Anybody tried them? I know that real trees are relatively cheap after Christmas, but they have a limited life under water and are very easy to snag with a lure.

Comments/suggestions experiences welcome! Also best techniques for sinking them, I'm thinking around BG bedding areas to help protect the little guys.

I have. They are working well (I think) for me. Things I learned about artificial trees:
1. Even if they seem like they are really well put together, the branches and trunk will come apart in the water UNLESS you secure them with something. I used wire and large zip ties

2. They are buoyant, and will float up if not anchored. I attached at single cinder block to the base with two large zip ties and then took them out in my little boat and dropped them over the side where I wanted them. That is for a vertical position. Add a second block or brick to the top for horizontal placement.

3. IF you add on a rope to the cinder block and weave it up to the top and tie a loop handle, you can easily move the tree around a bit, in case you find out it wasn't as deep as you thought in the spot you sink it. The tree will tend to come apart (unless you have it wired/zip tied together really well) if you try to grad onto the top branches to pull it up or move it.

Hope that is helpful!

p.s. I got my three trees for under a $1 each at the Goodwill, post Christmas.

I added our old family Christmas to the inside of a 4'x8' crib I built. Like Dr. Luke, I secured the tree to the side of the crib. And then I sunk it in 9' of water near a 5' drop off.

Thanks, Dr Luke & Tracy!

Are artificial trees less snaggy than real trees?

I have tried both. I will stick with real trees. Artificial ones you end up with metal or plastic frames over time.

That surprises me a bit, would have thought the plastic needles would last a lot longer than real ones.

Yes but they break off and get slicked down with growth so you end up with a slick metal frame and plastic needles on the bottom. I would rather have something that degrades over time - just my opinion. I do have real trees in good condition for 4 years. They have to stay under water as exposure to air = rapid breakdown.

Thanks, Eric. Do you like to place them vertically? I've heard larger LMB prefer vertical structure, especially in deeper water.

For spawning protection - just out from beds -- horizontal


For holding BG in deeper water mixed some of each. See below.








From the Hands On Structure presentation during PB III.

A method of adding structure to a pond with water. This is an adaptation of the Ray Scott method from the Great Small Waters video. It can be done using xmas trees , buckets of limbs , pallets , or pvc structures. It involves driving a post into the pond bottom and using it to mark and hold the structure items. Using a boat (if unsteady you can use an A-frame ladder to drive the post) to drive the post ( using a shovel or fence post driver or hammer or ax) . After the post is in place tie the xmas trees to the post with small trot line string. Think about how you want the trees to hang in combination. Top up or down , horizontal . vertical and at what depth for each. You can also tie several trees together in squares to triangles (tree tops to bottoms to form and even structure). Then tie and place it over the post. Note after a year or so you can cut the string and allow them to fall to the bottom and tie on new ones. This will form a pile or cone of trees from bottom to top.

Post and trees





Tied to the post





Set to feed over



After they sink

I am still using artificial tree "branches" in my pond for 4 years now and they still look good. Here is what I did. I drove 2 metal T-posts in the pond bottom 20 foot from each other and parallel the shoreline. I use a 4 or 6 inch piece of pvc sewer pipe and drilled many small holes along the bottom and sides of the pipe. My tree branches come out so I put one branch in each little hole. I put a bend in the wire about 90 degree at the end and that keeps it from falling out of the pipe. This basically makes a 20 foot long hedge. Simply attach each end of the pipe to each t-post with nylon rope and tie it at any depth up or down the t-post. I predrilled some larger holes in the pipe to run the rope through. Do not use wire to mount to post. It will rust very fast and break. Ask me how I know that. This has worked great for me and I catch fish by it all the time. Good luck. I also have many other artificial trees in my pond in various locations.

Thanks, James! I hadn't really thought about a long hedge, but it makes sense. Especially around BG bedding areas where I want to increase reproduction & YOY survival!

Thanks, Eric. I remember seeing this before, but hadn't thought about it recently. First priority will be around BG spawning beds, I need more YOY survival.

I started working on and refreshing my shoreline brush piles yesterday. By starting now I don't have to rush at it later. We are about 60 + days from the bg first spawn. Usually in or around the 20th of Feb +-. And I will add some Christmas trees in the mix also..

There is nothing so irritating as a good example.