DATE: 09/28/2008 15:43:37 / MOOD: Tired

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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DATE: 09/27/2008 16:24:35 / MOOD: Tired

All I have to say is wow. This is an incredible rig.


Drove down to Lafayette today to pick up the rig, and while I have some spare time I thought I would give a review.








Boat: I can't say enough good things about Ricky, Kurtis, and Travis.
Excellent work, and top notch service. I was kind of worried when I
ordered it and told him what I wanted because we just discussed it over
the phone, but he did everything exactly as I asked and more.




The boat is a 18x48 with an open floor plan design. It has front
storage deck and an extended deck for the gas tank and battery to go
under. The boat is all 1/8"thick and built tough. It also has the wider
gunwales which are definitely worth it. He ran all the wires under the
gunwales instead under the floor which I like a lot more because you
can easily access them if needed. He also wired everything else on the
rig for me too. Ricky also built me a winch setup for the front just
like the one Sharkey has. Just plugs into a trolling motor socket in
the front and its ready to rock! Looks like it will do the job well. I
really like this boat, and it will serve many good years to come.
Ricky's customer service is excellent as well. He calls and gives you
updates frequently and doesn't hesitate to call if he has questions,
and also does not mind you calling about every day to check the
progress or ask any questions you may have. If you are looking for a
looking for a great boat, I suggest you call Ricky Aucoin.




Motor: The motor is a Gator Tail 35 hp with reverse. If you are in
the market for a motor, give them a call. Great people to deal with and
you won't be disappointed.




Paint: The paint job was done by Ricky Torres at Camo Designs. I have
never seen a better paint job in my life that beats this one. I had him
paint it nat gear, and wow does it look awesome. He also went above and
beyond to help me out by picking up the rig, and getting it all ready
to go with the motor on it and on the trailer. Ricky is a great guy to
deal with too, and is paint job will prove it. If you want a paint job
that will last, I suggest you check him out. www.camodesigns.com





I will get some pics of the rig once I get home tomorrow.





Again, thanks to all who made my dream come true. I appreciate the hard work and effort that went into this rig.





Once I get it on the water I will get some speeds posted, but for now I'm going to guess and say 30+!





Robert

 

 

 

 

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DATE: 08/26/2008 19:46:38 / MOOD: Tired

Hey guys,





I ordered my new GTR 35 today!





If you are in the market for a new mud motor I would recommend calling
Kyle at Gator Tail. He helped me out a ton, gave me all the info I
needed, and now I got the new one on the way!




They have great customer service and are very knowledgeable people
when it comes to mud motors. Haven't heard any bad things about them
yet either!





Check them out at www.gator-tail.com
_________________

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DATE: 07/19/2008 17:29:37 / MOOD: Tired



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DATE: 07/18/2008 22:17:38 / MOOD: Tired

I would like to share my thoughts about duck conservation and the ethics of it. I first would like everyone who is not already a member with Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl to sign up and join.  It will be well worth your money to go ahead and give a little back to the wetlands that you love so much.  We lose thousands of acres of prime wetlands each year, and we must try to help get involved in order to stop this or at least slow the rate of acres down per year.  Every dollar that you give to DU and Delta goes back and helps create more new wetlands or preserve the ones that we already have and love so much.  Also, another way to help our ducks is to not shoot the hens.  I know this is a controversial topic, but just think of the pros of not shooting hens.  Every hen that you pass on and goes on through out the duck season has approximately 8-10 ducklings every year.  Some may die by predators and natural causes, but then again there are always a few that live throughout the hatch. Please, pass on the hens and go after the drakes,  that way we have new ducklings every year.  Just my .02 on this topic. 

Remember, you need the ducks and they need you. 

 Thanks Duck Vision

AKA Robert 

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DATE: 07/10/2008 23:08:58 / MOOD: Tired

Just thought I would share my thoughts on how vital an important e-collar for your pup is if you are out in the woods or water a lot with them.  Don't mean to hammer anyone who has one, but I recently had a Sportdog 2400 for my lab.  Used it for about a year, then started having several problems with the transmitter.  Was suppose to have a lifetime warranty, but it didn't seem to work that way when I called in to customer service having problems.  Had to pay for a new transmitter, and some new parts for the collar. The collar would also sometimes never shock when I pushed the button, or it would switch levels without me pressing anything. Anyways, long story short the Sportdog e-collar is now gone and replaced with a Dogrtra 3500NCP Super X.  I received it in the mail this week, and have been using it hard all week.  So far it has been perfect!  If you spend a lot of time outdoors with your pup, I would recommend you buy the best electronics you can afford.  Why put them through pain when no need?  Hell, you have already spent more money on your dog than your family, so what's a little more going to hurt?


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DATE: 07/05/2008 11:44:16 / MOOD: Tired

Now that the dove season is fast approaching, my dad and I hooked up the chisel to the back of the new tractor and hit the dirt.  My dad mowed all the over grown brush, chiseled the grown, then plowed the ground up.  Got the ground ready to plant, and then yesterday evening my buddy and I started spreading the seed.  This year we decided to go with Jap Millet.  Even though it takes 90 days to mature, and we know this is a little late for the doves, but it will be ready for the ducks.  We planted it around several of the shore lines, and in a small field that normally floods.  We will go back in about a week, and probably plant some type of dove seed in another small section that we plowed up.  Sure was a fun way to spend the 4th!





My friend aka woodiesmacker


The tree of death...


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DATE: 07/03/2008 09:27:10 / MOOD: Tired

Just wanted to wish everyone a great 4th of July!  Hope everyone has a great time and is safe! Thanks for all who have served for this great country of ours. 


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DATE: 06/28/2008 21:13:53 / MOOD: Tired

Hey guys! The Arkansas Duck Hunting Video is done! The camera was a little old so not very good color, and this was my first hunting video to do. Check it out and let me know what you think!

 

Also, check out my new myspace page.  www.myspace.com/robertrogersonline 

 

 

 

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DATE: 10/30/2007 18:15:20 / MOOD: WATERFOWL HUNTING

Well guys, I have been asked this question a lot now when I meet new people that are just getting into duck hunting.  What call should I buy, what is the best one?  I feel that this has to do with personal opinion. When I got into duck hunting I was asking everybody I knew this same question.  Some would tell me to go buy this call and the others would tell me to go buy a different call.  I went to the store and picked up about 3 new poly carb duck calls off the shelf.  The people I were hunting with back then told me that these were the best duck calls to start out with.  It was a Primos Nag, and Haydel DR-85, and a duck commander call.  Now don't get me wrong these calls can kill ducks and some sounds very ducky, but they just did not fit me.  I tried and tried with these 3 calls and still could not get one that I liked.  I did some more research on duck calls and found out that there is no right or wrong answer on a call.  If you like it and it kills ducks then it works.  I decided to save up enough cash to get a nice acrylic duck call that I could tune to fit me.  I went up to Cabelas one afternoon and went up to the call counter.  I picked up pretty much every call and tried each one out.  Some I liked and there were some that I hated.  I hit a call that I knew it was right for me.  It blew a lot better than all the other calls that I tried out, meaning that it fit me the best.  I liked the sounds the call had too, it had a nice raspy sound and could get very snarly too.  I ended up buying it.  It was a RNT short barrel.  I took it home and practiced and practiced with it for ever.  I later decided to take the reed and cork out and try to tune this call to fit me even better.  Now don't get me wrong or anything the call already sounded and fit me good, but I wanted something a little better.  I bought a few reeds and cut them down until I hit the jackpot.  It took me a little while and a lot of reeds to get it where it is now, but it was well worth it.  

       I practiced and practiced with the new call, but I still did not know what I was suppose to be sounding like.  I figured that the best way to learn was to listen to live ducks.  I packed my gear and headed down to the local park with my dog just about every evening when the mallards were coming back.  I listened to them and tried to do everything that they would do.  After going to the park week after week I knew what I should be sounding like, but just could not get it down on the call.  I went up to Cabelas and bought the RNT The Right Stuff CDs and popped them into the computer.  If I did not buy these CDs, I do not think I would be where I am today with my calling.  After listening to the CDs I found out how to make the note on my duck call, so after practicing for a while I went back down to our local park and listened and talked to the ducks some more. Also, if you have a video camera, film yourself calling on your duck call to see what you really sound like.  This is what I did and it helped a ton.  All the small stuff that you would not really think about stick out on film.  Now I feel a lot more confident calling ducks than I did before.  

Also, try not to skip around when you are starting out.  Heck I tried everything on the CDs in one day and was so frustrated with myself.  I would suggest that you stick to one note at a time, and once you get it then move on with the more advacned stuff.   I know it is tempting to try and do everything on the duck call in a week and be perfect but it just won't happen.  So stick with it one note at a time and eventually you will get it and be a lot more happier and successful at calling ducks than you have ever been.

 So to answer your question on the best duck call, all I can say is go to the store and try every call you can think of.  Select a few from that and then narrow your search down until you find the one you like.  This is what I did, and I could not be happier.  Remember, if you still can not find the duck call that fits you, you can always retune them and file the tone board down and it might fit you better.  Pick the call that fits you best in the call case then you can take it home and fiddle with it to see if you can get it sounding better.  Good luck with the new duck call you decide to get, and if you have any questions about tuning them or anything else please ask!

Good luck!

Robert

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