# Duck vacation #1 of 2010 Ends



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Was fortunate to have my first duck vacation of the year this past week on western Superior. 101 birds in the boat since Saturday. Hunted 7 days with 4 of them filling our limits. 

Saturday: 12
Sunday: 14
Monday: 3 man limit
Tueday: 4 man limit on sea ducks
Wed: 3 man limit
Thur: 2 man limit
Friday: 2 birds in 15 minutes then called it due to weather

Was fortunate to have some good picture weather one day, but most it was too cloudy. Also fortunate to hunt with a couple members from the site that I had not had the opportunity to hunt with before. Also ran into a few at the bar during the week. Great week and I'm looking forward to another duck vacation week during Thanksgiving.

Saturday:









Sunday:

















Wish I had a pelican permit 









Why is it when the bills are down the lighting is bad


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Bills coming into the squaw dekes



























Squaw coming into the squaw dekes after a limit was in the boat.



























Guys coming in for a pick up


















After a few hour drive, hitting the bridge on the way home.










Lot's more pics, but I'll spare you.


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## FullBody (Nov 4, 2008)

Heck of a week in my book. That is if your into fish ducks...  
 

Nice work!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## honk/quack (Dec 18, 2009)

Love all the pix, great job. Wish I had buddies who were that devoted to the sport. I'd like to get into some of that.


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## Dahmer (Jan 22, 2007)

Awesome photos Gene! You got'em dialed in. By the way I'd rather shoot a fish duck over a park duck any day.


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## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

You *Know* I'm all about those squaw pics....those were awesome !
Great pics as normal, very well done.........


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

FullBody said:


> That is if your into fish ducks...
> 
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Toughest thing I've ever had to do....passing prime redhead drakes, feet out, at butterfly netting range - waiting on drake squaws.....it was a damn good thing he didn't try it a fourth time, a man can only take so much :lol:


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## integritybob (Mar 10, 2009)

Great Pics Gene!! Darn good job this past week guys.


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## T.J. (Mar 1, 2009)

very cool. absolutely love the squaw pics.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

All the ducks ya killed and thats all the pics... I have seen more pics thann that


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## cheeseandquackers (Jun 20, 2007)

nice pics looks like a great hunt.


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

Nicely done fellas. Looks like a great vaction Gene!


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## Stiny357 (Nov 8, 2009)

Beautiful pics, what kind of camera?


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

DEDGOOSE said:


> All the ducks ya killed and thats all the pics... I have seen more pics thann that


I'm sure you have, but none of us want the attention those would bring.


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## Quakstakr (Nov 3, 2009)

"Lot's more pics, but I'll spare you."
__________________

Heck, I don't know what you mean by "spare you". 

Those pics are awesome. 

I'm very jealous. Folks being from the Keweenaw, I can only imagine how awesome that must have been.

Thanks alot for sharing and don't be so stingy with the pics


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

Thanks for sharing, those were nice pictures to help one get through the day typing on a computer rather than hunting


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## norton shores killer (Oct 24, 2009)

will the squaw come into regular diver decoys or do you really have to have the squaw decoys


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## road trips (Jan 10, 2008)

I knew you guys slaughtered the birds when I seen the big grin on your face go from one side of the bar to the other:lol:.Great job on the week and nice pics.Keep em coming.
Your Lund made my tender boat look like a canoe.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Did I see a Barrow's in that pile?


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

road trips said:


> I knew you guys slaughtered the birds when I seen the big grin on your face go from one side of the bar to the other:lol:.Great job on the week and nice pics.Keep em coming.
> Your Lund made my tender boat look like a canoe.


It was good to meet you.

Definitly a fun trip and lots of miles on both the truck and boat. Probably close to 90 miles on the boat in 5 days. Highlight was seeing Dale turn white with a 6 mile run in 5-6' waves to get back to the launch, safe, just a PITA for sure.


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## field-n-feathers (Oct 20, 2008)

Looks like some great hunts Gene. Nice pictures too.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

As I've said in past years, you and your crew put in the time and effort it takes, and you deserve the rewards. You shouldn't feel shy about posting pics...screw those complainers who in reality are just jealous!

How is the new Alaskan working for ya Gene? Even my 17' Alaskan looks tiny compared to that boat.


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## widowmaker1 (Jan 4, 2010)

very impressive!!!!! thanks for sharing


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

just ducky said:


> As I've said in past years, you and your crew put in the time and effort it takes, and you deserve the rewards. You shouldn't feel shy about posting pics...screw those complainers who in reality are just jealous!
> 
> How is the new Alaskan working for ya Gene? Even my 17' Alaskan looks tiny compared to that boat.



Thanks Dan but I can't take any credit. Fortunate enough to know a couple people that hunt the general area the birds were killed in. Only thing I brought to the table was after shooting juvies for an hour Monday we made about an additional 3 mile run to any area no one had been hunting and found the mother load of squaw that we proceded to pound on all week. So not my area at all, jus helped to dial it in by moving 3 miles and down sizing the spread. Heck we were killing squaw over 9 decoys most of the time.


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## Iceman_101 (Jan 11, 2009)

Nice work got to love those old squaws can't wait to get back out and kill some more!!!!!


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Glad you made it safe, and got into the birds.

Now, you may sleep.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

norton shores killer said:


> will the squaw come into regular diver decoys or do you really have to have the squaw decoys


They will come into regular decoys fine. Just my opinion, but I think once I added the squaw decoys to the spread a couple years ago they finish better. Before they would pass over the spread in your face 10' off the water but keep going. After adding them to the spread they are in your face feet out at 10' and landing. 

Since we were targetting squaw, we started out only putting out 9 squaw decoys and nothing else. Started killing squaw but the first flock of scoter didn't finish, so we added a line of 10 bills then we finished the next drake white wing we saw. Tuesday we ran 10 scoter and 9 squaw and finished everything on top of the layout, no lead even on passing birds since they were inside 30' with many inside 10'. Thursday it was soo rough that we only put out the 9 squaw and in under an hour were 7 or so miles out, set up, 2 man limit and 7 miles back in under 1 hour. If you do the math that is about 10 minutes per limit gunning one person at a time. We were even having no issue killing bills and reds with our meager 19 sea duck spread. On Tueday when we were going for a 4 man all sea duck limit, there was many a apple headed redhead that owes his life to not being a sea duck as they tried very hard to get shot over that small spread.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

Fantastic pics dudes...wow.

I have a couple friends down here that will be grinning from ear to ear when they see this thread....damn diver hunters...LOL


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## ccase79 (Aug 13, 2010)

some of the best duck hunting pictures ive ever seen, would love to see the rest of them. really impressive


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## Snuffy (Sep 9, 2010)

Those pictures are outstanding. The young boy and the Old squaw take the cake. Congrats on the good hunting.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

ccase79 said:


> some of the best duck hunting pictures ive ever seen, would love to see the rest of them. really impressive


Thanks. Due to the nature of some of the membership though, no good would come of posting more pics. Suffice it to say that drake long tails and drake white wings paid a big price last week One of the days 12 drake long tails hit the floor of the boat along with 3 drake white wings. That is a pretty good day. The guys(including me) excercised great restraint that day, probably passed over close to 500-1000 birds inside 30 feet waiting for drakes.

Sorry MikeL, they all got cleaned.


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

TSS Caddis said:


> That is a pretty good day. The guys(including me) excercised great restraint that day, probably passed over close to 500-1000 birds inside 30 feet waiting for drakes.
> 
> Sorry MikeL, they all got cleaned.


Thats the best photo of the bunch... 

How you coming on my long-tail head dress for this weekend?? I'm fixin' to take some more scalps...


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

Great pics. That is one big tender with a bridge.
Well, whats the scoop on the new layout. Lets hear some reviews!


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

wavie said:


> Well, whats the scoop on the new layout. Lets hear some reviews!


A first I was skeptical. I felt that it was too difficult to see the birds coming in straight out in front....then I realized it was because of the MASSIVE ERECTION I was sporting after watching birds boring in with reckless abandon trying to land on the layout. 

It frick'n disappears in anything more than 1' chop. Several times I was 200 yards upwind in the tender and the only way I could spot the rig was to see the flag wave every 30 seconds or so, or watch the birds bombing in and figured that must be where the boat was...

Very comfortable, well thought out interior, stable (although we didn't have it in anything more than 2'ers)

If I had my druthers, the combing would extend another 12" behind the cockpit to help it ride in larger seas, as I think that may be a limitation.

Jury's out, but I was impressed so far.


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## T.J. (Mar 1, 2009)

i thought it was a great boat. just a little more room for my elbows would be nice. but most people arnt all arms and lags like me.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

wavie said:


> Great pics. That is one big tender with a bridge.
> Well, whats the scoop on the new layout. Lets hear some reviews!


My unbiased opinion.

Quality: Top tier, you will not find a better built layout, period. Fit, finish, very very nice.

Profile: Top tier, you will not find a layout of it's size with a better profile. Literally invisible in the water with any more than a 6" chop.

Room: Everyone that has gotten in it was skeptical at first that a boat that only comes 6" above the water could not possible be roomy. They are all shocked at how comfortable it is and how much foot room you have due to the 2" drop at the foot. Box is perfect width IMO.

Other things: 
Drain plug at bottom of box, very nice. 

Rigid floor, very nice not feeling waves bending the fiberglass like the MLB. Whole boat is bascially sandwiched foam so very rigid and you can step anywhere on the boat without fiberglass bending and cracking.

Groves on each side of the floor to route water away from you, very nice, in MLB you sit in the water.

Spray curtain is very nice and lays flat.

I was skeptical about not having a molded back rest, but it has proven to be very comfortable and is nice that you can remove it.

Spray curtain supports were not functional for me. They would work until you get freezing then they'd be tough so I replace the back one with an MLB style board.

Only con: I still have not had it out in large waves and don't think it will handle 3' waves. Now, I don't think that 90% of the guys out there ever hunt anything over 2' waves, so this is really a non issue for most hunters. I really like to be able to hunt 2-4' or 3-5' with a swell.

Summary: For the typical layout guy hunting < 3' waves and is not 300lbs, this is the best layout I've seen. Nothing even comes close, especially if you are tall since it has plenty of room. Fit and finish are far superior to everything else that is out there. This boat is made by a boat builder and not a truck cap maker and you can tell. Also with 6" above water and the lines it has it is basically invisible. Amazing how roomy it is for being so low to the water. We literally could have been knocking birds out the air with a yard stick this past week they were finishing so close. Have not had that with other layouts.

Supposedly Tony is making a 2 man next year, so I may be looking at that. He is also kicking around the ideal of making the back a little longer to get it breaking waves and allowing it to ride larger waves, if he does that I'll probably keep the one I have and also buy that boat.

Anyone can PM me if they have any more questions, but I am very pleased. Integrity Bob has the other Bonneville in the state and I know he is very happy with his also.


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## integritybob (Mar 10, 2009)

I absolutely love my Bonneville. I talked to Tony the other night and he discussed the changes for 2011. With these changes Lake Bonneville Layout Boats will be the layout to have. Tons of thought goes into these boats guys. 

I am more than willing to let anyone lay in my boat if they would like to give it a test ride. Also please use Caddis or myself as a reference to Tony at LBLB's.


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