How many decoys do you experienced guys typically put out early in the season?
I will be targeting puddle ducks in small sloughs and backwaters.
I am thinking no more than a dozen mixed woodies, teal, and mallards.
Also, do you keep the species in their own seperate groups or mix them up in your spread?
Great post Am 
There are many schools of thought on this one too, but here are mine:
Early season I virtually eliminate the drakes from my spread. Use 4-6 hens for each drake.
Mixing in the early migrators makes great sense, but consider minimizing the drakes in all species.
Keep the individual species separate from other species and keep your family groups to 6 dekes or less.
Remember how drab in color all of the ducks are right now!
The only place in which I violate the minimal color rule for early season is with honkers. I refuse to hunt puddlers without any goose decoys. The trick here is to muddy them up slightly, to tone down the brilient white colors. Even the geese look dirty and blotchy right now.
I always try to maintain 6ft between dekes and make darn sure that you have a big landing area between each family group!
Good luck
cheers
He hit it on the head before I could….LEAVE DRAKES AT HOME….the only drakes i will use are woodies for the first week or so
I’ve never bought into the whole only hens in the spread thing early season. Sounds good, but does it really make a difference? I’m skeptical. 
Spread definitely depends on the situation. If it’s a small spot in the woods and I know I’m just gonna shoot woodducks, I’ll just put out a dozen or less woodducks. Medium sized spot with just a couple guys, I use a dozen woodies, spread out in groups of 2-3, and a group of 5-7 mallards.
If it’s a larger pot hole, I might up it to 12-15 mallards in a few distinct groups.
I stay away from large open marsh in early season.
Gaddies, Widgeon, and Pintails get thrown in the spread after the first week.
Geese only if I know geese use the area.
I always group/separate species to a point. Woodies and Mallards usually don’t hang to close….I’ll usually keep the woodies in TIGHT to shore, and Mallards out. Even late season, it perturbs me when my buddies mix species randomly (get those dang gum divers away from my black ducks). 
people read way, way too much into what the decoys look like. the formation of the spread can and will matter, but not this time of year. if its a small slough, throw out 6-10 decoys of any color and start shooting.
Being on the X and being able to run a call are much more important IMO. 
I pretty much do the same as Jake.
As for woodies, I’m not sure calls or Dekes make a damn bit of difference. they go where they want to go, if you are there you get alot of shooting.
it seems woodies will decoy to decoys, but you cannot call them in. from what i have ever seen…
After reading this forum the other day I decided to do a little test on the birds. When I used both drakes & hens the birds would decoy. As soon as I added Goose decoys off to the side the woodies went out of there way to avoid the spread. Then I removed the goose decoys and they started dropping right in again. It did not seem to affect the mallards or bluebills.
Bob
MB59,
You have made a great point that I had not thought to mention.
Geese seem to never have a problem passing over ducks/duck decoys. But, the opposite is not true. On numerous occations I have experience any of several species of ducks that were not willing to pass over geese/goose decoys to hit an intended landing area.
If I cannot get my honker docoys out of the primary approach lanes, they remain in the boat
cheers
Thanks for all the opinions 
I think I will play it safe and throw out the teal, woodies, and hen mallards with a drake mixed in.
The spot I will be hitting tomorrow would be classifed as a small pothole bordered on all sides by hardwoods and the water is full of wild rice. I did notice a lot of the activity over the really thick wild rice areas.
Good Luck tomorrow, Wats!!!
Mark
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