What to look for in a duck boat

[GottaGo]

I've always hunted from a canoe, but the last few seasons I've been contemplating buying a duck boat to explore some bigger water and to get a break from paddling everywhere, the only issue is I have no idea the difference between a good and bad duck hunting boat. Does anybody have any tips for what to look for and to avoid when buying a boat?

[hunter322]

make sure it floats!

[Gordie]

I have a few duck boats from a 10ft jon to a 18 ft jon and you have to remember the bigger they get the harder they are to conceal.

Old vee hull boats work great for duck hunting but they tend to be a bit heavy and they are not always easy to move around by hand if you need to move into the weeds.

Vee huls travel better on big water vs a jon boat. If its windy you can cut the waves vs slap the waves in a flatbottom jon boat

The jon boat will float shallow water better than Vee's and tend to be a bit more stable in these contitions not saying that they are not tippy because certain jon's are tippy.

The wider the floor on a jon the more stable its gonna be.

The sides of a jon or how deep it is should be concidered.

The load rating is also a big factor.

when you load all your gear,dog hunting partner you want to make sure your not going to hit the first wave and start taking on water.

If your going to look soley for a duck boat there are plenty of companys that bulid them to your needs or have everything in mind for the duck hunter. but they do carry a pretty hefty price tag but IMO worth every penny if you get what you want

I'm sure you will get a bunch of different answers from everyone

[rbs]

I used a 14' resort rental style v-hull for years oaring 1/4 to a 1/2 mile on WMA's and always loved shooting out of it. As I get older there is no way in H E dbl hockey sticks that I will oar that pig that far or anywhere for that matter. Now I use either a Stealth 1200 or a Old Town canoe and I am soooooo much happier doing it. There is something to be said about a light boat on this type of water. I agree with Gordie as well....

[bwack]

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[Bowfin]

I still use a 1940's vintage Alumacraft Ducker in the shallow wild rice flats I hunt. Its low profile, lite and fairly stable. Closest modern design to the old ducker I have seen are the Mud Duck boats but they are a bit heavier.

[dan z]

I have hunted out of many duck boat just like E-wood and there is just something about the more space the better it is. I have recently bought a new jon boat and can tell you if your a 1st timer dont buy one there not as stable as the mod "v's" or regular ole fishin boats, on the flip side you can go just about anywhere with a small jon becuase they dont require much to move them around.

[HNTNBUX]

I have hunted in a twelve foot row boat with two other guys and rowing through rice and weeds, no fun. I have hunted in an otter stealth a fourteen foot v hull with a 7 horse, and 1436 with 15 horse and a mud motor, a 1448 jon with a 25 and two 1648 jons with mud motors. As I get older I tend to like bigger and safer. My stealth does not see much use anymore.

[Scott M]

I've hunted outta canoes, 10' jon, 12' jon, and 14' jon. I mostly use my 10' jon, but if I had to only use one boat it would be a 12' jon. 2-3 bags of decoys, a dog, and a pair of guys need a lot of space.

Good luck. Search through used ads, talk to people you know with old jons laying around and make an offer. There are a lot of people hanging up the waders. I'd rather go that route than pay 600 bucks new.