Title: Choosing Your Duck Boat
Category: Tired
Blog Entry: Hey guys, I have had a few questions about my boat and how I chose it, such as: What do you look for in a duck boat? Well I thought I would try to help make your next boat purchase a little easier. When I am in the market for a duck boat, I ask myself where will I use this, what kind of terrain and bottom, etc. I mainly run creeks which are narrow, everynow and then some open water, hard bottoms for the most part, but some soft here and there. I wanted a boat that could do it all for me, and it would work anywhere I needed it to that I hunt. I made a few phone calls to Aucoin's Fab (www.aucoinsfab.com) and told them what kind of terrain I would be hunting, and what is the right boat for me. We made several calls back and forth, sketches of boats, and planning. I wanted a longer boat than a shorter one because I would be carrying around 3-4 guys with me most of the time, gear, dogs,etc. I wanted a boat that would run through the narrow timber but as well cross open water when needed. I decided to get the 48 inch bottom because it was narrow enough to run the trees that I run, but also gave me enough width to run the open water with all of the guys and gear. No problem. If I were planning on running through the timber all the time I would get a narrower boat such as a 36,38,42 inch bottoms. If I were planning on running open and deeper water all the time I would have got a wide boat such as a 56, 60, or 72 inch bottom. It really depends on what you are going to use it for more width than length. Another option you need to think about is how thick you want your boat. Most of your typical jon boats are just too thin for what we do. The transom can't hold the motors we put on them, most are not all welded which could be a problem when hitting logs,etc, but the most important is the bottom. When you hit a stump or a log in your jon boat it will most likely put a big dent or hook in the bottom of it. As time goes by those dents and hooks begin to add up and slow our boat and total performance down. I wanted a boat that was thick enough to withstand these rough conditions we put them through, and last longer. I decided to get .125 guage aluminum not just on the bottom, but the entire boat. Your typical jon boat is usually around.080 guage, which is just too thin to last long. The thicker aluminum cost more, but well worth it. Since I wanted a do it all boat for my hunting situations, I decided to get a tall transom which is 20 inches and tall sides which are 21 inches. The taller the transom and sides just makes it that more comfortable crossing open water when it gets rough. I have had boats with 16 and 18 inch sides and they were just too hairy to cross open water with when it got windy. Now lets get to the motor. The motor I chose was a Gator Tail 35hp with reverse. (www.gator-tail.com). When choosing a motor you need to look at different features on them that you may or may not want. All the GT come with power trim, which is very nice. I used to have a longtail and this is a change, but much more comfotrable driving when in the mud. There is no more need to jam the prop into the mud and become exhausted before you even get to your duck hole. Now with the new GT, all you do is flip a switch down and let itself dig in the mud for you. Great feature. I also wanted reverse on this motor when docking, trailering,etc. I probably won't use this feature much, but it sure is nice to have. If you have the extra money I would recommend it. Now to the HP. You don't want to have an under powered boat. That will just make life rough for you when you are carrying guys and gear. I got the biggest they made which was 35hp for a good reason. I did not want to be under powered, and I will always be carrying gear and not to mention the weight of my boat. If your boat can handle it, get the 35hp. You won't be disappointed with it. Hope this helps, and if y'all have any other questions please feel free to contact me. Robert
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