A Comparison of Cedar Trees and Fabricated Polypropylene

Modules as Fish Attractors in a Strip Mine Impoundment

ROBERT E. ROLD

THOMAS S. McCoMiSH

DONALD E. VAN METER



The objective of our research was to evaluate

two types of fish attractors in a strip mine impoundment

to determine their relative effectiveness

in concentrating fish. The structures that we

used as attractors and compared were brush units

of eastern red cedar trees Juniperus virginiana and

fabricated polypropylene modules.

To evaluate attractors and controls, scuba dives

were conducted approximately every 2 weeks from

July 21 to October 24, 1986. Dives

We believe that the greater attraction of fish to

the brush attractors was due to the smaller interstitial

spaces (denseness) the brush attractors provided

compared with the modules. This is sup

ported by other studies (Johnson et al. 1988; Lynch

and Johnson 1989) in which bluegills preferred

small (40-mm) interstitial spaces over medium

(150-mm) and large (350-mm) interstitial spaces.

The small interstitial spacing is attractive because

it reduces vulnerability to predators (Walters et al.

1991) by reducing visual encounters between prey

and predator and by reducing predator feeding efficiency

(Crowder and Cooper 1979).

The majority of the largemouth bass observed

in our study were 260-300 mm long. Prince and

Maughan (1979b) found that largemouth bass prefer

deep (4.6-6.0 m) reefs to shallow (1.5 m) reefs.

Larger-size largemouth bass might have been observed

more often had our attractors been deeper.

Fish that

were 10 cm total length or larger were counted at all

study locations and included bluegill Lepomis macrochirus.

redbreast sunlish L. auritus. largemouth bass Micropterus

salmoides. green sunrtsh L cyanellus. crappies

Pomoxis spp.. and channel cattish Ictalurus punctatus.

Of the 623 fish observed during eight dives, brush attractors

held 78%. module atlractors 17%, and control

areas 5%. Comparison of attractors by dale and species

revealed a tendency for ihem lo attract more fish in July

and Augusi lhan in Seplember and October.

seems like Eric it proved what we already knew, dense for "bream" species is prefferred.

I think cedar is preferred by 99 out of 100 fish hooks.

I bet if the BG had no choice, many more would have been taking cover in the artificial cover.

Man Ewest, you better watch your back, Bill Dance is going to be gunning for you.

Its not me but the science he may have a problem with.

BTW the study did not use PFA aka sputnik balls but stand-up pvc structures (like tall weeds).

As bobad notes there are other reasons people might use PFA , B'ski logs , bobad floating stake fields , pvc trees and tires etc rather than natural material. There is a lot to consider wrt type and placement of structure/cover including the science of which works better ,how and why. That is the reason I started this thread to get some structure talk going.

I think this is a valid point...you have to work with what ya got!

One of the points the study made was that for public lakes (no $ for improvements) the trees were free while the pvc structures cost. Public lake managers often get fishermen to pick up xmas trees and bring them to the lake and have a work day to place them. You can pick up used xmas trees for free and use them.

I cringe every time I see the term "PVC". To me, PVC means the white PVC pipe rated for indoor plumbing. That stuff is breathtakingly expensive in any quantity. Don't know if they still make thinwall black polyethylene irrigation pipe, but it's much cheaper. It comes in rolls, and your trees may come out a little banana shaped. You could turn the curve upward so the trees come out more perky looking. It should be much more affordable than PVC. The trunks may still have to be PVC, as I don't know if you can get 4" polyethylene irrigation pipe.

Wasn't there a link posted on the PBF before about a state that did a study on conifers vs hardwood vs man-made cribs? I recall that the conifers were preferred by fish followed by hardwoods, then the cribs. From what I can see at Bremer Pond, wood holds more fish than plastic. That is just my opinion. I would think that any type of structure is better than none.

Is this it?

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7465&fpart=1

ewest,
Nope, scoured the internet, I think this is the study I saw:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/a-fact/0001.html

I would have to imagine that fish prefer wood over PVC not only because of the tighter spaces to hide in, but the microbes, invertebrates that wood almost definitely prefer a natural material to call home over plastic... More inverts mean more food for fish, and those fish mean more food for bigger fish!

While were on the topic, have we ever decided how long a cedar pile will last, if it stays underwater at all times? 5years? 20 years? eternity?

I think the key is keeping it submerged... Cedar will last well over 10 years probably closer to 20 but much of the thinner parts will have rotted away by then.

What I have seen is softwoods (christmas trees) last 5 to 7 year beofre all that is left is the trunk and maybe larger branches. Hardwoods can last forever though most will say 30 years.

How long xmas trees remain is a good question. Here is some info. It depends on the pond and water.



In our pond this tree is 5 years old - no air exposure.

When adding structure to ponds, I use cedar or mock orange as a first choice with hickory and other stout hardwoods coming in second. Softer woods can be used and christmas trees can come cheap and easy at the right time, but for paying customers I don't take chances. I like to mix in some plastic structures with wood and rock throughout the lake and mark them differently. I find that during different times of the year and even week to week fish tend to relate to all of these different forms of cover better than the others. I do not have a scientific answer for this, but I learned long ago that managing a fishery is equal parts science and art. The plastic and rock also provide easier angling opportunities (snagless) for young and novice anglers to learn how to fish in cover. This is often overlooked but very important. I have often seen children discouraged and even chided by their dad for fishing in and getting snagged in cover. That, however is often where the fishing is best. Anyway, just another perspective.

-HH

HoneyHole

Making the fishing fun for the kids should be our main job. That was a good point.

do you anchor christmas trees? i have heard that cedar will sink and stay in place with no anchor if placed when green.