Super light and portable layout options?

Jeff Reardon

Jeff Reardon

Well-known member
Supporter
Anybody got a very light/portable layout boat? I have a hike in pond within walking distance of the house. It's ~ 1/2 mile walk. I take a canoe in and leave it chained up for the season and get in quite a few hunts in there every year.

This year, water is super low, and the duck landing spot is almost dead center of the pond at least 75 yards from the nearest cover that will hide my canoe or allow me to stand or sit in waders.

I'd love some kind of portable (under 80 pounds and easy to portage solo) boat I could put in to low weeds for some cover close enough to the X to have a shot at the birds.

Thoughts?
 
Check out these Creek Boats. The 8' M-80 model only weighs 36lbs and the 9'6" M-96 Model only weighs 42 pounds. Very affordable price at $400 for the M-80 and $460 for the M-96. If I didn't already have a boat I would definitely be looking at these.

http://www.creekboats.com/CB_Home.htm
 
Jeff, If you can find one...Poke Boats are everything and then some. Light, stable and camo up easliy. I forgot pricey too, but if you ever see one for reasonable money, I would get it. Perfect for what you're describing.

I have the Maxi and love it for single hunts.
 
I always had thoughts of using this technology to make an ultralight layout boat. I've since hurt my back so layout hunting is not in my future. I thought a well constructed box base with the heatshrink nylon for the top and spray shield.

http://gaboats.com/construction/
 
I'll check out the Creek boats. I'm not sure I could make a float tube work, as the pond is so shallow. I fish out of tubes a lot, and they're tough when water depth is less than ~ 2 feet.

A Poke Boat has been on my wish list for a long time, but I haven't seen a local one cheap enough to strike. They don't show up on the used market very often.
 

Make up a marsh Box out of 1/4 plywood and grass it in. They used these on the flats in the bays and moved them according to available water. I have two old ones, but haven't used them for years. The newer ones are built to fit inside each other .
 
th_8ftpondbox.jpg
had the same kinda spot and ended up makeing this.Turned out so nice i made a mold and have made a bunch. 8 ft long,40 lbs all fiberglass
 
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