As far as calls are concern, you are best served in my opinion with two basic calls. The standard single read mallard hen and a whistle call. Mallards are some of the most gregarious of ducks and most ducks will respond to a mallard call. The whistle will help call pintails, teal, widgeon etc ... There are many good calls on the market but it appears that an acrylic call from one of the bigger names is what you are looking for. As you are from the Eastern Shore, Sean Mann's products come to mind of course. His are well regarded throughout the industry and of the highest quality. While he is not by reputation a duck caller, he has the where-with-all to make sure his are quality products. My own calls are made in my region by Heartland Cusom Calls and I am a believer in using calls produced by a maker in my own area. I may be wrong but I believe they are more likely to mimic the local ducking sound than calls from a thousand miles away. Having said that, an outfit like Rich-N-Tone has so diverse a selection that anyone from anywhere can find a call to suite them.

If possible, find a retailer who will let you try several calls. Some calls blow easier than others for each individual.