Good morning guys, I need some advice please. I am going to hunt a lake on Saturday and Sunday on a ranch that has NOT been hunted all season and normally holds a good amount of birds. So my question is, how many decoys should I use ??? I have 2 dozen puddle duck and a dozen teal to use along with a mojo mallard so any advice would be great since I don't hunt ducks but about once or twice a year and I would like for this to be a successful hunt. Thanks in advance for your help.

J

How big is the lake?

Use em all except for the mojo.

20 yards To your left: Put a cluster of ur puddlers together, real tight, about 2-3 ft from each other.
20 yards to your left: Do another cluster of ur teal.

Put 2 pudlers 20 yards in front of you.

This lake is about 2 acres since it completely full now

This time of year I would be lean on the dekes. Maybe 6-8 and a jerk rig if there is no wind. Friend of mine in OK last week hunted a 2 acre pond with a jerk rig and 4 decoys and limited on Mallards.

Maybe 4-6 puddle ducks to the right like snipe said, jerk rig in the middle and 3-4 on the left. Leave them an opening to land in. No mojo.

Good luck.

I hunted a big marsh pond this past week and only used 10 decoys. I don't know the acreage of the pond but it's big. I got a limit. I think in the late season, less is more! They've seen all the big spreads and they are avoiding them.

Also, later in the season, most duck species are beginning to pair up, so they don't move around in as big of flocks as early in the season... I believe this to be the real reason less decoys are better later in the season.

I agree, 2 acres is still a lil pond.
A handful of dekes with some motion

I’d run a pair of puddle ducks on one side and 3 teal on a jerk string on the other side

Thanks for the advice. Gonna give it our best shot and see if we can get a few birds.