Otter Stealth 1200 vs. Carstens Mallard or PIntail

[ChuckN]

I own a Carsten Pintail. I mostly hunt alone with my lab (plenty of room), but I have fit 2 guys, a 100lb lab and decoys at once. It is incredibly stable. I use a kayak paddle and it is very easy to move this boat. I don't think you want to consider a trolling motor on the Pintail, too much bulk with a battery and such. Not necessary either. I also have oars, but never used them as the kayak paddle seemed a lot easier.

My friend has the Mallard model. Larger than the Pintail, and a nice boat. The only disadvantage is the weight. My Pintail and Mallard seem quite heavy at times.

I've been seriously considering the Otter Stealth. I like the compartments to hold shells and gear. When I have my wet lab jumping in and out, a lot of water builds up on the floor.

Don't worry about a blind for these boats. Not necessary, they lay so low to the water that you can hide in minimal cover, unlike other boats.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Chuck, Thanks. I was thinking about the same thing.

[Sartell Angler]

I hunt w/ the owner of Carsten's Industries so I have had the chance to test out all of their boats...I think that they work great when it comes to hunting hard to reach places and keeping a low profile...probably not the best thing to use if hunting the really big water with a heavy load of gear. I have only paddled them, never used a kayak paddle or oars. I think a push pole would work great with the pintail or the mallard models once you get back into the rice / cattails. In my opinion the Otters are a step below the Carstens. Although the gun / shell holders seem nice, as well as some of the other features, the decoy slots are a joke in my opinion. Good luck with your decision.

S.A.

[ChuckN]

I thought of some other things while looking at the two online...

Don't get me wrong, I love my Carsten, but I have trouble putting my gun and gear in safe places. I usually have the gun laying next to me against the seat, with the barrel pointed behind me. My gun does get scratched and wet while paddling. I don't dare lay it on the floor of the boat, especially with a dog. Gun cases get soaked, so I don't use them.

I'm looking at the Otter Stealth 2000, and that is a nice boat, nice dog platform, something my dog could use! I like it over the 1200

Here's some reasons I would look at buying the Stealth from my field experience in the Carsten.

I do have an older Carsten and it is built with a double layered hull it appears. The seam/gasket around the outside edge of the boat is shot and I had to take it off and caulk the gap. Water was getting between the double layered hull, making it much heavier. I've had to drain the boat after use by standing it on end.

My fiberglass has lots of chips and stress cracks too. I like to float shallow rivers and the rocky rapids did wonders on the fiberglass.

I personally think the Otter could go through more of my abuse. Maybe next year I'll upgrade.

Just my $.02

[greenheadhunter32]

Stealth boat!!!!

[Guest]

I just picked up a Stealth 2000 .I was also looking at the boats you are looking at . I have had it out a few times with my son and plenty of decoys . It has ample room for the both of us and is very , very stable . We can both be standing and moving around in open water picking up decoys and not tip over . I also have a 10 ft. jon boat and this was not possible in that boat . With the 2000 I have used both a kayak paddle and a push pole and both move it very easy . Not to dis the carstens boats , but I am happy with my purchase !

[bmc]

I've narrowed it down between these three duck boats. I mainly hunt small water, me, my lab, and a couple dozen decoys. I'm wondering how each handles while being paddled w/ either a regular paddle or kayak paddle. How they are when using oars. How they travel when using a trolling motor, I've got a 3hp minnkota I'm planning on using. Also did you buy the factory blind or make your own? Any pics would be greatly appreciated.

Brian
bmc2680 at yahoo dot com

[BLACKJACK]

Just went out and did a web search on both types of boats. They seemed reasonably priced and I'm in the market since I wrecked my old wooden boat.

Most of the smaller ones seem to made as a 'layout' boat. I've never been fond of that type of shooting, I'd rather be able to sit and then stand up when you shoot. Hows the stability on these boats for standing up in and shooting? Tom16, you mentioned standing, what did you use for a blind? Or did you just pull into the cattails?

[Sartell Angler]

well, last sunday my brother hunted a shallow bay of a good sized lake with a carstens mallard....pulled it up a little bit into the cattails, set out about 6 decoys and a spinner in the rice, and managed 4 mallards...he would stand up and shoot them no problem from the boat.

I know a lot of people like the stealths, and I would agree that if you are hunting a rocky river they would trump the carsten's fiberglass boats. I guess they are both comparable in price and so i guess whichever one you pick is a good choice.

SA

[Curly]

How does the Stealth do in the rice? I'm used to going through the rice in a canoe, the Stealth looks like it would be alot harder to get through the rice....

[Dean Schellinger]

SA was talking about me. In fact I managed to shoot 7 ducks this past weekend and 6 of them were out of a cartens boat. Not bad considering I only hunted out of the boat for a small fraction of the weekend. I feel very steady in these boats and they work really well. They are like a canoe the way you can paddle them, and like a v-hull boat the way you can stand up and shoot out of them.

Usually shooting out of any boat is tough with it rocking and stuff, but shooting out of the carstens boat was a a breeze. Plus the wary mallards in that area couldn't even see it when I pushed it just a little bit into the weeds. Stealths look nice but seem a little heavy but i havent had any experience using them.