Who uses open water layout boats?

[OUTATIME]

I'm just wondering how many people use a layout boat here in NC? What kind do you have?

[Dingbatter]

I have for several years now, Core Sound layout.

[OUTATIME]

I just bought a Core Sound Ambusher this year, it will hopfully be a good addition to my duck gear this season. I'm going on a guide trip with BandB just to see how he does it all. Good Luck this season

[echoduck]

2 Core sound one mans. If the season is like last year they wont be needed. There is a steep learning curve with layouts. They are dangerous by nature on big water even when done correctly. We sunk one last year.

[OUTATIME]

Yea I wanted to have a guide to make sure I know the anchoring and all that down. I've been reading about it and watching videos. I have a few friends that will go with me that have done it many times. I want to ask what do you all using for a layout tender?I hope you have a safe season this year!

[trigger22]

Ambusher Layout and a 19 foot Intruder for Tender. I've been Layout hunting since I bought my first Ambusher in 2007. It's a lot of work and definitely not for everyone, but if you ever experience a good hunt out of one it's all you'll want to do.

[Dingbatter]

19 ft Carolina skiff. Always monitor the weather, especially the wind. I constantly check the NWS forecast on my marine radio as conditions can change so fast. Keep in contact with the guy in the layout when you are in the tender and vice versa. I once had some idiot fishermen try to run through my decoy spread until my buddy called me on the radio and told me a boat was heading toward me. I popped up shotgun shouldered and that got their attention fast. I always wear a pfd while in the layout, a mesh shoulder type where I can still shoot. I have a float coat too but its to bulky to wear in the layout and shoot. I put it back on once in the tender boat. No reason to hire a guide, just take the thing out now and practice some.

[OUTATIME]

I've never hunted divers much before, other than a few times with friends with little success. It seems mornings are best but are afternoons any good? I don't know if it's like hunting wood ducks/ other puddle ducks and they barley fly at all during the day. I'm kinda new to diver hunting but not duck hunting in general.

[black_duck]

We've had a layout boat for the last twenty years. Don't know the make, but it sits lower to the water than a core sound layout. They're a lot of work but can be really fun and really good if the ducks are there. There's been several times when we've thought that we were gonna sink it. Make sure you set up in a good lee if its windy. When they dropped the bluebill limit to two we kinda stopped doing it though. Too much work for four or six bluebills.

[OUTATIME]

ive always imagined a perfect limit would be 2 drake redheads 2 drake blackheads and 2 drake buffleheads for diver hunting I hope it will come true this season but I doubt that

[Dingbatter]

If this season is anything like the past 2 it will be more like 2 bufflehead, 1 bluebill and 1 scoter on a good day

[HydeMarsh]

ive always imagined a perfect limit would be 2 drake redheads 2 drake blackheads and 2 drake buffleheads for diver hunting I hope it will come true this season but I doubt that

As long as you are wishing you might as well imagine 2 canvas back drakes, 2 redhead drakes, a pintail drake and a wigeon drake. Happens all the time in Pamlico County, Bay River.

[OUTATIME]

15 coots would be the best!

[Paul26]

I echo most of the comments here re: safety, PFD use, watch the wind and weather, etc.,.

My added recommendation: go out with your buddy in the daylight on a warm October Saturday, using the same layout and tender you will be using at 0500 in the dark in January, and rehearse:

(1) traveling to the ramp with a layout in/on your powered boat. it isn't the same
(2) launching,
(3) deploying the layout,
(4) deploying the decoys properly around the layout (harder than you think)
(5) getting a human SAFELY from the tender into the layout

And then all of the above in the reverse order. There are many "you don't want to be doing this for the first time in the dark/cold" aspects to duck hunting. This is definitely one of them

[don novicki]

We layout up here a lot on Presque Isle Bay and spots in Ohio. My personal advice is to NEVER set up in the dark. Too much of a PITA,trying to set lines and judge distances.Go at first light, find the flight path, and then set up from there. If you are looking for a decent tutorial over at the Duck Hunters Refuge there is a good sticky in the diver section that may help you out. Lastly, your first day setting the layout should not be your duck opener. There is a lot that could go wrong, and learning how to set the box and long lines should not be done on opening day. Practice setting the box in warm water for obvious reasons. As far as layouts go I build my own from my own design. Good luck and be safe out there, and always wear your PFD..................................

[OUTATIME]

do you wear a pfd when shooting? I hate shooting with my wader buckle on my shoulder so I usually unclip that side

[Dingbatter]

I wear a pfd with a mesh shoulder for shooting, float coat back on once in the boat. I don't even go out with the layout until its starting to break daylight. Its a lot easier to launch the layout and set decoys when you have light to see. I just go until I see a raft of birds and no other party is around, then I set up