Cover exists in all sorts of forms from very dense impenetrable to one single log or rock. Diversity or variety I think is main important factor. The fish will tell you which type they prefer. Spending time reading through the Cover Habitat Archives thread is educational.
Read through the concepts of Cover and Structure provided by ewest on Page 2 of the Archives of Cover, Structure, etc,....
A brief portion from pg2 is provided below.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92463#Post92463 Structure Fishing 101
By Paul Crawford
Excerpts- The definition of
structure is a change in bottom contour, (I.e. depth), which results in an irregular feature on the bottom of the lake. Now just about any quick change in depth results in some type of structure, a hump, point, ledge, or something. The biggest misunderstanding seems to be the definition of "quick". Quick is a relative term. In a traditional reservoir, this could be anything from a vertical drop to a gentle slope dropping 5 feet over a 30 yard distance. In a natural Florida lake, where it may normally take 1/4 mile to change depth by 1 foot, it may be a 6" deep channel running through a 5 foot deep flat, or a two foot drop over 30 yards. Where ever you find it, structure is another edge in the underwater world, and we all agree that fish just love edges.
Let's spend just a minute talking about what structure isn't.
Structure isn't a weed bed on a flat, or on an isolated stump, or a brush pile. All of these things are "cover" on structure. A weed bed may constitute a different type of edge, both of the weeds and of the bottom composition, but not structure. Wood, whether natural or man made, is just someplace to hide. Likewise, a feeding flat is a place, not a structure. We all have seen times when fish are on the flats and relating to cover. Even during those times, there will still be some fish around the surrounding structure. Even on days when the fish are straying away from structure, they generally won't go that far if they don't have to. Learn to recognize structure and it can narrow your search for fish dramatically. Additional discussion is in these headings.
Types of Structure
Cover and Structures
Advanced Structures
