Ideas on a small duck boat

P

P. Revicki

Active member
I am looking into getting a small duck boat to hunt the swamps and lakes. I would like it to be light, paddle easy and be able to shoot out of it. Something like a kayak, but easier to get in and out of and more stable. Also it would be great if it could take 2 guys, but not that inportant. I will be loading it in a pick up and not planning on carrying it a long ways. Any ideas or suggestions would be great.
Thanks Pete
 
Build yourself or buy? There are great commercial options in the marsh boats (one guy mainly), but home built is tough as far as getting into a truck bed because of weight.
 
Check with Derek Bendell. He had some small double enders for sale that got great reviews from others on this site.
 
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Pete

I have a Fiberdome Redhead and love it. It is wider and shorter profile than the Widgeon. Stable enough to paddle or pole standing, carries all the decoys I care to put out, and can (but not designed) to carry two hunters in VERY PROTECTED waters...like we could have waded, but was faster and easier to paddle, and if we got in a jamb, we could just jump out. Biggest drawback is weight, though I got mine on a diet and removed some soaked foam.

Other option would be to get a wide, stable canoe and cut it down to 4 inches above the waterline and TIG on a deck...if you are so tallented. Since I used this boat, I think that is my next boat...but that is a ways out.

Chuck

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Check with Derek Bendell. He had some small double enders for sale that got great reviews from others on this site.
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X2 I will more than likely get a boat from Bender once I slow down on my quest for species and start hunting back waters more. I might just pick one up when I go down there to hunt. Either way great little boats, light weight, low profile, and stable!
 
I have one of these and it has been a very good duck boat.

http://www.hoefgencanoes.com/duckboat.html

At 15' long, it doesn't fit very well into the bed of a pick up. I built a little cradle for it when putting in the bed of my old pick up and it worked well. I was never comfortable carrying it that way and at times also loaded it on top of the pick up. Not the easiest way to go but it too worked.

Nice thing about these boats is they will carry two hunters as I have done it a number of times. They are lightweight at 65 lbs, and they paddle similar to a kayak as it has a nice keel. Hides easily and handles small rapids on small streams with ease.

I think Paul Hoefgen has stopped making trhese but you could call. They are also found used on craigslist once in awhile.

other boats that are simialr would be the Fiberdome products, the fatboy, Dereks boats mentioned earlier, and products by Carstens. I found the Carsten boats to be built like tanks and they have the weight to back it up. A similar carsten boat to the hoefgen weighs in at 100 lbs or more. Too much in my opinion.

Mark W
 
I would say plastic 10' aqua pod or a plastic marsh rat and get two of them if someone else is going. If Im paddling a long ways Ill take a 14' old town predator kayak. If I need to haul 2 guys or 9-11 goose floaters a 10' Golden Hawk canoe works well. I can shoot out of all these boats when alone. All can be carried and loaded in a truck easily and they all paddle easily. I had a redhead that I loved on the water but it was too heavy for me to carry around.
 
I had a redhead that I loved on the water but it was too heavy for me to carry around.
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Mike

Should have tried to get the water out of the foam...when I cut it open, I could literally squeeze out water. Still is slightly obese, but I can load it without being on pain meds for a week. (Yes, it is the same boat, got it from Tim)

Chuck
 
My vote goes to a Devlin Poleboat. Pete McMiller built one that came in pretty light, mine is about 80# but is my favorite now.If you intend to build on check it out. You can search here or Devlins site. I also have built a couple Canyaks, can't remember where the plans came from but they teated me very well, one came in around 65# if I remember right. Good luck. Oh yeah there is one just to the left;-)
 
Chuck,
Glad you figured out what made it so heavy. I never stored that boat outside when I owned it, but it was heavy when I got it. It is a low profile killing machine out in the vegetation in the marsh. Plenty of room for the dog and gear. Cant take the dog in the aqua pod or marsh rat.
 
Chuck,
Plenty of room for the dog and gear. Cant take the dog in the aqua pod or marsh rat.
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I've hunted a 10 foot aqua pod with a dog and decoys since 1992. Never had a problem hunting, paddling or moving around with a aqua pod.
 
I hava a 12' aquapod and i love it. it is a little too heavy to be ideal, but i can, and have put 2 big guys in it to pick up decoys in light chop. I have also hunted with my 80lb lab and 2 dozen goose decoys many times. I put a transom on the back and cut down the shaft on an electric trolling motor and that moves it right along. I also have a 3 horse air-cooled Tanaka that pushes it very nicely. Because of the skeg, it tracks nicely when I paddle. For transporting it I use an extend a hitch that I mounted a Tule bar on. Then I attached the kayak cradle to the Tule bar. It actually works pretty slick.
 
Maybe a pirogue? Its definitely on my to-do list for one of these years...
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Try one out before you build. I built one and despite MANY years in Canoes and Kayaks a piro was not very fun. Low initial stability ( the one I built was an uncle john's I think ) and didn't carry much weight either.

If you do build go as long as possible to negate many of the issues..........
 
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