# Duck Boat Ideas



## housergeorgia1 (Aug 8, 2010)

I need a duck-boat bad; I'm in college so a 5 thousand boat is out of the question around 2000 would be about the most i could spend in the present time... Boat ideas, motor ideas etc ???


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## S_GA_Boy2008 (Aug 8, 2010)

Craigslist! Where I got my boat hull. Just be carefull and be prepared to put in A LOT of work into it. There are deals to be had...and boats/people you just don't ever wanna consider buying.

Also, go bigger than what you think you will need. Once you get decoys, guns, dogs, buddys, etc the boat really starts to shrink. 

My boat still ain't done and I've had it since November. Once ya think you have it all, you see or hear about something else to sink your money into. From what I've found these past 3 years...duck hunting is what keeps me broke!!!

Good luck and have fun


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## fishndinty (Aug 8, 2010)

Craigslist is where it's at.  You will get more for your money buying the motor separate from the boat, and by buying both NOT PAINTED.  You can prep and paint a 16 foot boat for under 50 dollars, especially a boat that's already painted in a base coat like olive drab.  For the base coat on the motor, make sure to use a spray paint that sticks well to plastic for the cowling.

For most hunting a 14 foot boat should be enough.  I have the option of hunting the breakwall here off the coast of Cleveland on Lake Erie; that's why I chose a 16.5 foot deep v.  Plus it will hold a LOT of gear, and I can probably hunt some places in it just by crouching if there is overhead cover.


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## cmk07c (Aug 9, 2010)

Good luck with it, I have found that the majority of boats are overpriced! People honestly think there boat doesn't lose value because they spray painted it camo and bought some cheap trailor. Boats should be cheaper in a recession (which it is recession time so a deal should be out there). 

If I were you and had 2 k to spend I would buy a tracker jon 14 x 36 or alumacraft for around 600 bucks, jon boat trailor out of northern tool or ebay for 299, and a smaller used outboard and then in a couple years upgrade to a 9 hp godevil longtail. That right there is a new duck boat for under 2 grand. If I wasn't getting married and having to pay for a honeymoon trip to Bora Bora in 6 months, I would build that boat right there.

500 for motor
600 for boat
300 for trailor
100 for tax

price of a brand new duck boat 1500 bucks! Go for it!


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## cmk07c (Aug 9, 2010)

on mud motor talk I actually saw a 9 hp go devil longtail in shreveport for only 500 bucks, it was only a few years old and you can't break a honda horizontal engine!


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## DuckGodLiaison (Aug 9, 2010)

S_GA_Boy2008 said:


> Also, go bigger than what you think you will need. Once you get decoys, guns, dogs, buddys, etc the boat really starts to shrink.
> 
> My boat still ain't done and I've had it since November. Once ya think you have it all, you see or hear about something else to sink your money into. From what I've found these past 3 years...duck hunting is what keeps me broke!!!
> 
> Good luck and have fun



I can second that.  I have a wide 14' w/ a 25 Johnson.  It flies with just me in it, but when we're 4 deep loaded to the gills (not safe) I'm wish I had yaht instead.  The only thing with having a larger boat is the fact that you limit yourself somewhat to places you can hunt.  Its alot easier to hide a 14' than a 20'.  I've also had my boat since last winter........and i'm still sinking money into it to get it ready for next month!  If you're seriosly thinking about getting a duck boat...............................................dont get married!


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## Barroll (Aug 9, 2010)

Instead of getting an alumacraft or tracker i would get a weldbuilt from backwoods landing in alabama. a 1436 is listed for a little over 900 but they are all welded which makes all the difference in the world.  They also come in .80 gauge aluminum opposed to the .63 in alumacraft. Im not sure what guage a tracker is but they are not the best boats in the world. But then you could spend 7-800 on a 15-20 hp outboard and a few hundred on a trailer.  I would not put a longtail like cmk07z said on a tracker or alumacraft. Those riveted boats are just not durable enough to stand up to what you would put it through with a longtail.  That would be a good starting setup and you would be able to hunt pretty much any where you wanted.


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## duckhunter2010 (Aug 13, 2010)

barroll said:


> instead of getting an alumacraft or tracker i would get a weldbuilt from backwoods landing in alabama. A 1436 is listed for a little over 900 but they are all welded which makes all the difference in the world.  They also come in .80 gauge aluminum opposed to the .63 in alumacraft. Im not sure what guage a tracker is but they are not the best boats in the world. But then you could spend 7-800 on a 15-20 hp outboard and a few hundred on a trailer.  I would not put a longtail like cmk07z said on a tracker or alumacraft. Those riveted boats are just not durable enough to stand up to what you would put it through with a longtail.  That would be a good starting setup and you would be able to hunt pretty much any where you wanted.



x2.


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## redfin945 (Aug 13, 2010)

*duckboat*

have boat-call 478-279-5875


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## bakins02 (Aug 14, 2010)

I would find a cheap ganoe with a 5hp motor and you can wrap the boat in max 4, there is a place in macon that does an amazing job on boat wraps, the place is called uglysigns.


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## clent586 (Aug 14, 2010)

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/boa/1899100999.html


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## Scottyhardison (Aug 15, 2010)

There's a 16 ft welded base green with a 2003 9.9hp motor and trailer for 1800.00 obo on robin air force base Lemmon lot set up for crappie with fish finder and rod holders two swivel boat seats trolling motor lights and all that could work nice for you. If you can hold off till Monday when I go back to work I'll pm you the contact # off of it.


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## Ole Fuzzy (Aug 15, 2010)

The best advice is to pass on duck hunting in GA and spend the money on something abundant, like doves, deer, and turkey.

Better than that, just spend your money on wimmen and licker until you graduate, and then buy a sturdy welded boat with an outboard and a spare shallow drive.

But since no one with the affliction can follow the more common sense advice above, a good welded boat is an inexpensive start.  To be stable, you need width.  A 16x6 will provide that, and at least a 25 hp motor.  A boat like that is likely rated for more like 35 and it will push better for no significant increase in weight.  But a good 35hp tiller handle is an oddball motor never made with the frequency of a 25 or 50.

There is a tradeoff with every boat and motor combo.  A standard flat botton with square or pointed bow and standard outboard is time tested, relatively affordable, and will get the job done in most GA applications.  Mud motors, shallow drive or long tail are nice, but they require a stronger boat and transom, and you'll notice that good performing mudboats are fairly narrow at the beam.  Check out the Gatortrax boats as an example.  The narrow bottom is easier to push across the mud with a load than a wide boat with more surface area in contact.  

Before you buy, run the motor on a water boot at least to check it out.  It is best if you have someone that can test compression and tell you if it is right and ensure there is little variation between cylinders.  When you get a used motor, take it in and have the plugs changed, the impeller changed, the carb rebuilt and the pull cord closely inspected and replaced if needed.


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