Another type of spot that's often of interest is one on main points that extend into a bend of the lake or river. Waterfowl often key on these places during normal flight, in much the same way that doves key on single shade trees in pastures, and sometimes the pass-shooting at a spot like this can be fantastic. If the point also provides shelter from the elements, it can be a good place for decoying ducks as well.

At most large lakes and a good many rivers, spots like this are relatively scarce -- and, if you stop to think about it, that's a good thing. A scarcity of suitable sheltered resting places tends to concentrate waterfowl activity more, and leads to more productive hunting when you do find one of those places.

However, in sections of quite a few large rivers, inviting waterfowl hangout spots like this are common: the Dardanelle portion of the Arkansas River, for example, or the flooded backwaters and sloughs along the river's lower 100 miles or so -- say, from Redfield downstream -- or the backwaters of the Ouachita River down around Felsenthal. And don't forget the sandbars, flooded willow brakes and backwater areas of the Mississippi River itself.

Of course, the fact that a lake or section of river abounds in likely setup spots only serves to make the overall body of water more attractive to waterfowl, so it's usually not much of a problem. Even though the activity of the birds will be spread out over more hotspots, a lot more birds will be present to be spread around as well.

The net result is usually positive, but with waters like these, on-the-water scouting is a lot more effective than is the armchair variety. It's considerably harder to pick out likely hunting spots when hundreds of them from which to choose are on offer. Get out there and take a look, and hunt where your observations tell you waterfowl activity will be highest.

If wind direction or waterfowl activity shifts, don't hesitate to pick up and move to a new location. Nothing's to be gained by sitting in your boat blind and watching ducks fall into a hideyhole across the lake. If you can get to the place without crowding other hunters, do it. And do it fast -- because things might change again.

TRAVEL AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE
Given the need for instant mobility, it'll pay to minimize and simplify your equipment as much as you can. For this style of hunting, a pop-up boat blind attached to the gunwales is a big advantage. You can hide yourself and your boat under one of those leaf-type camouflage covers, but these things get in the way when you're running in the boat, get wet and uncomfortable, catch aggravatingly on everything -- branches, gun barrels, boat corners -- and are a general pain in the butt. A pop-up blind such as those manufactured by Avery Outdoors provides better concealment and protection from the elements, goes up faster, and isn't nearly as much in the way when it's not being used.

Whichever type of boat blind you choose, you need one or the other very badly for big-water hunting. Many likely hunting spots are somewhat shy of the cover needed to hide a good-sized boat, and building a blind on site takes considerable time.

Decoys are also very important for big-water hunting in most cases, but again, keep things as simple as possible. Six dozen decoys make a bigger statement on the water, but three dozen take half the time to put out and pick up. And motion decoys can make a difference on big water, but they're usually not worth the trade-off in setup and takedown time. Using the old goose hunter's trick of flagging at distant birds is a good way to attract their attention at a distance.

Speaking of which: A half-dozen or so full-body or shell Canada goose decoys are often worth the extra time and effort at many big-water areas -- particularly along the Arkansas River and its backwaters. These big birds favor the same kinds of sheltered areas that you hunt for ducks.

DON'T NEGLECT YOUR CALLING
While calling is perhaps a little less important than is effective decoy placement, it's still a plus in big-water waterfowling. Ducks and geese are both very vocal birds, and if they don't hear at least some duck or goose talk coming from your spread, they'll be less likely to commit. And, as good calling beats mediocre calling hands down, gaining some proficiency with this skill is a good idea.

Sometimes the decoys by themselves will be effective, but a combination of good decoy placement and decent calling will almost always work better. Additionally, several people calling at the same time will almost always be more effective than a single caller.