Sunday Morning Hunt With Dd'smc

[duckydoty]

Been getting quite a bit of hunting in since the South Zone has opened. Most of it has been working out the kinks and bugs of trying to hunt 2 new layout boats. Opening Day, a buddy and I tried using the big boat to tow the layout boats about 2 miles up Lower Lake Taneycomo to a spot, deploy decoys, drop layout boats and hide big boat. Seemed like a good idea, but not really. It was a lot of work trying to figure out a way to load and tie down the layouts on top of the boat for transportation to the launch site. A lot more work to unload the layouts at the launch and rig up the towing system. We almost lost one of the layout boats while in tow. It tried to torpedo under the water. I managed to drop 2 gadwall a green wing and a lesser. Will not try this method of hunting again.

Friday we tried just using the layout boats and trolling motors from the launch at Rockaway Beach to a spot up Bull Creek. This was way easier! Great hunt. Lots of birds working early and very comfortable hunting out of the layouts. Saturday, I had a crappie trip up the James River Arm and did not get to hunt.

Decided I had most of the kinks worked out of hunting the layout boats and asked the wife if she would like to go. We got up at 2:45, dressed and out the door with tailer and truck loaded for the hunt by 3:15. We were the only ones at the launch at Rockaway at 4:20 this morning. Quickly unloaded the layouts from the trailer and were on our way. We set up 2 dozen decoys, 3 mojos, 3 swimmers, and 2 wobblers. Not a bad spread for being carried by layout boats. Backed the boats up to the shore, unrolled the ghilly tarps over them, and then put just a little of the surrounding grass over the tarps to top off the concealment. They looked good. DD'sMC took a little nap due to the fact we were set up almost 2 hours before shooting time. 5 minutes after shooting time, a group of gaddys came right in. I took a shot and missed, second shot dropped one. MC never even fired. 10 minutes later, 3 shovelers came in. MC shot and dropped one, I missed again. 15 or 20 more minute until the next group of gaddys came in. I dropped one out of the group, but it swam to the weeds before I could get to it and was lost. A few more birds made a couple of passes but would not commit and we called it a morning by 9 a.m. It was an easy pickup and short boat ride outta there. DD'sMC said she really liked her new layout boat. Had a lot of fun hunting with her today.

Taking a little nap to kill the time

Disappearing into the surroundings

The spread

Motor boatin

Todays bounty

[BilletHead]

Excellent report Duane. I bet those boats are neat. Awake at 2:45? Holey mackerel batman! 4:30 for us. I would of had to go to bed at 6:pm the night before to get my beauty rest, I need that for sure. The Mrs. and I had a very foggy hunt this morning. Still like pea soup when we quit at 10:15. Birds would just appear and either put feet down or just disappear in the fog. We hit plan "B" irrigation lake to rest the good spot. No wind either. Pat used the jerk string as I called. Had two spinners and a pulsator going for movement. We managed 5 gadwall,4 mallards and a shoveler. At times it was hard to tell what we were shooting at. I am pretty beat and hurting more than usual. May take the day off tomorrow. May scout some. This may be a mistake with the weather turn coming. We will freeze up again I bet, our demise here and to you all's benefit.<br />BilletHead

[duckydoty]

Yeah, we got up early to be sure we would get the close spot I wanted to get to. Wanted to make sure DD'sMC maiden voyage in the layout boat was short and simple. She was a little nervous about getting out in it. She's a little more comfortable in it now and we can go to some further boating spots now that she has the feel for it. Sounds like you had a great day of shooting. Cant wait to get these things up to 4 Rivers and try them out.

[BilletHead]

From what we seen up at 4-rivers those will be the ticket Duane. I can understand DDsMC apprehension in the boat for the first time. One should be careful. I about messed up on Thursdays hunt. That Mallard we lost under the ice, well I was chasing it with the kayak. Hit the ice at and angle and it started tipping. You should of seen me smacking the water and ice trying to back peddle. Won't be doing that again! Not smart on my part, did not think it was that thick,

BilletHead

[JohnP]

Good job DD, know that cut well and have shot many a birds out it. those layouts don't tow well at all, sunk one a Schell one year pulling it behind a flat bottom going across the lake to A pool, saving grace is that we strapped the dekes to the boat so that was the only thing keeping from going to the bottom . learned the key is to move the weight to the middle rear and put the tow below the bow so raises it up just enough in tow. Those ought to work prefect for 4 R's.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ok Duane got it figured out... You need to get some seat pedestals for your big boat. Weld to metal fence post to then about 2 to 3 ft apart ( don't have measurements on your layout but big enough they sit on the post. then mount the pedestals in your bow and stern seat brackets. This will enable you to tender boat them out to the lake strapped down.

Launching should be simple as well as should recovery. and yes I already started playing with the idea for my boat lol I hate you some days.

[duckydoty]

LOL!

[duckydoty]

Thanks JohnP. Hows your hunting been going? Did some scouting on Upper Bull Wed. but did not see the numbers of birds I would have liked too. Water levels sure do look good though.

[JohnP]

Haven't even been in the south zone yet, still in deer mode but getting to point of not being so picky . Spending the week down in Houston with the wife so won't be able to get out till Saturday at the earliest if everything goes as planned and the weather is looking perfect for my kind of hunting, just hoping we don't get stuck in it on the way back . Boys have been hunting the Cedar Creek area and have been doing alright but haven't seen near the numbers they seen the first 2 days. 3 of them shot a good mixed bag of puddlers and divers ( mallards, teal, woodies, hoodies, a golden eye, and shovelers), said they haven't seen a gaddie, which is odd as usually about 75 percent of what we've shot in that area over the last 10 years has probably been gaddies. Haven't seen hardly any ducks on the ponds in the area either. Water levels are perfect for the potential of a awesome season once the ducks show up. Still have a lot of season left and I'm still trying to get a deer in the freezer. I'll start hitting the ducks hard in the next week or two, hopefully I've filled a deer tag or two by then .