Let’s get one thing settled from the very beginning. There is no such thing as “the perfect duck boat.” Before you start your letter to the editor stop and think about what “perfect” means. Without blemish, lacking flaws, fulfilling every purpose, any of these terms could be used to define “perfect”. The only duck boat that “lacks flaws” or is “without blemish” is on a showroom floor somewhere and hasn’t been used for any kind of duck hunting I know about. Further, and more importantly, no one duck boat is “perfect” for all situations. Every kind of boat used for duck hunting, from the massive airboats to the diminutive pirogue, is unsuitable for some applications. Flooded timber isn’t the best environment for the high seated twenty–two–foot airboat, nor is the open lake safe for the pirogue.

Most duck hunters hunt in various kinds of water. So, deciding on a duck boat may be one of the most difficult decisions we face, not to mention one of the most expensive. Therefore, it should be made carefully and thoroughly.

As I’ve already mentioned there are a wide variety of duck boat styles. There are equally as many manufacturers. Few manufacturers make every kind of duck boat for every kind of application. Recently, I was introduced to one of the very few duck boat manufacturers who makes every kind of duck boat you can think of and then some you would probably never imagine.

Last season brought the demise of my duck boat. It was old and had more patches than aluminum. On the last day of the season the rear seat floated out of the boat because the boat had so many leaks in it and the seating rivets had all broken. Thanks to a healthy bilge pump and the security of personal floatation devices the crew made it back safely. I knew then that my search for a new boat had begun.

The first thing I had to settle was the question of application. Where do I do most of my duck hunting? That was not an easy question to answer. My conclusion, after reviewing the last several years, and imagining the coming seasons, was that most of my hunting involved significant open water travel. Almost all of my hunting ends up in some kind of back water or slough, sometimes through matted grass and often in trees. With water safety as a major consideration I decided that I wanted a relatively simple yet sturdy v–bottomed boat. The v–bottom reduces the spine jarring, teeth rattling open water running as well as aids in quick maneuvering. My outboard engine was almost new, so I considered whether to keep it or go for one of the new modified mud–motors. At my age and given the primary applications I opted to keep my motor, primarily due to the element of a reverse gear which the mud–motors lack.

After contacting several boat manufacturers, all with excellent reputations, my son, a student at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas mentioned seeing a boat builder in nearby Lufkin called Duckmasters. A quick search on Google provided a phone number and some pictures. I contacted Egbert W. H. Terstegen and described what I wanted. He faxed a design sheet for me to draw the boat for him. He gave me an estimate on price and time to build such a boat. I was amazed that his cost was extremely competitive with the mass produced boats. Further, he described his manufacturing process and invited me to come see how he built boats. Since it was off–season and I had to find something to do on my day off (that didn’t include a lawnmower or paintbrush) we scheduled a time for just that. Well, even before the visit, I knew this was the guy I wanted building my boat. He shot straight, offered no resistance to my quirky wishes, and treated me with respect. So, the order was made. He said he could have it built in ten working days but my schedule would not allow me to pick it up for several weeks. There was no hurry on my part.

Finally, a weekend was available and I called him to see if I could pick up my boat and take the tour of his plant. He said, “Come on.” I was greeted by a guy who talked like a South Louisiana boy but was actually born and reared near Düsseldorf, Germany of German descent. It was there he was educated as a mechanical engineer. He was assigned a job in Lufkin, Texas where he met and married his wife. He still works on large gears with sub–contractors for the U.S. Navy. He upgrades and repairs gears with incredibly small tolerances. He also trains others to work on the machines to keep them running well.

So, how does a guy from Germany end up building duck boats in East Texas? It was really quite simple. He loves to duck hunt and had to deal with the same questions I had to deal with when deciding on my boat. The difference being that he knew how to build a boat anyway he wanted. His plant is thoroughly equipped with the best machinery available. Combined with a highly skilled team of coworkers, a customer can count on delivery of a quality product when expected.

During the tour of the plant I saw a lot of boats, but no two alike. He builds the boats to order. Have you ever seen a pirogue with a jet engine? I have. He also had a duck boat that was twelve feet long by eight feet wide with a removable duck blind installed, (it would double as a great crappie boat). He had a couple of airboats on site as well as several mud boats that made me temporarily reconsider my choice. The growing popularity of mud boats for duck hunting has increased Egbert’s demand for such boats. This writer has never seen the variety or sturdiness of any comparable boat. If you are looking for an extreme boat for extreme conditions, this is where you need to look.

The key to Egbert’s approach is innovation. He said, “Sometimes I’m laying there at night and thinking, ‘Why can’t we do this?’ Then I’ll go to work to find a way to do it.” From the looks of the boats I saw, there aren’t many more questions to be answered.

The smallest details make a boat more or less enjoyable and functional. Egbert does not cut any corners in the detail department. With patents pending on much of his manufacturing process he really builds a unique and strong boat. For instance, most boats have ribs running width–wise across the boat. In theory the more and bigger the ribs, the stronger the boat will be. However, when a boat is running through the water those ribs become barriers to greater speed. For years airboats have been built with length–wise ribs. Egbert has applied that to his standard duck boat, whether it’s a mudboat or a simple outboard, like mine. Every other boat I’ve seen has protruding runners to cut through the water and assist in steering the boat. The first place a leak develops will usually be one of those runners due to contact with gravel or sand or even the trailer pads. Duckmaster boats use inverted runners. It doesn’t matter whether the water goes in the edge or the edge goes in the water, it is still the water being pushed that enables better turning.

The transoms are completely aluminum. There’s no wood in them. The corner gussets are huge compared to most boats. There’s no need to worry about transom cracks in this boat. To strengthen the transom for motor mounting he welds pipe between the aluminum transom walls so when the motor is mounted it can grip the transom without weakening it at all.

After picking up the boat and registering it I immediately went to Port O’Conner to put the new boat through its test. The wind had made an unusual turn from the north considering it was in August. Two men in the boat and howling north winds could make for a very rough and wet ride in the average aluminum boat. Amazingly, the Duckmaster boat, with its long nose cut right through the lapping waves and never allowed a drop to come in over the bow. We made outstanding time getting to the outer beach and landed on the beach.

After a very successful fishing effort in the rough surf it was time to head back to the dock. This time we were heading back in the dark and directly into the north wind. Normally I would feel the need to angle back and forth through the rolling waves. To my pleasant surprise, the boat lifted high enough out of the water that criss–crossing was not necessary. Due to the impressive lift out of the water we were able to make the trip with only the navigational lights. This boat screams!

Duckmaster engineering pays off where it counts—in tough water. Call it boat owner pride or simply an observation, but there is no other boat on the market like a Duckmaster. High and dry, fast and smooth, what else can a duck hunter ask for in a boat made for open water?

If you want a cookie cutter boat, one that looks like every other boat on the water, there are plenty of options. Many of them are good. If you want a boat that will conquer the elements, stand the test of time, look great on the water and the trailer, call Egbert. You will have a one of a kind boat, built just the way you want it. Performance can’t be judged by a picture. Performance is measured by the day in day out contest of a boat with the water. In the warfare between the elements of nature and Duckmaster Boats, nature takes a beating.

Opinions are like navels, everybody has one. Who builds the best boats? I don’t know. I do know this. Duckmaster Boats, Inc. builds one fine boat. When you combine German engineering with East Texas attitude, watch out. Something huge is developing in a quiet East Texas town. With all the hoopla about Arkansas and Louisiana duck boats owning the market, I predict a pending challenge to the big names. The bar has been raised. Texas pride cannot be underestimated. Duckmaster belongs to Texas and we can be proud of what’s coming out of Lufkin.