[dunbarducks]

Just a few questions.
Do you hunt out of your boat?
Do you have a blind? custom or home made?
Camo pattern or no camo pattern paint on the hull and did you camo the inside as well?
True flat bottom or ribbed?
Mud motors? Surface drive or long tail? Preference? Why?
Fuel tank in the front or rear?
Trolling motor: guys, I see trolling motors on most all duck boats today. Why? There's no way I could utilize a trolling motor where I hunt as the water is normally 4-6" deep at best. I have a trolling motor bracket on one boat and am considering mounting a winch on it.
Speaking of winches, why is there not a place on the rear of a duck boat to mount a winch? Most folks I run across that have run aground are going to need to be pulled out from the rear. Just a thought.
So I have 2 boats, one rigged with a long tail and the other with a surface drive. Why? The long tail gets me to places I want to go when the water level is low as it's prop is smaller and will run in skinny water.
The surface drive gets me to places I want to go in deeper water....... Faster.
It has a 12" prop versus the 9" on the Long tail.
Unfortunately where I hunt the soil is mostly sandy loam and a prop doesn't last long if you run your rig hard.
The boats I currently run are true flat bottom and one is coated with some slickum' for better performance in the skinny stuff.
The other is outfitted with a hunt deck with no slickum' on the bottom and when you hit the occasional sand bar, well, you may have to push. Or buy a new prop sooner than you wanted too.
Do pods really work?
Do you fish out of your duck boats? This might explain the trolling motor..........
Last question? Tiller steer or remote steer? have to ask, looking to add a new boat to the fleet and was considering a console, but feel it might be a bit much for hunting out of.

Thanks and have a great evening.

 

[mudpack]

You may have overwhelmed us.

 

[dunbarducks]

Sorry about that mudpack. This is the kind of stuff that truly interest me. I see post all the time about these same questions and it seems to be personal preference. Most of the younger generation are about speed. Where I hunt, there are trees and stumps and logs and .....well........ everything else. I like durability and reliability as speed can get you in a serious bind in a hurry, but I get it. Looks cool running the skinny water kicking up that rooster tail. Unfortunately, that prop is $350.00 and sand is not your friend.
One last q: Prefer a OEM prop or an aftermarket prop and does a "worked" prop really perform better?

 

[mudpack]

How a rig is set up and used depends entirely on location and personal preference.
You are right, though, the answer to most of your questions is the same: personal preference.

 

[CatahoulaDreamin]

First, off glad to be here with knowledgable folks. I didn't want to make another "boat thread" with questions, so I figured as a new guy I would just ask in this one.
Would you be comfortable taking your long tail out on a river (not talking Miss) but something like the Red or a deeper wider river? I'm saving for a boat and back home we've always ran long tails (or an outboard down river to the long tail and switch over) but I have never actually owned the boat.
All the old timers I grew up hunting with run long tails but I hunt with buddies in the same place with surface drives (water is usually .5"-a few feet in places). Seen both get stuck but the long tail seems easier to at least drag it out by hand given its weight. I am just more curious about running one on a river to get to a spot (trying to branch and start hunting in a different area as I had to move for work). Preemptive thank you for anyone that has any advice. Be safe in this heat.

 

[dunbarducks]

First, off glad to be here with knowledgable folks. I didn't want to make another "boat thread" with questions, so I figured as a new guy I would just ask in this one.
Would you be comfortable taking your long tail out on a river (not talking Miss) but something like the Red or a deeper wider river? I'm saving for a boat and back home we've always ran long tails (or an outboard down river to the long tail and switch over) but I have never actually owned the boat.
All the old timers I grew up hunting with run long tails but I hunt with buddies in the same place with surface drives (water is usually .5"-a few feet in places). Seen both get stuck but the long tail seems easier to at least drag it out by hand given its weight. I am just more curious about running one on a river to get to a spot (trying to branch and start hunting in a different area as I had to move for work). Preemptive thank you for anyone that has any advice. Be safe in this heat.

Cat,
I actually have both. I personally like the long tail rig better, but I do not hunt large rivers. I will tell you this, no matter what you decide,Please, please wear your life vest. I've hunted on the Platte River in Nebraska and the sand is always shifting due to the current. Where you walked or motored yesterday could be different today.
I will tell you that the long tail rig I have is great for skinny waters as the prop is a bit smaller that the surface drive rig I have.
For long rides, the surface drive;for me,is more comfortable to operate. ( I'm an old timer too.)
The type of terrain you are running plays a big factor on which is a better setup. I can tell you that if you run into an area with a shallow hard or heavy sand silt bottom, it doesn't really matter which rig you have, because when you stop, your gonna push or grind the prop right off the shaft trying to get out.
Lastly, have enough motor and boat for your hunting conditions. Large rivers can be extremely dangerous if your not properly equipped.
My advice would be to get with someone in the area and see if you can tag along to get a feel of what's needed to be safe and get the results your looking for.
Have a great day.

 

[CatahoulaDreamin]

Cat,
I actually have both. I personally like the long tail rig better, but I do not hunt large rivers. I will tell you this, no matter what you decide,Please, please wear your life vest. I've hunted on the Platte River in Nebraska and the sand is always shifting due to the current. Where you walked or motored yesterday could be different today.
I will tell you that the long tail rig I have is great for skinny waters as the prop is a bit smaller that the surface drive rig I have.
For long rides, the surface drive;for me,is more comfortable to operate. ( I'm an old timer too.)
The type of terrain you are running plays a big factor on which is a better setup. I can tell you that if you run into an area with a shallow hard or heavy sand silt bottom, it doesn't really matter which rig you have, because when you stop, your gonna push or grind the prop right off the shaft trying to get out.
Lastly, have enough motor and boat for your hunting conditions. Large rivers can be extremely dangerous if your not properly equipped.
My advice would be to get with someone in the area and see if you can tag along to get a feel of what's needed to be safe and get the results your looking for.
Have a great day.

I sincerely appreciate the response Mr. Dunbar. I hear you on the vest. Where I hunt we go down a small river to get to a large lake that changes in depth due to a diversion canal and I've never thought once about the vest when were going down the river in waders until this last season (as I'm always with an old timer thats hunted that area for 50+ years, which is no excuse) but you are absolutely right, we need vests, especially if I am learning to drive one and hunting without my typical old timer buddies. As a stupid 19 year old, I ridiculously went and hunted the coast with a buddy and wore my waders ( I always wore waders hunting and never thought about not needing them) and when I got there we were taking pirogues to a blind in the Pontchartrain (dumbest thing I have probably ever done and lucky I didn't flip the pirogue). Given my username its probably easy to determine I'm talking about Central and North Louisiana and the Red River up in SW Ark. I think your advice is best though, find a local and run the river with them. I mainly want a long tail to hunt back home, but I also want to be able to hunt up here where I am living now too (and not buy two boats as I can't do that right now), which will likely require getting out on the Red River and I was unsure if a long tail on a river of that size was stupid. I've hunted my entire life but basically always in the same area and I never handled the boats, I have pseudo uncles or buddies with boats that I hunt with, if we aren't hunting flooded timber from a four wheeler.

 

[CatahoulaDreamin]

To add to this, I found a trustworthy older guy I know back home (small town) selling a 2011 twin 23hp go devil long tails on a 17x53 Weldcraft. It looks to be in decent shape and I know I can go look at it when I can get back to my hometown and probably test drive it. However, I know one engine long tails can be a pain to work the tiller handle, and can throw you out (if you are inexperienced, like me lol) but with twin long tails and one tiller handle, is that going to maneuver weirdly? It just seems that it would be double hard to handle and turn wider. Then again, I am no expert, which is why I am here.

 

[Bayport]

To add to this, I found a trustworthy older guy I know back home (small town) selling a 2011 twin 23hp go devil long tails on a 17x53 Weldcraft. It looks to be in decent shape and I know I can go look at it when I can get back to my hometown and probably test drive it. However, I know one engine long tails can be a pain to work the tiller handle, and can throw you out (if you are inexperienced, like me lol) but with twin long tails and one tiller handle, is that going to maneuver weirdly? It just seems that it would be double hard to handle and turn wider. Then again, I am no expert, which is why I am here.

YIKES. I wouldn't suggest that for a start. I have run both on the same 14x36 hull w Slippery steel flex and pods (make a BIG difference for keeping the transom higher). No question the SD is faster, easier and less stress on my body. I hunt SE Florida. No rocks, not really any mud...mostly sawgrass and other water plants and no big water to deal with. If I get stuck, my boat is so light it's not an issue for me to get unstuck. I can hunt 3 out of it (but prefer 2!) or we hunt in waders. I have a home made scissor blind w grass mats and small overhead cover. It works really well.
Buddies have Excel and Prodigy 18 ft'ers. Those are awesome boats with tons of room.

 

[CatahoulaDreamin]

YIKES. I wouldn't suggest that for a start. I have run both on the same 14x36 hull w Slippery steel flex and pods (make a BIG difference for keeping the transom higher). No question the SD is faster, easier and less stress on my body. I hunt SE Florida. No rocks, not really any mud...mostly sawgrass and other water plants and no big water to deal with. If I get stuck, my boat is so light it's not an issue for me to get unstuck. I can hunt 3 out of it (but prefer 2!) or we hunt in waders. I have a home made scissor blind w grass mats and small overhead cover. It works really well.
Buddies have Excel and Prodigy 18 ft'ers. Those are awesome boats with tons of room.

I appreciate the input, always wanted to hunt Florida. I'm not in the real marshy part of LA, but I think y'all are correct that for an inexperienced first time buyer that might be too much. I'll just look for a used SD or long tail in good condition. The thing is is that flat bottom boats are basically all we can run back home, so if I want versatility, and to be able to hunt back home where I actually know where birds are at our blinds, I'd need a flat bottom. However, that might cut down on versatility on open water/rivers. I need to lurk the forum more and learn more about transoms and hulls and all the parts. Thanks for all the responses fella's.