Kayaks

[Archeryrob]

Anyone ever consider using one? I started using one to get into spots the jon boat would not and eventually found I stopped using the jon boat. Hunitng out of the Commander 120 for year, then got a dog and got the Ride 135 sit on top to take her so the water drains out that she brings in. Its low profile and looks like a log on the river. We put the carts on it mid ship, strap it down and start walking in.

Here is my home made blind for it. http://archeryrob.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/ride-135-blind-with-the-dog-house/

[The Duck Hammer]

Definitely have thought about it. Got access to one this season so we'll see if I ever use it.

[Olly]

I'm about to get this in a trade. I don't know if I will use it for hunting or not. I think I'll keep it around for any small bodies of water I may end up hunting in the future. I do like your setup tho!

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[Woody]

I'm about to get this in a trade. I don't know if I will use it for hunting or not. I think I'll keep it around for any small bodies of water I may end up hunting in the future. I do like your setup tho!

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You should bring that up with you... we could use it as a second layout. @

[Archeryrob]

I have a Pelican like that Ollie, it was my first one. Now I just keep it as a loaner kayak for taking extra people fishing. I would layout in it with my feet all the way up in the bow and at 5'-10" it was tight! Had to sit up and sit still. I prefer the layout mode on my kayaks as I hide better on a rocky river in low profile. If in reeds I don't things sitting up matters.

[The Duck Hammer]

If you couldn't fit in one like that, Olly is gonna wear his like a shoe.

[Olly]

If you couldn't fit in one like that, Olly is gonna wear his like a shoe.

Ha I haven't even tried to sit in it yet. I had to run to work right after the guy dropped it off. 99% sure its going right on CL this afternoon would rather have fuel $$$ for this upcoming trip than a kayak I doubt I'll ever use.

[Pintail]

I just bought I kayak I plan to use for hunting. It's a Jackson coosa. How are you hauling all your decoys in your kayak btw?

[capt1972]

I just bought I kayak I plan to use for hunting. It's a Jackson coosa. How are you hauling all your decoys in your kayak btw?

Strap the decoy bags to the bow and stern.

[FlintRiverFowler]

I just bought I kayak I plan to use for hunting. It's a Jackson coosa. How are you hauling all your decoys in your kayak btw?

I've hunted a few times out of a kayak and actually wore the bag of decoys on my back like a back pack. It had built in straps.

[Goldfish]

I just bought I kayak I plan to use for hunting. It's a Jackson coosa. How are you hauling all your decoys in your kayak btw?

Judging from pictures online of that kayak it looks like you should be able to put the bag behind ya. Usually kayak hunting means little water so you can get away with less decoys

[bill herian]

The push to my normal spot is 1.2 miles and she rolls like a dream on that cart.

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Bought a bolt of burlap that use to cover the unpainted cockpit. Hides well in skinny cover.

[bill herian]

If I really took the time to cram them in there I bet I could haul 20 decoys no problem. Can get six in the dry compartment with my bag and mojo. Rest ride in a bag on my lap.

[Duckdog]

Just out of curiosity, as I've never paddled a Kayak...
But how hard would it be, or would it even work to tow a jet sled behind you with the decoys?
If you wanted more decoys...

[bill herian]

I've wondered the same thing, but have heard that it just doesn't go down like you envision.

Plus, once you get into the open water and the sled tips over, you're really in an interesting spot.

[Goldfish]

I have heavily thought about a jet sled, but never heard any negatives. Actually, never heard anything about it. It would be nice to get some decoys out of my lap tho sometimes.

[Woody]

Titz and I use to tow our decoys behind us and have come to the decision that we would much rather carry them out there in other ways. It is quite a bit more difficult to paddle with them back there and you run the risk of getting snagged up on something and having no way to reach back and un-snag yourself.

[bill herian]

I exhausted that gem of an idea as well.

I guess if you make sure your sled is not top heavy, which might involve adding weight, it could work, but it won't help you set any records getting to your spot.

When it comes to towing, keys and throttles are where its at.

[Botiz630]

Was never pleased with the different arrangements that Woody and I tested for towing decoys behind the kayaks, though we never tried a sled. I imagine it would probably work better than some of the stuff we tried, but like he just said if you get the sled hung up or something you sure aren't going to be able to turn around to do anything about it. We've pretty much resigned ourselves to strapping them to the kayak or riding them on our laps, and that's worked well enough for the few decoys we need that we haven't bothered to keep looking for alternatives.

Though towing decoys one morning did lead to a pretty funny story. Pretty much when confronted with the realization that he was suddenly paddling with ease, Woody chose to believe that it was because he had miraculously become a world class paddler rather than consider the possibility that his bag had come loose from the back of his kayak. So he goes gliding off into the darkness, leaving me to struggle over to retrieve his bag, somehow manage to leash it to my kayak in addition to my own bag I was already dragging, and then slog across the lake at a tortuously slow rate till I was on the verge of collapsing from heat stroke.

[The Duck Hammer]

[Goldfish]

I think woody knew what happened, and just enjoyed the easy paddling

[Woody]

It honestly never occurred to me.

[firstflight]

Why not a floating decoy bag .
or run a bungee along the sides and hold them in .

[Botiz630]

or run a bungee along the sides and hold them in .

This is pretty much what we do now.

[Archeryrob]

Depending on your kayak stability you can haul a lot of decoys on the kayak. Some of the older sit in sides are not very stable and too much top heavy weight could cause problems. My commander or Ride are very stable. I only haul one bag as its all I need and I get 6 bigfoot geese and 5 duck decoys in it. That is on the back and I could strap another bag, if I wanted on the front. Usually my buddy brings a bag of decoys, just like I did, so no real need for me to carry another bag.

The sled will cause more drag and your happiness with it will matter on how far you are going, how high to pile it and if it can roll over as they are not made for stability. A cross wind on open water and you'll find that sled will flat out kill you making any headway. So its a toss up on the spot you are hunting.

Here is a story from Kayakfish magazine about hunting from a kayak for anyone just lurking that has not tried it.
http://www.kayakfishmag.com/featured-catch/hunting-waterfowl-kayak-20-questions/

We seem to find that the deer hunters try and hit waterfowl when season are out for deer and just take the "easy" spots a jon boat can get too. The also educate the birds to large blinds, so we have gone to small ones. We hit the hard to access spots with kayaks and can get more action from birds in the hard to get too spots.

Here is Kako (the dog) next to the kayak on one of our pack in hunts with the Ride 135.

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[Goldfish]

Well, I found out first hand today why you don't just goat the decoy bags behind you. They act more like an anchor than a bobber.

Also why you don't hunt with a dog out of a kayak. She fell out 3 times, once in the middle of the lake while the wind was blowing "10mph" (someone underestimated that prediction)

[Archeryrob]

What kind of kayak are you using, Goldfish? Is she sitting on top and sliding off? I have had mine jump off before while out, but I have a 60# dog and horse her in with the collar and a hand full of back skin. Plus I have a really stable kayak. I would not want to do that in many of the older models.

Yes, guys always talk about using a sled, dragging decoys or what ever behind them. They must not be paddling far because any drag slows you down, a lot!! We trim our raffia to be an inch or two off the water, because even that will slow you down a lot if its in the water and chasing a bird. Once you start dragging things, you might as well be paddling a 10' jon boat because that is the performance you are going to get.

[Goldfish]

An 11ft Carsten teal. Wide, stable, and sucks to paddle. My lab is 45lbs and had her dog vest on which has handles so grabbing her wasn't a concern, just the weight transfer. The kayak is rated for 500lbs, and I'm sure I was no where near that, but still felt sketchy

[Archeryrob]

Yea, the Carsten boats are your typical "Marsh boats" that lack a defines bow and stern and only have tracking lines, that does not help them track. Its like paddling a canoe from the back with the bow out of the water and it swings back and forth. Soon as the bow is in the water it acts like a break to prevent side to side swing.

If you are doing a lot of paddling you could add a rudder on to the back. I have a small one from an Ocean kayak I used to have, but I am not sure what size that boat might need. This one was for steering now tracking and might not be large enough.

Here is a carstens bow. Notice the lack of a bow or other structure to prevent side to side swing


And here is a Wilderness Systems Commander Bow. There is defines bow and defined stern. Plus the dual channel between the pontoons which make this stable and track very well. I just got this picture off the web, I would not recommend hunting from a yellow one.


Also the Ride 135, you can see the same features for tracking.


Add a motor to your carsten and it changes everything. You can also increase your paddle speed without heavy force and it helps some as long as you don't tire out. The Ride 135 is a great boat for taking the dog out the Sot's drain all the water the dog brings back in.

[Goldfish]

I know why it doesn't track, but it's a small price to pay for the stability and storage space it provides, plus I can lay LOW in it and all but disappear if I'm hunting out of it.