My first FL Outing...

[Sewer Rat]

OK... scouted some areas on Crooked Lake (where I live), got my dekes down from NYS and repainted and rerigged.... got duck stamp.... got kitchen pass.... rig up boat n truck night before.... and then wifey says she needs to go to Clermont in AM and I have to watch the kid... ok, I still have sat PM and all day sunday....

Sat PM rolls around, and I am informed that we are to go to the Lake Wales Christmas parade... OK... I still have sunday...

Sunday AM.... get out onto Crooked Lake, and someone has already set up where I had scouted (thats ok, they have probably hunted there before and its not like I am the first one to hunt the lake)... head to #2 spot... same... what-the-heck... its 5AM, how the heck did these guys beat me.... ok, go to #3 spot, near middle of lake... lil island with lone tree, thought it might be a good spot to try and draw the duckies in to.... set up... sun starts to rise... EVERYONE is shooting but me... sun rises.... starting to get hot.... strip down to t-shirt (now this just aint right... duck hunting in a t-shirt when I am used to 25F and snow blowing atcha).... coupla ducks fly by, can't draw them in for the life of me (must be the northern accent on the duck call, need to learn the southern drawl I guess).... head back in for breakfast (plus wind starting to pick up)....

Wind is wiping up white caps on lake... decide to hit the Kiss River (heard from a friend/neighbor that it is a good place).... nothing... not a single duck... not even one flying.... did see about 200 buzzards, 4 crows, 5 or 6 alligators, buncha cows, and several fishermen (these guys looked at me funny as I went in one slough and set up my dekes, guess they knew something I didn't LOL)...

All in all... I had a pretty good opener, I was outside, and I got to explore the Kiss River plus found that "my" spots on the lake were productive (all I need to do, is just beat those guys next time LOL)...

I can't wait to do it again!!!

[D Duck]

Early in the season, competition for spots is high. You might have to get to the lake at 3am to make sure you get your spot....

You'll get used to the t-shirt deal. :icon_smil

[BlindHog]

Also SewerRat, calling is not a big part of the game down here. I think a lot of mallard highballing can be as damaging as it can be helpful to getting birds in. (With the exception of calling mottleds of course, which we dont have in Northwest Fl where I am.)

Saturday we took a boatload of ringers without a call being even touched. These guys just wanted the dekes - real bad.

Ps. It was 19 degrees when we launched so you would have felt at home.

[D Duck]

Yep, lay off the call. A little quack here and there and a diver grunt is all you need. Pick up a teal call as well.

[Dead Ringer]

Sorry to hear it was slow, but glad to hear that you still had a good time.

As the other guys said, my party shot a limit of ringers this AM without a single quack of the call. The one tool you should have and learn how to use (I'm still trying to) is a whistle. A 6-in-1 is about $8 and is much better for teal, wood ducks, whistling ducks, pintail, etc. The only birds I'd quack at are either mottled ducks or just out of frustration.

You'll have to play with your spread also. Sometimes in a high pressure area, less is more, with some guys setting out a half dozen. On the other hand, sometimes we head out with 80-90 in the boat (get cheap $20/dz mallard dekes on sale, spray them to look like ringers to fill in the spread). A Mojo duck is also useful; I use the Baby Mojo, which is more realistic in size and costs about $60 on EBay.

Above all, being in the right spot is crucial. To find some good spots, check out the member's side of the forum. To make sure that they are yours, get out before early.

[Sewer Rat]

members side??


OK... no quackin... got it... small deke set-up.. got it... whistle... got it (although gonna haveta learn to do this a whole lot better, since the pintails back home used to come into our dekes w/out callin em in)...

gonna need to visit Basspro for more t-shirts (oh boy, the wifey is gonna love that LOL)....


manomanoman... this is gonna take some gittin used to...

[D Duck]

members side??Members only forum.

[DEADEYE DICK]

While you are at Bass Pro get some coots decoys too :)