I just ordered my plans for a 1 man layout boat to build this summer. The puddle ducks never arrived here until late in the season but we had divers since mid November. Got sick off them just being out of range in my buddies boat blind. It's gonna be a slow process of setting up and buying new decoys, setting up the diver lines, and figuring a good way to store and deploy the dekes. Looking forward to learning new things next season and different hunting styles. I'll probaly be asking a lot of questions this summer and fall. My biggest concern is just figuring out how to set up this whole spread. Should i put strings out first and then anchor the layout boat? Or maybe I should anchor the boat first and then set out lines? I ordered a DU book on hunting divers to give a better idea of just how to do things and give me a bit of a better idea how to set up? That's why I'm already a little bit excited for next year. Though the biggest challenge is gonna be doing all this in between what little time I have because my wife just had our first daughter and child. I hope she likes to play with string?
Congrats on the new baby! And welcome to the Dark Side. Layout hunting for divers is a blast. Getting these birds to decoy within 10 yards is awesome. You'll want to anchor the layout boat first and then set the decoys around it. If you have any other questions, just give a shout.
Heres what I dont understand about the layout hunting. If you and your buddy go out and you put your layouts out what do you do with the big boat. Do one of you have to stay in the big boat while the other hunts. :huh:
Your buddy in the tender boat pulls away from you a couple hundred yards and retrieves downed birds. You stay in communication with him by phone or radio. Then you switch every hour or so. Just because your buddy isn't in the layout boat doesn't mean he may not put out a few dekes to maybe get a few shots himself. But you had best be pretty comfortable and trusting with each other running the tender.
Smack, you always go out there hoping that the guy in the tender won't have much time to sit around. On good days he doesn't. It is fun watching your buddy drop a bird and then go grabbing it for him. On slow days we hang out in the tender, drink coffee, chat, and just enjoy the morning. I've thought about hunting from the tender, fishing, or even bringing a radio, but I haven't because it's just nice taking it easy while waiting for your turn in the layout.
we usually do it with 3 people, 1 in the layout and 2 in the tender. all three guys should be good sea men or boat handlers. and I've often shot a good amount of ducks right from the tender.
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