Which is better? Otter Stealth or Carstens Pintail

B

Brian Estes

New member
Looking to get layout boat for this season. Can't decide which is better for carrying 1 man + dog for hunting in flooded fields in Arkansas. Any Thoughts or Preferences?
 
buy both of them and when you get some ducks we'll do a side by side comparision!

Seems like whatever you decide, ya wish ya had something else. Nothing ever seems to be perfect for every set up. But one thing is for sure, if you din't have the abilty to get hid in the places the ducks are hitting these days, you'll do more watching than killing. Pits are fine, about 30% of the time at best anymore. Used to be I wanted as much water as I could put on the ground, now it seems I kill more ducks in splash water or 1 inch of water in a zero field. Used to be ducks hated the edges now they hate the centers (where the pits are).

Whatever you get, make sure you spend some time shooting out of it before the season, to get that funky stink of shooting laying down off of you before the redlegs get here.

Hows the dog? travis
 
Brian - I don't have any experience with a Stealth but have many years of experience with a skiff. They're excellent crafts that have served waterfowlers well over the last 100 years. Their design have stood the test of time. I'd be in that Carstens if it were me...

Here is a shot of my Great Grandad in a skiff he built back in the 1920's...

Hope this helps, take care and God bless! Pat

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Brian:

I have a buddy that uses an Otter Stealth. We hunt flooded corn fields and use poles to get around. He bought the stealth because he can throw it in the back of his truck, but when we're on the water his boat is slower due to its shorter length and he can't carry as much gear. Have you thought about building a Kara Hummer? It's a great platform if your situation allows for boat building.

I have no experience with the Pintail, but Carstens seems to make good boats.
 
I've owned both....the Pintail will hide better, paddle better, drags a thousand times easier, and is lighter. I also hunted my lab out of the carstens and never had any problems. I've since sold both marsh boats but the carstens is the only one I wish I had back.
Get yourself a kayak paddle and you'd be amazed how fast you can paddle.
 
Assuming you've narrowed it down to these two boats for reasons of your own; I can say there's no choice. I've seen the Otter and I wouldn't have one. I've had 2 Puddlers for 6 years, beat them up good, they ride side-saddle in the airboat and get chewed up, sit out in the hot Florida sun the rest of the year, paddle nice, and other than being a bit beat up looking, are still going strong. They're one tough boat. I'll likely have a 3rd before season starts. Capt Scott also has 2. He bought them after hunting out of mine. I'm sure the Pintail is just as fine a boat and weights less, and is a much cleaner design. I'm sure it slips through weeds much easier too, not to mention it actually looks like a duck boat rather than some cheap prop from the movie "Transformers".

Hitch
 
Pat

thanks for the tips....I tink the majority rules for the pintail and that's what I was favoring myself

Great Family Picture!!!
 
Kevin

I think your right.. I probably go with the pintail.Lookslike it easier to get around in...IO had thought about trying to build a boat, but I don't have a place, tool, or storage for
 
Ryan

Just what I was thinking...Wanted to hear it from people with experience with the boats...Did you have a blind over it?
 
Loan me the money and I will. I'll even let you hunt out of one of them....I understand exactly where you're coming from. Right now, I'm leaning toward the Pintail.looks like it easier to manuever tan the Otter..Doesn't have all the gadgets, howver I can do without.

How's dog season going..Sorry I've been traveling alot and have gotten away from the training for a while...Lady doing good...She had a light spell of heartworms, and after 2 months fighting with the reps, my vet finally got the med company to pay for the treatments...She resting for a bout another month, and I'm hoping to get her and me back into training for this season. i've still got to get her started title
 
Puddler is quite a bit smaller with a 5 foot cockpit, but roomy enough to paddle me and the 95 lb Lab.
Here are a few photos...

They paddle nice with just a little practice...a little tougher for Blake here doubled up...just about max capacity you could say.
012708-10.jpg


I use the wedge pads from the Tank as a backrest and the flat pads for under the butt...
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I can carry 4 on the airboat...here it is with three.
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Hitch
 
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Hitch,
Is the "Lab" in the first photo an acronym for Lady, ammo, blocks???
I was going to ask when you highlighted Shaws coat, BUT, I do not wish to "INCUR THE WRATH!!!!" ;^)

George
 
I'm not sure what kind of "stuff" your hunting in, but in good ole South Dakota I hunted puddlers and sat on the edge of larger lakes for divers with the pintail. I never needed a blind because the cattails pushed around it so well. When I used the otter stealth it felt more like a floating barge and all it did was break the cattails over. I wouldn't even mess with a blind if your near cattails, at the most if you felt you needed it, you could get two sheets of fast grass to help camo the boat.
 
The Otter has a larger side profile than the Carsten's plus it is hard to paddle. Hunting rice fields I would say to heck with a paddle and just pole it instead. Place a permanent grass blind on it instead of rolling up mats and laying them over the boat. All that does is turn into a soggy and muddy mess by the second or thrid day in a row. A sheet of grass is never fun to unroll when it freezez overnight. You may even want to put a pair of doors on your boat. Makes it nice to hunt out of that way


If you plan on grassing it I would start seasoning the grass right now so it will get the shine off and start turning grey. Makes a big difference when you don't look like a big bright yellow/green blob in a greyish brown area
 
Hitch,

That's one GAY looking paddle!!!

Did you pick that thing up in the Keys??? LOL
Click to expand...

obviously looks and appearances are way more important to something's function. I'll tell the world. THAT'S MY KAYAK PADDLE!!! I'm not ashamed of it. It's never whispered in my ear about any sort of "tendencies" it might have, so I'll have to ask.

However, if you wish to sit in those boats with a manly canoe paddle and do three times the work, I'll be quite content to sit back and watch you bitch, moan, whine and complain about how badly those boats track and how much work it is and how far you have got left to go and man I wish I could use a motor here and there's gotta be an easier way. I'll even sit back with a beer and watch the show and laugh myself silly.

Just watch out for over exertion doing it that way. Heart attacks are scary things. I wonder if life flight picks up in the middle of the marsh.....
 
myonself.....

Heck I bet the guy using that thing is wearing a tutu and croc's.......

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT....

Wooof....woof woof...woooooffff....

JEFF DID!....

Sic em girl....

From the guy thats used that paddle and likes it way better than the manly man ones the Manly Men use......

Steve
 
Ya know, I don't recall seeing a pair of crocs or a tutu on Blake. And I was close enough that I like to think that I would've noticed that.

...mmmm maybe they make incognito crocs? They slip into your waders so that you can still feel fabulous....for those who don't want to let the world "know"
 
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