Pond update and structure question

[Dukslayr]

So I made another trip up to the farm today and my pond is now officially full. I guess it’s a good problem to have but as some of you know from my previous post I didn’t expect it to basically fill up is such short order. As such I only got a dozen pallets stacked into one end of it for some structure. I had planned on staking down some cedars or other stuff before it filled up but clearly I’m too late for that.

I would like to get some fish into it (some hybrid bluegill, lots of fats heads and probably some channel cats to start) but I also need more structure. I can probably make or buy some stuff to throw out into the pond but thought I would check and see what you guys would do? I don’t have a boat but can probably find one to borrow. It’s only 1/2-3/4 of an acre so I don’t intend to buy a boat. Would you all cut some cedars and tie them off to cinder block and drop them out in the pond? Some of the artificial things you can buy look cool but are pretty damn spendy. I’ve got access to more small and medium sized cedars than you can shake a stick at so that would be the easiest and cheapest thing. Just curious, now that it’s full, what would you all do knowing that it’s not a huge pond anyway. The drawback to the cedars, obviously, is that they will catch on ever hook that comes near them which would be different than the commercial fish structures. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!

 

[j-bird]

Cedars, hardwood tree tops (hedge works real well), rock piles, slabs of concrete, stake beds, virtually anything can be used. You can either wade in to place them, float in with a boat or wait until winter and drag stuff out on the ice or cut holes in the ice to more precisely place them.

Just remember that the more structure that you have that uses more water column the better. A 6 foot cedar that is 4 foot around creates a lot more structure when upright vs being allowed to lay on its side on the bottom.

I know some folks even create floating islands of cover and have the structure fastened to it and just hang in the water. All sorts of creative ways....

 

[The Fishman]

Take a five gallon bucket and fill it half full of concrete. Put 10 to 15 pieces of different length PVC in the concrete before it sets. Make sure the handle is up before setting in the PVC. Let it dry and then use rope over the handle to lower your new structure into place. Fishing lures will not catch on the PVC. Just search for crappie condo and you will get plenty of ideas on how you can customize the structure.

 

[j-bird]

Take a five gallon bucket and fill it half full of concrete. Put 10 to 15 pieces of different length PVC in the concrete before it sets. Make sure the handle is up before setting in the PVC. Let it dry and then use rope over the handle to lower your new structure into place. Fishing lures will not catch on the PVC. Just search for crappie condo and you will get plenty of ideas on how you can customize the structure.

The ingenuity of the modern red-neck! Just an image search comes up with a lot of different ideas.

 

[TreeDaddy]

You can also use cheap polyetylene pipe that comes in large rolls from home depot

Cut it in 5-6 foot lengths and jam them into bucket

bill

 

[Redonthehead]

On a Saturday morning in August 2017 we were trying to put the finish grade on the dam of my new 2a pond. Skies opened up and we had to quit. The pond 90% filled THAT night. Was worried it would all be gone the next morning. A week later another heavy rain put it over the emergency spillway. Anyway I still need to install rootballs, brushpiles, and a fixed dock. So I got a 2" siphon going and drained that sucker low enough to work. So it CAN be done, but you probably just want to do what the guys said above. I lean towards "natural" materials. Plenty of hedge and cedars around.

 

[Dukslayr]

I might try that concrete bucket idea with the flexible tubing. I was worried about keeping it upright as it would be mostly useless on its side. Hopefully I can feel that it’s solid on the bottom before letting go of it. I guess you just leave the rope behind or do you tie another rope/string to the loop at the bottom to try and pull the rope free after setting the bucket down? I’m assuming all also stack some cedars and/hedge up on the bottom too. I assume wiring or tying a cinder block to the trunk and tossing each one over would do the trick.

 

[swat1018]

I'd just loop a length of rope through the handle and hold both ends. I've seen guys use PEX in the concrete bucket. Neighbor takes cedars, christmas trees out on the ice. Ties them together with nylon rope and weighted with cinder blocks.

 

[Dukslayr]

I'd just loop a length of rope through the handle and hold both ends. I've seen guys use PEX in the concrete bucket. Neighbor takes cedars, christmas trees out on the ice. Ties them together with nylon rope and weighted with cinder blocks.

This bucket and concrete thing has me thinking now. Wondering if I could buy some poly Christmas tree stands, fill them 2/3 with concrete and then mount a cedar in them, tighten bolts, allow to cure and the slowly submerge base first...might be a way to still get “upright” trees in the pond. Thinking I could do the same thing with a 5 gallon bucket if I drilled 4 holes the size of rebar in the bottom and installed a + shaped rebar foot (to help keep upright) before putting the concrete and trees in