Hey all, I've been hunting puddlers from shore blinds for awhile now, but I've just recently purchased a boat, and I'm thinking about getting into divers on Cayuga (that's where I hunt 90% of the time anyways). Any ideas on gear, decs, etc...???
Our spread on Cayuga is mostly broadbill and redhead, along with 8-12 goldeneye or bufflehead off to the side. If I've seen canvasbacks around, I might throw a few of them out there too.
Watch the wind out there, a north or south wind can be nasty if you're in the wrong place.
Make sure you've got enough boat for the conditions on that lake along with enough motor. Like whistlerwhittler said, the wind can turn that lake into a real uncomfortable/dangerous situation in a hurry. My "Just Barely Made It Out Alive" duckhunting story was as a result of the wind shifting on that lake. Not trying to scare you off, but it's something to keep an eye out for.
I'm in the same situation as far as looking into more divers this coming year (only eight months to go), and I'm looking into a couple dozen Whistlers, a dozen Cans, a dozen Bufflehead, and probably another dozen Scaup. That lake gets deep, so make sure you've got some rigs that'll hit and hold bottom. I plan on having a few long line rigs, and the rest individual weights.
Those longline rigs work well in deep water. I'd rather pull up a string of 12 decoys with just the two anchors on the longline versus picking up 12 decoys with 40 feet of anchor line on each decoy.
I'll kind of mirror what those guys said. Bills w/ some redheads mixed. If the cans are flying they can be mixed in too. Make sure the Whistlers are off to the side by themselves.
Long lines are the way to go. I use some tarred main lines from Doctari and window weights on the ends. If I'm not using a dog, I just weight one end. The best long line weights I have are made from concrete. What I do is use 1/2 a plastic milk jug and a big stainless eye bolt. Pour in some quickcrete and you have a nice long line weight.
For the past 3 years Ive been experimenting with bigger decoys. MAN do they make a difference. I would suggest going with the biggest decoys you can find and pack in your boat. When I set out a long line rig, I make my biggest Drake the farthest decoy from the boat/blind. The name of the game is the illusion that there is a raft of birds. With the pressure that Cayuga Lake gets, you might need to think out of the box a little bit, and give those birds something different to look at. Good luck......................666
Thanks guys, the tips are great. The boat is way more than I had last season on the lake (14 ft canoe!!, I was in some nasty stuff w/ it too). I'm sure I'll have more questions in the future, but thanks for the help.
Accepting application for next hunting season, classes begin the second Sat in Oct.
Seriously though I've hunted that Lake once with CLUTCHfan and by looking at how that Lake is laid out. It looks like it could get real nasty in a hurry because of the winds. As you probably already know, when hunting Divers you need large numbers of decoys. In less you do go with what Matt said and go with XL decoys and they still take up lots of room in your boat.
If this makes sense, this is how I'd look at from experience. I would start off knowing I want to hunt Divers. I will be taking anywhere's from 6-10 doz decoys. I will have my dog as well, that means he and his dog ramp will take up room. Now I usually hunt with two others, now your talking three grown men and our gear. Have you seen how big Chris is, that Hoss takes up alot room? :umm: Now you'll have stuff like life vest, first aide kit, food etc, you get the idea.
I'm not trying to run you off from buying a boat; I just don't want you to make the mistake many others have by buying a boat, then deciding what they are going to be doing with it. You don't want to find out your boat is to small for what your doing with it, haft way across the Lake in a heavy wind.
Personally on that Lake, an 18' would be the smallest I'd go, of course that's just my 2cents Good luck Bro :thumbsup:
BTW :welcome: to DHC glad your with us you'll like it here. The NY forum is filled with great guys ready to help you out, then bust your balls, all in fun again welcome :yes:
I already made plans for Tarheel. I'm going to get him his own boat and just tow it along behind. I'm looking at a nice LCM-6 with a drop gate in the bow. That should be just big enough to get that big old boy in.
A six pack license wouldn't cover him, the Coasties would have pulled over in a second for operating outside your credentials. Chris bench presses Volkswagens when he's bored. If all of our armed forces soldiers were like him we'd already be out of Iraq, and they'd be sucking their thumbs and crying for their mommas.
Uh huh huh Chris is a big fat...overgrown...*******...takes up too much room in the boat..da da da...
:huh: SO you guys gotta double team me huh? I see how it is, blood thicker than water...I know the old saying. You guys do what ya want, say what ya want, and leave me and my new Chessie alone. Oh yeah...CPT D, if ya ever are stuck under a Volkwagon...good luck! And another thing, I thought you were taking a leave of absence from DHC!!! :lol:
You guys are great...we must be related from way back in the 1500s, when my relatives first came here to NY from across the water.
Chris I never implied you were a big fat over grown ******* that takes up a lot of room in the boat; I never said you were fat. just that your a big guy. Besides I really don't see that your any bigger than me weight or height, so if I'm slamming you then I'm slamming myself as well. :tongue:
Tarheel is that a picture of your new dog? You mentioned that you were thinking of getting one last time I saw you. I must have missed that during my sabatical. Post up some pictures if you can. Is that a Chessie?
A six pack license wouldn't cover him, the Coasties would have pulled over in a second for operating outside your credentials. Chris bench presses Volkswagens when he's bored. If all of our armed forces soldiers were like him we'd already be out of Iraq, and they'd be sucking their thumbs and crying for their mommas.
T-man, that is just a mixed result of growing up in NC with biscuits, cornbread, and loading square haybales two at a time in 100 degree weather! :lol: :thumbsup:
870 and CPT D, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED :lol: I wanted to jump at you guys' throat and check the thickness of YOUR skin, and I guess yours ain't as thick as ya claim, or I'm just above average at talkin' smack!! Did it sound like I was POed or what! :rofl: :rofl: :lol: :rofl: :lol:
Must've been pretty good after reading some of the PMs I got aftr that comment I shot back at you guys!! :biggrin: Obviously noone read the bottom line of that about you guys being great!! :huh:
I pick up the pup on Wednesday, because the owner said mine was weaned off his mother and ready to go now. He's already my hero!!
My apologies to Louka, for allowing you're topic to get so hijacked! Lets get back on topic if it's not too late. Again my apologies
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