Opener in a Duck Boat?

[Duck-o-holic]

I'm debating where to fish on opener, as I have to work both Saturday and Sunday (I'd never allow that problem on duck opener!!! ). I'm thinking of heading out at midnight though, and one of the spots I'm toying with hitting is a river system that sports some nice spring eyes. This is a SMALL system though, and I'm more than likely hit it with my duck boat. Just curious how many others out there regularly fish our of their duck rigs? I have a backwater spot on a lake that I'd also prefer to hit with my duck rig. Lot's of trees, stumps, shallow water, etc...

Anyone fish from a mud motor rig? My buddy tears up Lake Minnetonka in his mud motor rig regularly. Anyone heading out on opener in a canoe, Jon Boat, or other hunting boat??

[iceman16]

last weekend went to get the fishing boat ready and it wouldnt start. so i had to go get the duck boat and put it in tell i get a chance to look at the fishing rig. also will be fishing out of my canoe that i usually have for duck hunting. this will be the first opener for me in the cities so i guess i can down size alittle, wont be on a big lake or anything. good luck to all on saturday.

iceman

[Gissert]

I fish out of my Carsten style duck boat all the time. It works great, and is easy to paddle.

I have a side mount that works well with a trolling motor.

One thing to remember - If you fish out of a duck boat - it needs to be licensed.

[bassman222]

That's all I own is duck boats! And I do fish out of them alot.

Will be out this weekend in my jonny or in my buddy's camo 16'er

[Eric Wettschreck]

A duck boat is all I own. It works great for me.

[Sartell Angler]

we have a 16ft. sylvan with a 50 horse that we have fished out of less in the last 2 years than our 14 ft duckboat w/ 9.9 horse...do a lot of fishing at a little lake closeby and the landing is pretty steep, plus simplicity is sometimes best. My favorite kind of fishing involves a canoe in the boundary waters and drifting a leech-tipped twister tail over structure. Anyone watch MN Bound as religiously as I do? They seem to love advertising canoe fishing on small rivers-- I plan to do a lot of that this summer! And we just rigged up a trolling motor mount on one of our canoes, so that is gonna be sweet.

SA/wdw

[wooduck26]

I have never taken my mud motor out fishing, BUT we will be fishing Mlacs this weekend in my buddies War Eage........multi purpose vhicle!

[Ruttin' Buck]

I think you guys will get a kick outta this one. I got rid of my old 16' fishing boat a few years back as I picked up a 14' aluminum 1948 Sea King. Boat, 9.9hp Merc, and trailer...$200.

I'll tell you it wasn't pretty, but hey, I was painting it marsh grass in color so who cares right! So I drilled the rivets out of the enclosed bow and open her up, new transom, paint, she was ready to roll.

Well, like I said, I sold the fishing boat, so this is my rig now. And I fish alot...I live on the Clearwater chain. I put a 25hp Johnson on for fishing and she scoots good enough for me. Since most of the time it's just me, it's easy because there's less 'stuff' to worry about and it's much more responsive.

My favorite thing....jiggin' walleyes. I love it when some toad in a $30,000+ boat pulls in on me disregarding my relic of a boat thinking he's there to show me how to fish. Now I know we all own the lakes but when you're trolling one direction and a boat stops close and in that path, it's plain old uncalled for in my eye. So I'll keep traveling while saying a prayer to the fish gods...and I stare them down as I set the hook and land a walleye never turning away from my friendly neighbor until the fish comes aboard. Then I'll hang around and pull a few more and watch them struggle to get a bite while thinking they should have spent more on learning how to fish and less on their boat while hoping their thinking the same.

I'm really against the commercialization of outdoor activities in case you couldn't tell. I'm not poor and could afford a nice fishing rig, but why, what I have works great...and I'm so thankful to have what I own because there are plenty of other folks out who aren't as fortunate. Another example...I've gone turkey hunting 5 times, and killed 5 birds...with a $20 used single shot 12ga I bought when I was 14. I have more expensive pump shotguns (meaning Remington Express) maybe better suited for turkey, but I do it to prove a point...it's not the gun.

So to the guys who try to buy their way into successful fishing and hunting I say, put your mouth where your money is. Until then, I'll be the guy in the marsh grass '48 "Sea King" netting another off your starboard.

[Sartell Angler]

Ruttin' Buck- very good post...nice to know that I'm not the only one who understands that just because a guy goes out and spends a bunch of $$$ on hunting or fishing, he isn't automatically any better than anyone else.

SA/wdw

[Eric Wettschreck]

hey Ruttin, a 10' 1964 Sea King is my duck boat. It's the only boat I have and it floats just fine with me fishing in it also.

[outdoor ran]

Its sad how fishing has turned into a boat show and your looked down on has a bad fisherman if you dont have a new 20ft lund with a 225 and all the goodies. Thats why I like duck hunting, we don't care what each other are using for a boat. I use my duck boat up on the rainy each spring. I'm wearing a camo parka, cold and wet. Watching ducks fly by with all the emty shell casings from last fall still on the bottom of the boat. Once in awhile I have to pull up and take a lead on a duck with the St. Croix rod. I get about the same results has I do from the 870. IS it duck season yet?

[koWALLEYEski]

nothing wrong with using the old duck rig out fishing. Works great for river and small water fishing!

[Ruttin' Buck]

Boilerguy...so you have a new Sea King! Ha! I think mine is like serial #2.

Outdoor...funny you mention the casings. I never clean my boat in the fall because by the time I pull it from the water it has a cat-tailcicle a few inches deep in the bottom complete with many empties. I just pressure washed her out...that funky stench prematurely kicks in the anxiety for the upcoming season!

[The_Duckslayer]

Quote:

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Its sad how fishing has turned into a boat show and your looked down on has a bad fisherman if you dont have a new 20ft lund with a 225 and all the goodies. Thats why I like duck hunting, we don't care what each other are using for a boat. I use my duck boat up on the rainy each spring...

IS it duck season yet?

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Man, your sure said a mouthful there! The issue that I have with using my duck boat for fishing is that it is not registered. Even though it is a duck boat wouldn't it have to be registered to fish out of? There are some small ponds around here that I would love to take it out on! Have a good one and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[lawdog]

Yes Jimbo you would need to register it.

How you been? Good to see you around posting some!!!

[Riverratpete]

Hate to say it but it sounds a little like sour grapes and class warfare to me. I had a 14ft Sea King with a 18 merc for years and years, last year I finally decided I needed something bigger...kids older, etc - bought what I could afford through hard work and financial deligence, 1750 Crestliner 125merc on the back....I really don't think I'm any better than anyone else..you choose to fish from a small boat...excellent,doesn't make you any better or worse than me man, I'm just out trying to enjoy the outdoors..same as you. Being in a smaller boat dosen't make you any more virtuous than it makes me being in a bigger boat a better fisherman. I also have a 14ft duck boat that I fish out of on small lakes.

[Ruttin' Buck]

You might Riverrat, may be class warfare in essence, but the class of folks I would be waging war against would be those people who are completely unaware and unconcerned of their fellow fisherman next to them on the water. Unfortunately, 9 times in 10 they are the guys with the tricked out boats...probably the same guys that plug up the landings on opening morning because they didn't give their boat a once over.

I realize I might be stereotyping a bit, but hey, if I can get 1 person here to think about the guy on the water next to him this weekend when he plans his course at full throttle and picks his spot, then we've made a little progress in terms of proper watercraft etiquette.

You upgraded as necessity it seems...didn't mean for you to take offense. I would probably too if I had kids...but I have a chocolate lab...and she doesn't care if it has carpet or not. A fisherman loves to be comfortable with his rig and with kids, more room = comfort. But I bet maybe you and your kids can both outfish these clowns I speak of?

If I were to wage war against a class of people who have advanced themselves financially through determination and hard work, I would be judging and guilty myself as well.

Just want people to think about others while on the lake...oh, and that I still think the fellas rollin' along in the tin cans out there catch most of the fish.

No hard feelings I hope.

[The_Duckslayer]

Quote:

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You might Riverrat, may be class warfare in essence, but the class of folks I would be waging war against would be those people who are completely unaware and unconcerned of their fellow fisherman next to them on the water. Unfortunately, 9 times in 10 they are the guys with the tricked out boats...probably the same guys that plug up the landings on opening morning because they didn't give their boat a once over.

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That is more along the lines of what I was thinking as well, though that may not be the way that it came out in print. I am not one of the silver tounged devils that can put into words what they are thinking. I never meant to come across saying all folks with a fancy bass boat are jerks! Then again not all folks with plain jane boats like mine are good people either! Have a good one and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[Riverratpete]

Thats cool..I also totally agree with the dislike of the goofballs that blast around screwing up others fishing, etc drives me just as insane as the next guy....never have a 6ounce pyramid weight when you need one.

[island guy]

Interesting thread. My duck boat is my canoe and I do use it for fishing the river and small lakes. I think a person should use whatever makes em happy and what ever they can afford. For me, I have become disenchanted a bit with technology. I downsized to a deep and wide 14ft with a 15hp. Much easier for me to just take off with and fish. I don't use my aqua-vu or any of the electronics I used to. I did invest in a good flasher and that's all I take with. Going from a 20K rig with all the usual stuff to just my fishing boat and flasher has really simplified things for me. I find I enjoy fishing much more without all the complications. That's just me. Like I said at the start, whatever you want.