Creating your own structure

[mcdee]

Anyone ever add a old log or a couple of big rocks out in your favorite spot to create structure? :rules:

[perchjerker]

In most areas this is illegal without a permit.

[Steve CO]

I live on a 40 acre private lake owned by our homeowners association and we build structures to put out on the ice every winter. We've used old tires wired together as well as bunches of Xmas trees. We weight them with cinder blocks and they go down with ice out. I've watched this year's "crop" go down the last couple of days as we finally warmed up here in Colorado. There is no question that the structures draw the fish. Get anywhere near one and you start getting strikes from crappie and largemouth. We stocked perch last fall and will be stocking walleye this year and I expect that the structures will draw them to the minnows that hang out in the branches and holes.
The operative word, of course, is "private." You can't do this on public waters although it would help any body of water that doesn't have much structure. Often state wildlife people will do this, as well. When Horsetooth Reservoir (Fort Collins) was drawn down for dam repairs, the DOW built a whole bunch of structures there. Wish I had the GPS coordinates for those!
Steve

[Burr]

Actually received an email from SD GNF today that included an example of a project like the one your describing: copied below....

"Elm Lake Habitat Project:

A group of individuals from the Frederick/Aberdeen area have been very active in the Elm Lake habitat project during the past two years. With Game, Fish and Parks permission and limited help from Game, Fish and Parks they have successfully constructed and deployed many different types of habitat structures including fish condos, brush bundles, cavity structures and rock beds into Elm Lake in an effort to provide additional spawning habitat as well as escape cover for juvenile fish. For the past two years 50-60 individuals including local Boy Scout troops have helped place the structures throughout the lake. The level of participation in this local fisheries project has been impressive. A donation of $2,000 towards this project would be used purchase supplies for building habitat structures. "

[San Chan]

>Anyone ever add a old log or a couple of big rocks out in
>your favorite spot to create structure? :rules:


I put a few of these in my home lake; http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=73759&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

For some reason, it only hold Crappies....will catch the odd Smallies by Crappies all the time no matter how tough the condition:rock-on:

[orchard frank]

A bunch of shanties went through during the early warm spell on LBDN, I'm guessing somebody will "find" them trolling, but they would probably attract fish.

[Hurrel]

Yes, but as said before make sure your lake rules allow it.
We have anchored 30' trees for a bed and it was full of all kinds of fish the next day. Made a wonderful bed right near our dock.
Hurrel

[Whit]

3 xmas trees at the end of my dock today. ice out yesterday. don't know about any rules against it.

[bluegill 1]

We too have used these spider looking things. We put 26 in front of our dock that we fish off of and let me tell ya, they do work. No need to weight them down, they sink just fine.