Visqueen Revisited

Lou Tisch

Lou Tisch

Well-known member
There have been a bunch of questions on the use of Visqueen, how to do it, how does it look, what color...etc. So, thought I'd revisit the topic without the need to be on the water.
So.......let's take a look.

Most of the time, you can get away with a boat painted in open water grays and it works great.

View attachment AA-VISQ-001.jpg

Now, Let's look at that boat (Whistler's Kid Brother-prototype) laid out on the grass. Now, visqueen
won't make it look like grass but we'll be able to get an idea of the "look of water".
View attachment AA-VISQ-002.jpg

Now we just throw a layer of visqueen (6 mil, clear/translucent, construction plastic-check with Northern
Cashway Lumber as a source (Lee...just some recip. for all your help) over the boat & you can get an idea
as to how it will disappear in the water.
View attachment AA-VISQ-003.jpg

You'll notice how we have areas bunched up. We tie decoy line around that (1/8" or so, parachute cord) and use
decoy anchors to hold the outside edge down into the water. We have clamps that hold the visqueen along
the outer edge of the spray curtain. You will need cutouts for the anchor fittings and do an "L" cutout for the
hunters. This "L" allows the hunter to pull it over and hide but easily move it out of the way for shooting.
View attachment AA-VISQ-004.jpg

You see my oldest son, Brian, in the boat with the "L" pulled up over him. Yup, he's winching since I
have him facing into the sun for the picture. :0 Just a little payback.
View attachment AA-VISQ-005.JPG


More to come in the next panel as the site only allows me to upload 5 pics at a time.
Lou

View attachment AA-VISQ-001.jpg
View attachment AA-VISQ-002.jpg
View attachment AA-VISQ-003.jpg
View attachment AA-VISQ-004.jpg
View attachment AA-VISQ-005.JPG
 
This shot gives you an idea how it is to come up out of the "L" and into shooting position.
View attachment A-VISQ-006b.jpg

Shot of the knotted and tied section with a decoy anchor for anchoring the visqueen down into the water.
View attachment A-VISQ-007.JPG

Here's the clamps we use for attaching to the outer edge of the curtain....any hardware store i.e.
pick them up from Northern Cashway when you're getting the visqueen. ;)
View attachment A-VISQ-008.JPG

And.........the slit for accessing the cleat for anchoring the boat.
View attachment A-VISQ-009.JPG

That's all folks. ;) Holler with any questions.
Lou
duckguylsb@Juno.com

View attachment A-VISQ-006b.jpg
View attachment A-VISQ-007.JPG
View attachment A-VISQ-008.JPG
View attachment A-VISQ-009.JPG
 
"I wonder how a BBIII would look under that :) "

Hmmmmmm, actually, you wouldn't see it. ;) That's the idea. Sorry, couldn't resist.

There was a fella on this forum several years ago who covered his Boston Whaler with Visqueen and he had Woodies landing 6 feet from the boat and the birds never knew the hunters or the boat were there. Don't recall who it was but I do recall the story. Very cool.
Truthfully, he started the post out with the headline "ok, Lou Tisch isn't full of shit" and then he told the story. Now, if the truth be told, I might be full of it but the visqueen does work well. ;) It has "saved" many hunts for us.

We did some studying and wore green & brown camo in the layout boat. Birds were flaring at about 20 yards or so. Still killable but flaring non the less. So, we covered our bodies up with the visqueen (and were not fussing with the guns to shoot) and the birds were flying 2 feet over our heads.

Somebody else here was shooting out of his layout boat, covered with visqueen. A bunch of Buffies came across the bow and one didn't see the boat, ran into it, snapped it's neck and fell into the water........dead. That saves on ammo. ;)
Lou
 
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Lou,
What a fantastic idea! Gonna have to try it on my canoe this year. Although it's gonna be hard picking up the visqueen from Lee's place, seeing as I live in east PA! Thanks for sharing the advice and the pictures to demonstrate.
 
Lou,

That's what I'd call a well timed and informative tutorial. Thanks! The plastic has to be a lot cheaper than Fastgrass sheets, lol! I've got some left over plastic from a building project so I'm going to try it on my Fatboy this fall. I should work like a charm;)
 
Thanks to Lou, this will be my 9th season using this excellent technique with results that are off the charts. After many, MANY hunts using visqueen for open water camo, allow me to add a few comments from experience. The most difficult aspect of using visqueen is controlling it in the wind. Any place wind can find it's way under the plastic it balloons up like a sail causing unwanted movement, added foreign noise and rips at stress points. This is particularly problematic around the cockpit area. As the pictures are above, it would be very difficult to keep the visqueen under control. I use the same type of clips you see around the perimeter all around the inside edges of the cockpit. Keeping a good supply of them in a box, I use as many as necessary to keep wind from ballooning under the visqueen which it will if there is any opportunity.

If you want to get more than one or two uses out of your visqueen, it helps to reinforce corners where the plastic has been cut around the cockpit. These corners are the places where the wind causes it to rip. I use duct tape underneath the visqueen at these stress points. The sticky under side of the duct tape under the visqueen blend in and isn't noticed by the ducks. A couple times I've actually had Goldeneyes fly in so close and fast you could almost swat them down with a tennis racket (if they didn't get by you first)!

Also, instead of twisting the visqueen to attatch weights, I use the plastic pinch on grommets available at most hardware stores and some dollar stores. The kind I have a blue in color, but underwater it is a non-factor. The best strategy is to fold the plastic on the edge where the grommet is so that it is doubled up at the highest stress point. I've never had one of these tear off in use on the water.

Another suggestion is use more weight than you think around the perimeter to keep the visqueen down around the edges and underwater. It is critical to have the entire circumference under the surface of the water or wind will make your life miserable. I use 2 1/2 pound steel weights for weight lifting (use the five pound version for gang rigs too). Don't skimp on the number of weights holding the plastic under the water. Eight is good and ten is better.

The final tip is use the heaviest construction grade visqueen you can find. I forget the mils, but it is thick enough even the clear looks kind of white in color. You will know when you've found it because the price jumps significantly for the good stuff. Whatever you do don't skimp here, the thicker the better.

In summary, if your visqueen is under complete control and wind isn't creating chaos, you will really like the almost invisible stealth. However, if you don't figure out a system to control that plastic in the wind it will be very comical to watch and I guarantee you will quickly reject his unique idea.....
 
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Rick,

Thanks for the extra tips - good stuff.

Did you have a good season last year on the bay? One of my good friend's sons hunts the bay and he had a great start to the season, but it fizzled out bad at the end...

Craig S
 
is that a "Y" shapped flag on the boat -- if so could you show a better picture -- have only used a single flag and am open to new ideas?

its in the picture of your son sitting up shooting
 
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is that a "Y" shapped flag on the boat -- if so could you show a better picture -- have only used a single flag and am open to new ideas?

its in the picture of your son sitting up shooting
Click to expand...
George,
I believe that's just a single flag but we have several. I'll see if I can get some pics of some others. Here's a cropped pic of that one.
When the birds are a long distance away, we merely sit up and sit down, sit up and sit down........as a flagging technique. When they're turned, we use our hat & the flag as necessary. We also use a call a bunch and it works great.
Lou

View attachment Flag-01.jpg

View attachment Flag-01.jpg
 
thanks lou -- its just the way the flag folds on itself -- i thought it might be a new trick for foolin the feathered critters

always watch what you "old guys" post lookin for you to slip up and give away some secret --- LOL
 
Rick,

Thanks for the extra tips - good stuff.

Did you have a good season last year on the bay? One of my good friend's sons hunts the bay and he had a great start to the season, but it fizzled out bad at the end...

Craig S
Click to expand...



You're welcome Craig, but I credit it all to Lou. I've picked up quite a few good tips from him over the years.

Same story with me on the Bay last year. Good early, but things just never materialized like they usually do middle and late. Make no mistake, I had some decent action without resorting to any Buffie slaughters. But, overall it was a tough year. I attribute it to the extremely low water. In some of my key spots the aquatic food sources like wild celery were so thinned out I'm concerned about them coming back at all. The water is up almost a foot right now so that might help this year.
 
Lou,

I know the visqueen works in the winter when the edges of the river I hunt get ice on them out from shore and there is open water in the middle of the river. I have always, for some reason used 2 layers of visqueen. I just had a roll of the stuff from Farm and Fleet that they sell for putting over the windows in the winter. Last fall was the first time I used it on a lake, I was out in the middle but in some vegetation. I just used duct tape to hold the plastic around the aqua pod. It was much quicker than grassing up the boat. The birds never saw what shot em. I attached the picture you posted the other day. That picture was what first sold me on the idea.

While in college I used to go flying with my neighbor who was an aviation major and a hunter. We would scout spots from the air. I always noticed how open water looked like a reflection of the sky. Out on the water the visqueen just blends in.

Mike

View attachment Visqueen boat.JPG
View attachment Visqueen boat.JPG
 
Hey Lou,

OK with you if I post this thread over on our United Waterfowlers - Florida web site?

Hitch
 
You got it partner, go ahead. Our discussions at Westlake was part of the catalyst for these photos and the posting.
Holler with any questions or if you might need any other photos.....I might have it. ;)
Later,
Lou

Hey Lou,

OK with you if I post this thread over on our United Waterfowlers - Florida web site?

Hitch
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the comeback Rick. It is great that Lou shares his wisdom, and in general most all on this web site do the same. I've been waterfowling for 25 years and it is amazing how much I don't know after reading some of the postings here. (Thank you Eric P. for bringing this site to us if you read this!!!)

As far as your success last year Rick, sorry to read that it was tough going for you. That's a shame because the Bay is renowned as you know. It is good to read that the Bay has higher water levels this year vs. last year. Wonder what the hunting was like in one of my old stomping grounds, Pte. Mouillee, last year???
 
George,
Nope, old trick. It's all in the way you wave it. ;)
I might have forgotten some of those old secrets. That's why it's so exciting finding new stuff and saying "why didn't I think of that". "Hm, wonder if I already knew that and just forgot." ;)
Lou

thanks lou -- its just the way the flag folds on itself -- i thought it might be a new trick for foolin the feathered critters

always watch what you "old guys" post lookin for you to slip up and give away some secret --- LOL
Click to expand...
 
"Hm, wonder if I already knew that and just forgot." ;)


reminds me of an old taxi episode -- elaine takes the reverend jim to a party -- he sits down at the piano and starts playing classical music - a crowd gathers to listen - all of a sudden he stops - looks up and says -- "wow - i must have had lessons"

maybe some of you other youth challenged guys may have seen that episode - but in jim's case - unlike lou - i don't think it was age causing memory lapse ---- LOL
 
"Hm, wonder if I already knew that and just forgot." ;)

I know exactly what you are saying. I've said it to myself on more than one occasion. It's either that or deja vue all over again.

Yep, saw that episode, it was great.
 
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