Looking for Arthur Armstrong photos, tips, ideas

I have an older AA, and have used it for the last 8 years. I changed the transom mounting to raise the outboard up and that has worked very well. I mounted a temporary transom, and loaded my AA similar to how I would use it in a hunting situation, and then moved it up and down to find the approximate sweet spot. I use a 25hp Yamaha 2 stroke that weighs about 75 lbs. Pretty happy with how easily the rig hides and hunts. HP rating in my boat is 25hp.

Wish you the best in figuring out your mounting solution.

Miller
 
thanks James. I was able to get mine out finally for the first time yesterday and spend some time running it (with the trolling motor) and fussing with the arrangement of basic things while competing with the dog for freedom of movement. The boat did well and it's just the right amount of space for a man and a dog if you ask me, and I'm looking forward to operating it this season.
Throughout the day yesterday, I would park the boat in areas that I had hunted previously or thought might do well and tried to picture how I'd use the boat. I read on here somewhere that a common practice is setting the bow on the shore and shooting over the motor, but even my little trolling motor seems slightly high for that. My question at this point is how AA owners (or similar boats) position themselves and what blind styles do each of you use? My first thought is to bend some EMT conduit and fab up some blind doors just like a field layout since I have one and can easily use it as a reference and comparison model. I may cover this in the garden netting and zip tie raffia or whatever else I decide on. thoughts/suggestions?
 
Best way to camo a boat like this or your kayak is to zip tie raffia, or natural vegetation, to bungee cords. Then place pad eyes at strategic locations. Attach bungee cords to pad eyes. Benefits are that it is easy and quick to do, can rearrange camo to suit to situation and it is very lightweight. Easy to dry as well as you just hang from hooks n a warm place when done hunting. I have done this on 3 boats now and to me, it is the best way to use camo materials on smaller boats.


Mark W
 
I did pick up a doz pad eyes recently with the plan to mount the garden netting to them via zip tie. the thing I dislike about the bungees is that I don't feel like I get enough coverage, whereas with the garden netting I can almost scientifically organize how I arrange the raffia/camo material such that I achieve 100% concealment. maybe I'm overthinking this. the other option I was considering was riveting in layout blind cordura straps and stuffing them with local veg just like field hunting. cheaper and more environmentally matching where ever I go.
 
I built Layout style blind doors for my aa blackjack and in theory thought it would work great. Found out useing a lap curtain was a lot easier, and it can roll up and store across rear coming when not in use. I used camo cordura nylon material and attached grass loops across it in various places. Use the 3/8 " fiberglass electric fence posts for support across cockpit. Lots of good ideas on here in posts about building similar.
 
Position boat with so your shooting over stern. Cover motor w/ burlap or make a cover from what ever material you desire. Sewed mine up from cordura nylon. Dont worry about shooting over motor, just doesn,t cause a problem unless you water swat them at the back of the boat! Motor should be cocked up whatever type motor you use. If a trolling motor simply adjust head down on shaft.
 
Use about twice that number of pad eyes with aluminum pop rivets and you,ll be a lot happier with the stretch of the bungee. And x bungee across that front deck Zip tie plastic netting to bungee to keep it in place one rafia becomes wet. Good place to carry bagged goose decoys is setting on top front deck with a bungee across them to keep in place. Might even find that its easier to carry all your decoys there in bags verus cockpit especially if dogs with you. My boat has a cleat mounted in top deck about mid point. Comes in handy. Just consider if you,ll plan on mounting a dodger when determining location if you install.
 
Roy, all good ideas, and particularly the lap curtain. I can imagine how easy it is to just roll up and already use a similar style on my kayak. the kayak one is cut in a C shape out of garden fencing that covers the whole yak, and when its time to shoot I just flip it to the side with my offhand. a rollaway cover could be very field expedient for this boat.
 
if your going to hunt your dog from boat and there is room in cockpit position him behind you looking over your shoulder. MIght be a little tight in the widgeon thou. In my blackjack I installed a piece of 2"x4" across between comings . Made a couple of brackets that it just drops into when needed. This serves as a backstop for my momarsh seat. Plywood and boat cushion can do same thing if thats whats available. I,m 6'1" and there just is room for me to recline against seat and have my feet touch transom either side of gas tank. Another option if theres not enough room for both of you in cockpit is to construct dodger and let dog lie down behind you on deck under that. Quite a few tutorials on site on how build a dodger also.
 
I'm just short enough to where I believe I can create something along the lines of your 2x4 and slip it into the oar locks with space to spare behind me for the dog.

For camo, I know I'll be on the pike occasionally, so whatever I put on there need to withstand highway speeds are get covered while I travel. Tgts leads me straight to raffia.
 
Roy, I like the roll up idea, I was thinking about something along those lines and you have convinced me thats the way to go. I also put my decoy bags on the front deck when I am under way, never had a problem with it, although they are all wood with 1 lb weights, so a bag of 12 is heavy. I built a dodger style frame for my wigeon, it looks a little goofy, kind of like a muskrat hut, but it works. I am using a blackjack now though, and haven't done anything along those lines with it yet. The front deck is shorter on the blackjack so there isn't a lot of room.
 
I picked up 6 4ft fiberglass garden stakes (green) this evening that I think I'll run under garden fencing, to which my grass of whichever sort will be attached. The stakes with the fence and grass on top will stretch the length of my cockpit atop the combing and will not be attached to the rest of the boat's grassing/fencing arrangement so that I can shoot towards the bow or stern depending on conditions. The cockpit cover will be long enough and well supported enough to cover the whole cockpit and not sag.

In theory of course. I'll post pictures along the way.
 
If you have cleats at rear corners of stern you can use an appropriate lenght of bungee hooked into your netting to keep things snug on your lap curtain. I use this method run thru grommets on my cordura curtain.I also have bungee attached same way to forward corners of curtain secured to small cleats mounted on outside coming. Just enough give allowed in these to set up and shoot unrestricted. When rolled up these 2 are hooked into rear corner cleats to secure
 
If you do your lap curtain from cordura or similar material that a snap can be installed thru a few of these can be spaced along outside edges of cockpit coming. Mine is done that way and with the fiberglass dowels under it for support and the snaps fastened its stays taught . Sized my dodger to end just prior to mid front deck cleat and back over cockpit enough to cover dog and ends just over my head when setting against back rest. Lets it fold down onto deck when not in use and still be able to access cleat.
 
I don't know that I've realized the full benefits of a dodger to be honest. I think with a cockpit cover I should be all set to hide under laying down and just be sure the dog understand the concept as well while behind me.
 
I like the dodger when hunting puddlers and geese. Blocks out the void viewed from above when birds are overhead. Same reason I use a mutt hut when hunting from field layout blinds. Have had dog movement that i thought flared circleing birds. Sometimes as simple as dog moveing to sitting position from laying beside blind . As far as being a water,wave blocker as they,re actually intended when underway I haven,t needed that an run with mine down.
 
i get the basics of a dodger, but I guess I'm not sold on them. I can certainly see their utility and will be thinking about that as I construct whatever my blind/cover will turn out to be.
 
I just sold an '82 AA Wigeon in June. I will find some pics for the setup I used hunting in the Tuckerton and Barnegat Bay areas.
 
Jim, any word on those pictures? after this season's outings and re-reading this thread, I may be in the mood to add a short dodger to get the dog out more and hide her behind me as its just a better set up than laying down, which is successful for sure, but seems like a good tool to keep myself out of the rain/hide a little better.
 
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