A fellow gray duck specialist!
Usually have run the coots but not so much on the Delacroix lease, just don't see many of them. Public lands further north of there, we'd routinely see huge rafts of them and the grays love them.
As for the butts, shhhhhhh, that's a secret. See a portion of my typical spread below with a front line rolling in. I've historically used the G&H Pintail butts with the pins cropped, though these are very expensive. They are very durable and are out there each hunt. Tried the Tanglefree versions last year at less than half the price, had a few issues with keels being too light and that netted me extra butts for free, thanks to their customer service. To me you have to have something for visibility because gadwall dekes just blend into the pond. So I run a handful of butts and also few pintail drakes to help with visibility
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Photo below is raft of loafing grays I scouted, can easily see the white butts when you view it full size
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Jury is still very much out on my Flock A Flicker review. Used them for teal with no discernible difference, and they're just not really what I'm going for in my marsh spread, dont want any flashing. I am, however, curious to try them in the rice