I had an idea for an experiment with Christmas trees and wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts on it.
I keep hearing about what a pain it is to weigh down a large number of trees(200-300), especially if you are not permitted to put them out on the ice. I like the idea ewest shared with me for stacking them around posts, but getting a large number of posts to stand in deeper water would pose its own challenges.
My idea: I was thinking about piling a large number of Christmas trees in a sheltered cove, and leaving them all there for about a year. Then when the next year's trees arrive, we would drag the water logged trees out to various locations around the BOW, and hopefully, they will then sink to the bottom on their own(?). The cove would then be refilled with fresh Christmas trees.
My 2nd "bird" would be that the extremely dense cover in this cove should allow us to raise fathead minnows without the bass being able to get at them. ???
Is it certain that the "aged" trees would sink after a year or so? I figure a row of trees tied together end to end on the lake side would be enough to contain them in the cove. ???
I would also think that fishing near the outer "edge" of the big pile of trees in the cove would be pretty awesome too. ???

Water logged xmas trees are very hard to move.

I would tie a bunch together and then tie off the whole bunch to a standing tree in deeper water.

The shallow water barrier sounds good.

I have tried to move waterlogged christmas trees and they are really heavy.

Hmmm, so you are both saying that they would be heavy even to just drag through water? The lake is only 40 acres, and I am intending to place most of the trees toward the end that has the cove.

What about just filling a cove with trees, in addition to moving some out?

Ewest shared with me the idea of stacking trees around a post or standing trunk. Being a former quary, most of the bottom is rock with only a few inches of organic matter built up. I am picturing taking a tire and a 10' to 16'(depending on depth of chosen location) 2 X 4 fastened(in a "T") to a short 2 X 4 that would be forced inside the tire. A small piece of plywood could be fastened to the short 2 X 4 from the bottom side of tire. Then the tire could be filled with buckets of gravel, and lowered down into the water. Rings (3 or 4) of trees could then be placed over the top of long 2 X 4. Each additonal "ring" of trees would push the proceeding ring down teh post until the stack reaches from bottom to surface. An appropriate sized pallet could be fastened to top of 2 X 4 to help steady the stack. ???? I don't know, but this sounds pretty good. Of course, I haven't handled trees in or on water before, but i know they can be very heavy, just moving in and out of the house. ;o)
Any comments on the trees regarding cover for fathead minnows?

I use lay down xmas trees in shallow water 1-4 feet to protect small yoy BG and LMB. It will work for FH and shad will spawn over them. I put a few out with a stake to bottom to hold it in place while it water logs and sinks. Usually about 3 to a BG bed area each about 10 feet from the nest area.

It will take several people and a boat with motor to move water logged xmas trees even moving them 1 at a time. I would not fill the cove up with trees but would use up to 20 per acre of cove. I would use a strategic method of highways and clumps and factor in the spawning locations.

Thanks. I guess I'll have about a month to think this through very carefully.
BTW . . . how long does it usually take for the needles to fall off? Are the trees still hard to move after sitting for a year?

Still hard to move but not as hard. Only after about half the limbs have decayed ( a year or two) do they get easier to move.

I think somewhere in the archives there is a picture essay on how fast christmas trees degrade over the years.

Via Dave Willis. It does depend on water qualties and exposure to air.


IMG]http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/ewestmnw/117a1xmastreeuntitled.jpg[/IMG]

Via Dave Willis. It does depend on water qualities and exposure to air.








I have some that look like 3 yrs from above that are more like 6 years.

Hmmm, because I read other places where people say Christmas trees only last 3 - 5 years total and aren't worth fooling with.
If I had to wait 2 years to move, there might be too much of the "life" of the tree gone to bother.
I'm hoping to pick up some trees still wrapped in netting, which would make them easier to move in the boat . . . and then remove netting just before placing in the water.
On the 40 acre lake, I may get permission to do an "ice" placement. It has been cold enough so far to take advantage of this option. At the two park lakes that we have already received permission, they do not want any "ice" placements, only open water with boats.
Thanks everyone!