The weather forecast for that day made two things pretty clear: A cold front was pushing in from the north, and temperatures were expected to fall into the single digits by the next morning. The shallow swamp I usually hunted was going to be a block of ice -- so it was time to dig out the layout boat, because with the cold weather come the cold-weather ducks. And a few of us "crazy" people are usually there to welcome them in our layout boats.

WHAT IS LAYOUT HUNTING?
Quickly becoming a lost form of waterfowling, layout hunting has roots that go back to the commercial hunting industry of the eastern shores, in which layout boats were used alongside sinkboxes (now illegal in the United States) by commercial waterfowlers, who -- since more ducks meant a bigger paycheck -- knew better than anyone about their effectiveness.

In principle, layout hunting from a boat is very similar to layout hunting in a field, in which you literally lay yourself down to create a profile low to the ground. Layout hunting from a boat is based on one fundamental principle: Diving ducks in flight skim just above the water. If a diving duck looks across a lake, it sees at eye level -- usually about 2 to 5 feet above the surface. Flying so low, it can't look down and see you, so to hide, you lie in a boat riding so close to the surface that your decoys conceal your profile.

This obviously puts a little bit of a spin on traditional waterfowl hunting, in which you see ducks overhead, call, decoy them, and shoot. With layout hunting, you and the ducks are eye to eye.

THE BASIC LAYOUT RIG
Equipment for layout hunting isn't really more expensive or extravagant than what you'd need for any other form of waterfowling -- it's just different. The core of the rig consists of the layout boat, the chase boat, the decoy spread, the tow bar (if you choose to tow your layout boat), anchors and ropes, and "camouflage." (Cont'd) Here's a general description of each:

• The layout boat -- It might look a bit odd at first to anyone who's never seen one. Layout boats come in one- or two-person models, are made of wood, fiberglass, aluminum, and even plastic, and are only about 18 inches high. Most layout boats I've seen are homemade.
They range in length from 12 to 16 feet and are from 6 to 8 feet wide (the wider the boat, the more stable it is). Those measurements are at the discretion of the builder; the following two aren't: (1.) They're no more than 20 inches tall. (2.) They have a flat bottom, as they're intended to sit on the water, not ride in it. Most layout boats are in the shape of a teardrop or pumpkin seed.
The one I hunt out of was built in the 1920s and used on Lake Michigan. My dad has had it since he was in college. Every year we pull it out, fiberglass the heck out of it, paint it, and go. (With homemade boats such as ours you can expect a little seepage and maintenance work before the beginning of each year, especially if the boat's made of wood.) Plans are available to anyone interested in building one; for the less ambitious, some layout boats are available commercially; but are pricey.