Heading out for the opening next Sunday,  and will be doing an AM hunt in a cut alfalfa field.
I usually just use silhouettes (3-5 dozen)
Picked up 5 dozen Dive Bomb silo socks to try.
PM hunt will be in  a oxbow on the river.
Probably around 4 dozen floaters .

Discussed different options with my buddies and they think it's to many.
I did bring up we had a very good hatch and I have been seeing 30-40 bird flocks.
What's your opinions,  down size or run big numbers and set out in family groups?

Lucky you.

October 5 here on Long Island.

If you're hunting a place geese are already coming in to, that will be way too many.  Run a small group

I've always been one to err on the side of too much. 120 is probably excessive though. Lots of guys use 12 or 24. I think 36-48 just like what you are seeing in flocks is what I would do.

On water I have never had the birds the limiting factor, it's always boat space. 4 dozen goose floaters take up a ton of boat space, I rarely bring out more than 24. If you can fit 48 full honker floaters in there, go for it.

I drag an old POS camoed canoe with a conduit hitch behind the boat.
Stash it upriver in the grass.
As far as the decoys,  I'm thinking you guys are right.
I can always start small and add/ adjust based on the reactions.
Another thing is calling,  one guy in the group thinks it's a competition.
I've always had good success with light calling and a using flags in the field and jerk cords on feeder butts in the water.

I'd use 2-3 dozen.

Small family groups in pockets with lots of room between them

At least in Michigan birds aren’t in huge flocks yet and they’re flying in small groups to feed

Do 5-10 decoys in one area walk 25-30 feet do another group

We do it in an X with the blinds being in the center of it

Yup, leave the socks at home.  If you are on the X for early season, don't worry 50% will land at the other end of the field, 25% will land out of range, 20% will fly by like they have never seen the field and you will get the other 5%  

Go for the mother load over water, they really eat it up.  When our molt migrators start coming down we run 100+ floaters out of 2 boats and not much makes it by without decoying including birds WAY up there.  50-75 birds "carrying pumpkins" from up so high your neck hurts and you have to take a break from calling is an awesome thing.

Ha ha,  you're right about that!
With temps in the mid 90s here there's no movement on the river.
I've been scouting the local lakes and they are definitely there.
Problem is they are hanging out at the beaches which are inside the 100 yard limit and Wisconsin doesn't allow openwater hunting on inland lakes.