# What Does Your Water Spread Consist Of?



## goosehunter20 (Oct 19, 2006)

Hey guys right now I have a dozen Hot Buy mallard decoys for my water spread and was considering adding some other species. I was just wondering what you guys have in your spread and how many.


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## benelliguyusa (Aug 9, 2007)

well that really depends on where you hunt, and the primary species in that location. If you are hunting potholes id keep it to mostly puddle ducks, mallards, pintals ect. However if you hunt where there are divers, mix it up, however i feel useing some decoys that have white on them is great and can be seen better at a distance. When hunting divers i will often toss a couple snow floaters out there for confidence or at least a visibility i figure it cant hurt. Depending on the hunt, but id say i have about 4 doz puddle duck decoys, and when hunting divers we use around 6doz usally a mix of bills, rignecks, and cans.


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## Straycat (Mar 21, 2005)

As indicated in the previous post it depends on the location and species at the time. I will use as little as five (yes 5) and up to about 4 dozen puddler decoys. I sometimes add a few goose decoys to the side of the spread for visability. I also use a couple pintail drakes and sometimes will throw in some bluebills and canvasback decoys on bigger waters.

For divers, I use only a dozen bluebills and throw in 3-4 canvasback decoys. I have never needed any more than that for the "turbo ducks". All divers will at least check out the spread if in the right spot and are visible.

goosehunter20, it sounds like you're well on your way. I found it is more about being where the ducks want to be, good placement and concealment and not in the decoys numbers.

Good luck and keep the wind at your back.


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## drakeslayer6 (Oct 6, 2007)

Does anyone run any big water spreads? I cant even count the number of water decoys that i have. I guess i just became addicted.


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## jonesy12 (Apr 1, 2008)

I have 1 dozen GHG Mallards, 8 GHG Wigeons, 6 GHG Shovelers, 4 GHG Woodies, and 2 GHG Pintails for puddler hunting. For diver hunting I use 2 to 3 dozen G&H Bluebill / Ringbill decoys. With the mojority rigged for lines and a few singles to use around the spread. Also a Canvasback and Redhead single to spread here and there. I use 2 Mojos when using the puddlers. Very rarely do I use all of the puddlers at once. It just depends what is flying that time of year........


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## bluebird (Feb 28, 2008)

I hunt on a couple huge bodies of water and when other people are out hunting and we have some competition it seems the biggest spread always pulls more birds on these lakes. We put out 9-15dz when hunting on these waters and we "almost" always do great.


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## jonesy12 (Apr 1, 2008)

I'll be investing in more GHG Malards this year for sure!


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## bluebird (Feb 28, 2008)

Buy G&H!!!!!!!!


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## fubar (Mar 10, 2008)

2 doz ghg mallards 1 dz. teal couple geese and a mojo.


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## jonesy12 (Apr 1, 2008)

I agree they are nice, that's what all of my divers are. I'm realy superstitious about the puddler decoys I buy. There is so much pressure where I hunt during the fall, a realistic decoy is a must in my eyes.......


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## bluebird (Feb 28, 2008)

Where do you hunt? I live in the same type of area. Lot's of pressure!!!!


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## jonesy12 (Apr 1, 2008)

Southern suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul MN


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

We run 6-15 dozen diver decoys when we hunt them and hardly ever use singles, they are all on long lines except for some days we will throw a dozen decoys rigged as singles in the kill hole and on occasion we will put a few mallards off to one side. Its extremely difficult to be on the X here cause of the fishermen and other hunters always pushing the birds so we hunt a lot of traffic spots so the big spread is a must.

When we hunt puddlers its very rare to run more than a dozen duck decoys, usually 5-7 decoys and a small group of honkers usually does the trick.


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## jonesy12 (Apr 1, 2008)

Where do you hunt?
I have 4 lines with 10 to 12 decoys a piece running out from the blind. Then scatter a single here and there to break up the lines.
I will put 6 to 8 Mallard singles to one side and 5 to 6 Canadas on the other, depending on the time of year.


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## jonesy12 (Apr 1, 2008)

This is one side of the set up of divers. This day sucked by the way!!! ZERO wind!!!!


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## bluebird (Feb 28, 2008)

IN CO


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## goosehunter20 (Oct 19, 2006)

Ok so if I wanted to add a few different species (and im from NE SD) what would you recommend?


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## jonesy12 (Apr 1, 2008)

Different species as in divers or puddlers?


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## goosehunter20 (Oct 19, 2006)

I mainly hunt little potholes and sloughs so puddlers


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

widgon, gadwall, pintail, spoonbill, wooduck, ringneck, 4 geese.


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## mnbirdhunter (Sep 15, 2005)

Right now I'm using GHG: 2 doz mallards, 6, gadwall, 6 BW teal, 6 pintails, and a doz bluebills. G&H: 3 doz mallards, 1 doz, pintails, 6 bluebills. I never use them all at once though.


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## huntinND (May 1, 2008)

I think a dozen or two teal really add a lot to a spread early in the season. But I would just look at what species of duck you see or have shot in the past and go from there. Also think about how they sit in the slough, I know this changes throughout the season but you can get a pretty good idea of what your spread should look like. Generally I set out 2 dozen mallards, 2 dozen teal, and some drake pintails or bluebills off to the side to catch there eye. I usually keep the teal and mallards seperate instead of mixed together.


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## jonesy12 (Apr 1, 2008)

1 or 2 dozen Mallards with whatever species is migrating in your area will add the realism to your spread you are looking for. Add a spinning wing decoy or 2 and you should be set. Also, in the later season, if there are any divers, throw a bunch of them out, seperating the Mallards from the divers. Just my 2 cents


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## greatwhitehunter3 (Sep 15, 2006)

i use about 3 dozen hot buys, dozen teal, 4-8 geese, two mojos, 6 woodies, other misc ducks, and coots! works very good!


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## Commando (Jan 13, 2006)

Add more floater geese. They add much more increased visibility than duck decoys. I only run a dozen duck floaters and as many goose floaters as I can get my hands on and shoot more ducks than I ever did when I was running 6+ dozen ducks.


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

1 hotbuy hen, 1 hotbuy drake, and 3 vortex spinner rigs.


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

whats a water spread?


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Its a spread of decoys that only true hunters use. :stirpot: oke:


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

OH, I see, I always thought it was what 98% of all non-residents used to hunt in North Dakota? I think you also need to have at least 6 boats to bring along to hunt water as well don't you?

Otherwise known as "The Great Fall Boat Parade"?

I think most "True" Nodak Hunters use whats called the ever elusive "Field" Spread, usually used in some sort of a "field". The field may contain Water, but Most of these spreads are Full Bodies set up in non the less "A Field". And the Hunters that use this spread will usually be pulling enclosed trialers in lieu of the 10 foot duck boat.

Sorry, haha, didn't mean to get all Resident vs. Non-Resident. Just gotta give ya a little crap.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Hey I know, I was giving you crap. Glad to see you didn't get mad.


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

nah, I wasn't mad, I actually laught pretty much the whole time I typed that up. haha.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

good so was I


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