Duck boat year around?
- Thread starter Boyd S.
- Start date
Craig S
Active member
Viking_Hunter,
Check out the post on page 2 called "This is a a Duckboat site, Lets see 'em....". You will see tons of pictures on duck boats, some that I am sure could be used for fishing, etc., some that would be strictly for duck hunting.
I had several duck boats years ago (aluminum) that were camo'd and had boat blinds on them, that I would pop the blind off and use for fishing and recreation. So it can be done.
How's the pheasant population up in NW Iowa? Been to your great state almost every year for the past 15 years to chase a rooster or two. Not sure if I can make it this year, but gonna try!
Craig S
Check out the post on page 2 called "This is a a Duckboat site, Lets see 'em....". You will see tons of pictures on duck boats, some that I am sure could be used for fishing, etc., some that would be strictly for duck hunting.
I had several duck boats years ago (aluminum) that were camo'd and had boat blinds on them, that I would pop the blind off and use for fishing and recreation. So it can be done.
How's the pheasant population up in NW Iowa? Been to your great state almost every year for the past 15 years to chase a rooster or two. Not sure if I can make it this year, but gonna try!
Craig S
Wispete
Well-known member
Here [inline "viking boat & $ July 06 0018.jpg"]is a viking boat you can use year around. Can't say I used it duck hunting but early season who knows.
Welcome to the site. Boyd
The suggestion of looking back at previous posts will give some ideas. There are many on the site who do just what you were asking. Others just have a lot of boats.
When you build your boat be sure to carve some ribbon animals to put on it. Ouff Da
Welcome to the site. Boyd
The suggestion of looking back at previous posts will give some ideas. There are many on the site who do just what you were asking. Others just have a lot of boats.
When you build your boat be sure to carve some ribbon animals to put on it. Ouff Da
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Hi,
The pheasant population is down pretty much across the state except in our area. The numbers are up slightly from a year ago. The hunting should be good like last year. I would recommend concentrating on Dickinson county. There are over 10,000 acres of public land to hunt and the bird numbers are high thanks to all the cover. The land is mostly state and federal land, so it requires the use of non-toxic shot. There is a motel called Four Seasons near Spirit Lake that allows you to take your dog into the room, but it must be in a kennel. The rates are reasonable, but rooms fill up fast on weekends. Let me know if you plan on coming this way and maybe I can meet with you and show you some good places to hunt.
The pheasant population is down pretty much across the state except in our area. The numbers are up slightly from a year ago. The hunting should be good like last year. I would recommend concentrating on Dickinson county. There are over 10,000 acres of public land to hunt and the bird numbers are high thanks to all the cover. The land is mostly state and federal land, so it requires the use of non-toxic shot. There is a motel called Four Seasons near Spirit Lake that allows you to take your dog into the room, but it must be in a kennel. The rates are reasonable, but rooms fill up fast on weekends. Let me know if you plan on coming this way and maybe I can meet with you and show you some good places to hunt.
I guess I didn't explain my question well enough originally. I understand the whole John boat thing. I am thinking about building a duck boat using plywood and fiberglass and what I wanted to know, is if anybody has built one, that is convertible from a fishing boat to a duck boat? I like the looks of the Scaup. Would it be possible to build it with a detachable deck? Maybe narrow up the knee braces and make the deck like a clam shell that bolts down?
I don't see why you would need to remove the deck to use it as a fishing boat. Plus the deck is part of the structural design & integrity of the boat, so it may not be good to remove it.
I tend to agree with Rick, the Cackler/Snow Goose designs look pretty dang fishable to me.
I tend to agree with Rick, the Cackler/Snow Goose designs look pretty dang fishable to me.
Dave Sharpe
New member
Guess what could work year round really depends on your local conditions. Around here (Bozeman) our boat fishing is largely for trout on the big fast rivers - Madison and Yellowstone. As part of my fleet reduction plan this spring I sold the drift boat and tried using my 2 Man Four Rivers Layout Boat instead. The guys I like to fish with all have their own drift boats and want to take theirs. So if I'm fishing with a buddy I'm covered. But fly fishing by yourself from a drift boat is pretty difficult. If you take your hands of the oars it starts spinning down the river - not condusive to a drag free float. Years ago I saw an old guy fishing the Ausable in Michigan by himself from a narrow river boat. He had a pole in one hand and a fly rod with an automatic reel in the other. Our rivers are a bit faster and rockier. So I took a kayak paddle along. It worked. Caught 11 fish from the boat the first time I tried it on the Yellowstone. Luckily I had a tail wind for my bike shuttle! Did I mention rocks? Scarred up the bottom of the duck boat a bit. But it did work. Now if I can figure out a sail rig there may be another use for her. And with an electric motor bonefish look out --- Oh almost forgot. As for year round, I tried putting some of the material they use on the runners of ice boats on her two little keels. Thought I'd pole her across the lake to the open water ducks no one else could reach. That didn't work. Ice was covered with crusty snow. And after dragging her a mile to the open water, no ducks. long drag back. But if I can get the sail rig working ---- have to figure out a brake.
Kevin Weir
Well-known member
Yeh but dave, how ya gonna get back out of the water onto the ice? Could be a long wait 'till it all freezes.
Dave Sharpe
New member
Ahhh, Good question! The lake I tried this on is shallow enough that I could use the push pole to shove the boat up onto the ice. Or get up a head of steam with the sailing rig - yikes. Think the push pole is a better bet. Actually when i started out on the trial run the ice was thin and I was breaking it like, well like an ice breaker. I knew the water there was shallow so I finally edged out of the boat onto the ice, did I mention taking ski poles for grip?, and hauled it up onto the ice, whereupon I proceeded to drag the boat and decoys a mile out and back. I knew the depth of the water all the way because I'd hunted and banged bottom here many times before.
On another occasion I rescued a guy in a canoe from the lake for whom the shelf ice might have meant death. It was cold and windy and I thought I was the only one out there. The lake is roughtly 2 miles by 2 miles square. It was almost dark and I was loading up. Over the wind I could barely hear hellllp, hellp, hellp. I could barely see a dim outline of a canoe out on the lake. I yelled out and he answered help. So I put my canoe back in the water, reattached the electric motor and headed out toward him. He'd canoed down the river, feeding the lake, deer hunting and exhausted himself trying to paddle his canoe against the wind back to shore. The wind was pushing him down the lake toward thin shelf ice extending a half mile from shore. It was almost to dark to see. We were the only ones out there. I reached him with the canoe OK, brought it up along side him, he hung on to my canoe and the little 37 pound thrust electric motor brought us both back safely to the take out. If no one had been there he probably would have blown to the shelf ice and died of exhaustion and exposure there that night.
A month later I got a post card from his wife thanking me for saving her husband's life. The fool had told her! Number one rule never tell your wife about any accidents or near death experiences hunting or fishing. She'll worry about you and fuss about letting you go. Never told my wife about any of them. But she'd hear about them from my partner's wife. He couldn't keep his mouth shut either. Jus' learn from 'em and keep quiet. Someday I'm gonna write a book titled "It'll be OK." full of such experiences. Probably ask the forum for their stories. I have a few buddies that will get several chapters. One of them said a follow up title could be "Hey Watch This ---"
On another occasion I rescued a guy in a canoe from the lake for whom the shelf ice might have meant death. It was cold and windy and I thought I was the only one out there. The lake is roughtly 2 miles by 2 miles square. It was almost dark and I was loading up. Over the wind I could barely hear hellllp, hellp, hellp. I could barely see a dim outline of a canoe out on the lake. I yelled out and he answered help. So I put my canoe back in the water, reattached the electric motor and headed out toward him. He'd canoed down the river, feeding the lake, deer hunting and exhausted himself trying to paddle his canoe against the wind back to shore. The wind was pushing him down the lake toward thin shelf ice extending a half mile from shore. It was almost to dark to see. We were the only ones out there. I reached him with the canoe OK, brought it up along side him, he hung on to my canoe and the little 37 pound thrust electric motor brought us both back safely to the take out. If no one had been there he probably would have blown to the shelf ice and died of exhaustion and exposure there that night.
A month later I got a post card from his wife thanking me for saving her husband's life. The fool had told her! Number one rule never tell your wife about any accidents or near death experiences hunting or fishing. She'll worry about you and fuss about letting you go. Never told my wife about any of them. But she'd hear about them from my partner's wife. He couldn't keep his mouth shut either. Jus' learn from 'em and keep quiet. Someday I'm gonna write a book titled "It'll be OK." full of such experiences. Probably ask the forum for their stories. I have a few buddies that will get several chapters. One of them said a follow up title could be "Hey Watch This ---"
I'm not a fisherman - I don't have the patience. But people enjoy standing on the deck of the snow goose and fly fishing/casting. It's fairly flat with a slight camber for water shed...
There is a lots of room in the cockpit and the freeboard is low, so it's a good fishing platform.
The duck huntingability is awesome.
A.
There is a lots of room in the cockpit and the freeboard is low, so it's a good fishing platform.
The duck huntingability is awesome.
A.