# Spreads



## Preds21 (Feb 12, 2008)

What kind of spreads u guys use for water, V's half moon, nike symbol, ect..... this will be my second yr hunting water and got a few birds ast yr, nut i shuold have got a lot more and i am looking for ideas


----------



## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I use the C pattern or if the wind is going across me then I will throw out a wall of dekes and set up and pass shoot and they land.

Tell us more on where you hunt.


----------



## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

never heard of the nike symbol?

We don't really hunt geese over water but ducks we have always just made a U or ____ _____ with a hole in the middle. Also what works well it just throwing decoys out and leaving a hole sometimes that way it looks realistic.


----------



## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

He means a J or hook pattern. I would say I use the U pattern the most, but have used all the other patterns with success as well. It just depends on the # of decoys, and the size of the area your hunting, and ultimately what you yourself have come to like with experience. I say try each one and see what works best for you.


----------



## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

This is a very open question.

Are you hunting divers on big water or puddle ducks on a slough?

Divers I have used the J pattern with the most success.

Puddle ducks I have used many patters. The U, the J, clusters, small spreads, V's, etc.

One this is to look how the birds sit naturally on the water and mimic that.

One thing to remember is most of the time the birds are drawn to the most decoys. What I mean by this is the most decoys in a set up. If you use the U for instance most of your decoys should be at the bottom of the U and not on the legs of it. If you use the method of a circle with a hole in the center. The mass of the decoys spread should be on the up wind side not the down wind side.

I hope this helps.


----------



## goosebusters2 (Jan 13, 2006)

Chuck Smith said:


> This is a very open question.
> 
> One this is to look how the birds sit naturally on the water and mimic that.


The best thing that you can do is recreate what you saw the ducks doing the night before and do your best to mimic that. That is why scouting plays such a big role. One more thing is to make it look as natural as possible, maybe mix in some different species of duck floaters into your spread., besides mallards


----------



## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

I rarely hunt ducks on water but when I do I don't use any real pattern. I just leave a pocket for the birds to land in. The calling kills the ducks not any particular geometric shaped set-up.


----------



## Preds21 (Feb 12, 2008)

blhunter3 said:


> I use the C pattern or if the wind is going across me then I will throw out a wall of dekes and set up and pass shoot and they land.
> 
> Tell us more on where you hunt.


I hunt NE Missouri public land one is a large pothole that sits just across a levie from a resevoir with and average of 200 teal, the other area i hunt is woods with a creek bout 30-40 ft wide and biout 4- five ft deep less than a mile from the Mississippi River, Lots of Wood ducks and get a few mallards, but most i hunt puddle ducks and a few divers. Does this help anybody out with some advice or me, PS i am going to try to get on Ted Shanks does anybody know much about that place


----------



## ghostbuster (Nov 30, 2007)

i make a U with the decoys then i put my robo kinda in the middle but closer me so they have a spot to land


----------



## Original Goosebuster (Jan 12, 2006)

When I hunt water I like to make the spread as natural as possible. Make small groups and leave pocket areas for the birds to land. Make sure they are in strategic places. Make the birds work to where you want them to. It also doesn't hurt to throw in a few goose floaters


----------



## goosebusters2 (Jan 13, 2006)

Original Goosebuster said:


> When I hunt water I like to make the spread as natural as possible. Make small groups and leave pocket areas for the birds to land. Make sure they are in strategic places. Make the birds work to where you want them to. It also doesn't hurt to throw in a few goose floaters


Wow that's a nice lookin spread I wonder who the guy was that helped you put that out. :lol:


----------



## chris lillehoff (Jan 9, 2006)

i know what slough that is.


----------



## cancan (Feb 28, 2008)

sometimes new hunters dont realize the complete importance of remaining still as a statue.....only calling when you need to and making the spread look natural. We tend to leave the decoys spaced wide and scattered naturally.

Divers we will run a long line straight out from the hide....as well as birds scattered each side....divers will almost always hit the end of the long line and follow it to the cluster nearer the hide.


----------



## Preds21 (Feb 12, 2008)

cancan said:


> sometimes new hunters dont realize the complete importance of remaining still as a statue
> I never said that i was a new waterfowl hunter, i have been hunting watefowl for 11 yrs but this will be the second yr hunting water b/c of my current living situation, I am a college student new to WATER hunting. I have no problem staying still in a blind. I just want some decoy tips


----------



## cancan (Feb 28, 2008)

I misread the water part. but ya got my tip on divers.....

I use scattered puddleduck rig with usually wide spacing on the dekes, that way the ducks can plop right in the decoys, always seems to me a wide set scattered rig looks most natural , just my 2 cents


----------



## Preds21 (Feb 12, 2008)

thanks for the tips how bout where does everybody put their mojo, outsideof the spread, in the spread?


----------



## Horker23 (Mar 2, 2006)

i like to put them in the kill-hole


----------



## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

chris lillehoff said:


> i know what slough that is.


I'll tell you right now Chris that I don't know where that spot is, I would be suprised if you do.


----------



## chris lillehoff (Jan 9, 2006)

PM sent GBS


----------



## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

Double blob deployment; ducks mixed with geese. Works like a charm.
Good luck,
Dan


----------

