this will be my first season hunting alone or as the primary hunter anyway. i am curious what types of things to look for on a new lake, not many people hunt the lake at all since the gulf is about a half hour away. any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated.
It kinda depends on whether you are hunting puddle ducks or diving ducks.
Puddle ducks tend to want shallower water and generally a more “marshy” environment. Diving ducks like wide open space and the depth of water isn’t a big deal for them.
When I go to a new lake I start by looking for ducks…no point in setting up in a part of the lake they don’t normally use.
Once you narrow that down then I look for points or island that have decent cover to conceal you without having to build a blind.
It is always good to go out there and check spots out first hand in the daylight, something might look great through binoculars but when you get there the cover is too thin or so thick you can’t get a boat in to it or the water may too deep for decoy cords.
Something else that is good to try and find is an area where there is only 1 spot with cover for a long ways….it will prevent people from setting up right next to you.
Islands and points tend to be the best spots in general.
JB
that sounds great thanks a lot, the only thing is i’m not sure the difference between diving and puddle ducks, other than the obvious, but which ducks are which? we have a lot of redhead, pintail, some mallards, gadwall, and a few different species of geese. and are geese usually where the ducks are?
You may want to figure that one out 
before you go any further with your hunting. With the restrictions on divers you may want to be able to identify on the fly before you shoot.
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