16ft Layout Jon Boat Project

by **Olly** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:59 am

The past 2 seasons I've hunted traditional "scissor" type blinds on my boat and I think the duck boat world can do better. Everyone is always saying "all you need to do is hide your movement" I'm calling BS on that and saying a 16ft long by 6ft tall grass island that wasn't there yesterday is noticed by ducks. So I'm going to turn my 16ft jon boat into a floating layout blind. Keying in on low profile, the boat will have a deck on it flush with the gunnels and the hunters will lay port to starboard with openings cut out and doors just like a field layout blind.

I'm hoping I will be able to hunt 3 guys in the boat but probably just 2.

Step one

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by **capt1972** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:00 am

Olly wrote:Step one

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crack a beer, steps 2-7

by **capt1972** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:36 pm

nice Olly! Just 1 suggestion, you might want to make the opening for your decoy storage toward the stern. The reason is if you forget to latch it the wind wont get under it while motoring and tear it off. Other than that I can't wait to see more progress.

by **Olly** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:48 pm

We discussed that very thing but I decided for ease to put it facing the port side. I always hunt with the starboard side into the grass/bank/trees also why I made the shooting holes face that way. Anyway I think it will be easier to pull them out of the boat facing the boat that way.

It's kind of hard to see the finished boat but I think once I get the doors made tomorrow it'll be easier to see my vision.

by **3legged_lab** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:49 pm

looks good, like a homemade gator hide.

by **Olly** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:55 pm

3legged_lab wrote:looks good, like a homemade gator hide.

Pretty much.

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by **Redbeard** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:24 pm

Daggum looks good Coastie!

by **assateague** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:47 pm

You're left handed. That's 90% of the problem right there.

:lol:

by **Olly** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 6:04 pm

assateague wrote:You're left handed. That's 90% of the problem right there.

That's been brought up before in the CCW thread :lol:

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by **Goldfish** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:17 am

Not bad mouthing you, just trying to give food for thought, but don't they usually say to not shoot over your dog like that because the muzzle blast will be right over/behind their head?

by **Olly** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:42 am

Goldfish wrote:Not bad mouthing you, just trying to give food for thought, but don't they usually say to not shoot over your dog like that because the muzzle blast will be right over/behind their head?

I had thought about that I might end up turning that door into a full sized one but I don't know where I would put him. In the past he's sat in the same spot but I was standing. I could have him lay on the deck right next to me but that wouldn't be much better.

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:56 pm

Maybe something along these lines...

by **Olly** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:32 pm

I've been thinking about it and I'm going to re do that door and make the dog lay on the back bench next to my head. The store was out of pvc so I'm at a stand still until tomorrow.

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by **huntntech** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:43 pm

Looking Good

by **Goldfish** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:49 pm

In a pinch, you could just get a field dog hut and just put in on top of the boat deck. If a 2ft tall bump is all that's sticking up, you are still better off than the 16ft hotel jutting out of the 'tails. Just mud it up like a muskrat hut or something. Then you aren't cramping yourself to accommodate your dog.

by **Westie25** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:07 pm

I believe she'll hunt!

by **assateague** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:13 pm

I think that turned out like a great plan. I've always been skeptical of those big square boxes poking out of the marsh as well. I don't care how much grass you put on it, they just don't look right.

by **Olly** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:23 pm

assateague wrote:I think that turned out like a great plan. I've always been skeptical of those big square boxes poking out of the marsh as well. I don't care how much grass you put on it, they just don't look right.

Thanks!

I've hunted with 3 different blinds, two were name brands and the last was home made. All felt way to flimsy. Even though I've reduced the number of people I can hunt with I think it should work out better. Once I get some more natural grass from around the marsh I hunt in I hope it should blend right in. Other cool things should be a lot warmer in there too.

by **Rooster** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:25 pm

Looks pretty damn good

by **Olly** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:33 pm

Rooster wrote:Looks pretty damn good

Thanks a lot. I hope it works out as well as I hope.

by **Westie25** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:48 pm

Olly wrote:
Rooster wrote:Looks pretty damn good

Thanks a lot. I hope it works out as well as I hope.

Rooster has the same boat. He should do the same thing.

by **Goldfish** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:56 pm

In a pinch, I bet you could figure out how to hunt a third guy in that boat if they want it bad enough.

Looks good. Now you'll be the only flat spot in the cattails instead of the tall spot

by **Olly** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:12 pm

Goldfish wrote:In a pinch, I bet you could figure out how to hunt a third guy in that boat if they want it bad enough.

Looks good. Now you'll be the only flat spot in the cattails instead of the tall spot

Thinking the 3rd person could sit behind the boat and swap out with one of the hunters or something.

And about the flat spot, I'm going to take some 1.5" PVC and place them vertical in spots on the boat. Then I can cut some reeds and put them in the tubes. Make for a 3-D effect. Would also work for putting branches in for when I get next to trees.

by **Goldfish** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:39 pm

That is a really smart idea. I think your only problem is going to be having guys on top of you because they can't see you.

by **Olly** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:43 pm

Goldfish wrote:That is a really smart idea. I think your only problem is going to be having guys on top of you because they can't see you.

I'm actually looking forward to surprising a few guys who don't see me :lol:

I'm really hoping the ducks pile in on top of my like Geese do when you're field hunting in a layout blind.

by **Rooster** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:14 pm

Westie25 wrote:
Olly wrote:
Rooster wrote:Looks pretty damn good

Thanks a lot. I hope it works out as well as I hope.

Rooster has the same boat. He should do the same thing.

Awful lot of work to gut the boat and go from a steering wheel to tiller. Plus I'm a poor poor white man

by **3legged_lab** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:45 pm

Olly wrote:And about the flat spot, I'm going to take some 1.5" PVC and place them vertical in spots on the boat. Then I can cut some reeds and put them in the tubes. Make for a 3-D effect. Would also work for putting branches in for when I get next to trees.

Keep an eye out for an old style hand sickle for cutting reeds. I used to keep an old pair of 8" hand shears in the boat, but switched on the advice of an old timer I know. Sickle blows the sears away. I can cut a full arm load every swipe, we can usually cut a pile 2 or 3 feet high in 10 minutes.

Yes Assa, we cut TONS of natural vegetation when we hunt.

by **duckkillerclyde** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:38 am

Looks good. Is there a reason why you went so wide with the area you're going to be laying down in?

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:23 am

Lookin good lookin good. cant wait to see it in person.
It would be cool to rig some lights up down inside there under the decking to light the interior so you can see while youre setting up.
Whats it gona be like in transport mode? front guy just lays down the whole time and you pop out drive from your layout hole?

by **Westie25** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:24 am

Rooster wrote:
Westie25 wrote:
Olly wrote:
Rooster wrote:Looks pretty damn good

Thanks a lot. I hope it works out as well as I hope.

Rooster has the same boat. He should do the same thing.

Awful lot of work to gut the boat and go from a steering wheel to tiller. Plus I'm a poor poor white man

You're big money mike.