had very good success with with anything but teal


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

duck said:


> fowlmouth do you typical use mojos this late in season i haven't had very good success with with anything but teal


It depends on where I set up, but yes I typically run them through the entire season. I didn't use any today, and I didn't use any duck floaters either. Small canal = small spread


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I'm always taking photos of decoy spreads, mostly because I like to look back and see what worked and what didn't. 
Here's a few more:


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## duck (Dec 31, 2014)

love that 2nd pic on the pic with with the real small spread what did ya shoot


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> Something like this seems to work.;-)


That's a sweet setup man! I need you to come down south with those full body ducks decoys!  Had these come into me on the ice Saturday. Should have had many more and a few geese. Live and Learn.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

duck said:


> love that 2nd pic on the pic with with the real small spread what did ya shoot


on that day we killed one honker. if i remeber right that was late season honker season only. we had ducks just dropping right in.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

im the same as fm on decoys spread. here are a couple of mine.


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