Multi purpose duck boat

B

Buddy

Member
My lund Ducker has been exactly the boat I was needing. So far it has been an amazing tow boat for extra gear chasing waterfowl. It provides a shelter to take my boy on cold wet days. I can load it in the back of trucks and access some remote areas fishing and hunting. I can drag this 100 pound boat through a lot without worry of damage.

My family size is growing and I am forecasting my little perfect boat will be to little. I am looking at other multi purpose boats with duck hunting being the main purpose. Any ideas? I prefer aluminum.

This website has provided a lot of good ideas full of knowledge. Is there a slightly larger ducker I'm not aware of?! Also, always curious to see how others are using the boats besides duck hunting.
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I use a 14' Smokercraft semi-v with a 25 hp for fishing and duck hunting, deep and wide, handles chop a heck of lot better than a mod-v jon.
Handles 3 of us well.
How big is the family getting? A 16' might be a better bet!
 
Buddy said:
My lund Ducker has been exactly the boat I was needing. So far it has been an amazing tow boat for extra gear chasing waterfowl. It provides a shelter to take my boy on cold wet days. I can load it in the back of trucks and access some remote areas fishing and hunting. I can drag this 100 pound boat through a lot without worry of damage.

My family size is growing and I am forecasting my little perfect boat will be to little. I am looking at other multi purpose boats with duck hunting being the main purpose. Any ideas? I prefer aluminum.

This website has provided a lot of good ideas full of knowledge. Is there a slightly larger ducker I'm not aware of?! Also, always curious to see how others are using the boats besides duck hunting.
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What are the areas you,ll be using it like? Shallow marshs, large bodies of water, Lots of different boats that suit different situations.
 
I got 3 little ones. i think the high sides would be ideal!
i have one boy who is joined at my hip and does well in the duck environment. I can only hope the girls enjoy it but fishing seems to be there thing so far.
Any options you like or rather do without? I'm not needing speed. You think going smaller or bigger on the outboard for that boat?
 
More hp is better than less, in most cases. My smokercraft is rated for 35, I'm running a 25 on it. If I could find an older 2 stroke 30 that was affordable, I'd grab it.
I like a wide open floor or at least a pass-though benches. Lund makes some nice basic hulls that are walk-through or open.
Lowe does too: https://www.loweboats.com/utility-boats/1668w/

My son hunted with me until his teenage body decided sleep is better than waking up at 3am! My wife and daughter like to fish, its usually just the 3 of us, not sure all 4 of us would fit well these days.
My hull, this one had the center bench removed by the previous owner:



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I can see something similar in my future. I like the open plan like yours. Its adaptable to any outdoor activity I would encounter.

This should be the next size up for my needs. Thanks for sharing!
 
Best of luck with the growing family Buddy! I've hunted and fished with my Dad out of his 16' Lowe modified V for years. Mostly bays and backwater, but it will handle a little chop. We don't hunt from it, but it will get three adults, a labrador, and gear to the X. Fishing four from it works too. He runs a 25 hp on it, but I'm sure it would take more. In the picture I'm sitting up on a small bow platform with storage underneath. I like the open floor too, but I'm also a big believer in Plan B, so we have a plank to span where my daughters are sitting for a rowing bench. View attachment 281.JPG
 
Thanks Bob! That's similar to what everyone in my family runs. I haven't been in one under 18 ft so the pics help a lot and the HP size. Those large sleds are nice when we hit the Columbia river but for the average trip they are bit much for me.

Its amazing how a couple of feet makes a huge difference and widths of boats. Seems 25+ HP would suit my needs. I'm on the growing family budget so I may ask specifics on motors if I find anything soon.

Thanks!
 
Good luck on your search Buddy. I'm sure you've been searching Craig's List for area boats. 16' aluminum boats around here (Maine) are as low as $800 (boat only) to $5000. A lot of open row boat types are between 1500 and 3000, most having 8 to 15 hp motors. The boats with 25hp motors often have steering console set ups and not tiller handles. I ran a 16' Mirrocraft for years with a 15hp evinrude. It was a simple four seater, of which I removed the bow seat and put a solid shelf storage and such. That boat served me well, Mirrocraft boats are lighter than Starcraft and some other brands but the hull was strong and I never got a "tinny" feel nor was there any twisting or flex when hitting boat waves and such. Good luck!
 
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