Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations High stakes

I've seen the sharpened tree stakes used to anchor brush & cover in the water. Most experts here on PB advise 5 to 7 feet depth for maximum effect, with three brushpiles close together.

Being lazy by nature, I wondered if there were an easier method than identifying & cutting down trees, then sharpening them. Turns out there is!

Greene's has 8 foot solid wood sharpened stakes for sale. Perfect size to pound down a couple of feet into the pond bottom, then attach artificial or natural cover as you see fit. Pole sticks above water so you know exactly where to cast!

My bride also made an excellent suggestion: We can attach scare eye balloons and or bird scare tape to the top of these stakes. Time to get serious about the feathered pests!

PS In my area, Lowe's carries these. I found it difficult to find strong enough & long enough sharpened stakes, even on the internet.

I like it. Two years ago I followed a path taken by Al (Fireishot) and used 2" pvc poles driven into the pond bottom and then used a few Christmas trees with a 3" loop made at the base of the trees to where I could slip the tree loop over the pvc. The trees would float for a while and then sink under the water. I added a few more trees to the poles this past January. And I have been thinking of adding some type of hardwood tree tops to the poles for added diversity to the structures. I think the 8' stakes you mentioned would be the better way if attaching something like big eye balloons to the top of the stakes.

Here is another idea for cover/structure but I have not come up with a definite plan yet. I had to cut up a large pine tree that was toppled by a storm, so I cut it into 5' sections. These pieces are about 15" around and I wound up with 9 sections. I took them down to the pond yesterday and plan to add them to the pond, somehow. Planned on adding them to 10' depths, just not sure which way I will build the structure. Thought of adding cinder blocks to each end and sink them on top of each other making a log pile on bottom. Any ideas on other ways to use them?

Thanks Frank for bringing your cover/structure up, gives me a chance to ask others here, like you on what to do with these pine tree sections.

For those who are not familiar with this method.

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



Trees tied to post.



Trees with feeder.



After about a month




A pond full view of Ray Scott's using trees , buckets and other items using posts.

Tracy,

That is what I have done with similar logs. I either slipped a cinder block over each end (if small enough) or tied one on each end and then piled them up the best I could. Something I thought of after the fact that would have helped would be to tie some sort of float on a string to the first one. That way when you come back with the next log you will know exactly where to drop it. Logs as big as the ones you are talking about (15") may need several cinder blocks to get them to sink to the bottom.

I'm considering putting artificial structure on the bottom, then brush and or small trees on top. Fluffy stuff shallow, big stuff deeper.

Might put a cinder block down first to keep cover from getting quickly silted in.

NTHA, Thanks for the ideas. I thought of using a float to mark the spot where the first one is dropped but your idea is one less thing I have to drop. Or a cinder block on one end and by doing it that way with all of them and adding them very close to one another, they might stand up in the water for vertical structure for a short time and as they become waterlogged they would sink and hopefully make a log pile on the pond bottom. Or adding two cinder blocks, one on each end and drop them on top of each other the best way I can. Plan was to float them behind the boat to the spot and then add a cinder block or two to each log.

Frank, it might be an added feature if I sink some fluffy stuff on top or around the logs. Maybe a cedar with a block on the large end and a plastic bottle tied to the top side, making it vertical in and around the log jam.

Plan is to add this cover to the deeper area of the open pond area that is void of cover. Pond is aerated, so the fish should be in the deeper water most months of the year. And Thanks Eric for the post here with the pictures.

For vertical wood cover I like to use pallets. Make a fence using standing pallets. 2 pallets make an 8 foot long by 4 ft high fence. You can tow it out and tie it to the stake until it waterlogs. Then suspend it from the stake at the desired depth with trot line string.

Good idea, thanks! I wonder if this might work well with an artificial fish attractor on the bottom, then a pallet leaning against it.

I like the fence idea for two reasons. One for some added cover and two, if I build the fence where it runs from shallow to deep and add a space between the two pallets, just large enough for a conibar 330 trap to set just below the water surface I would have a good spot to catch the Otters that show up at my place from time to time. Hay, I'm not the bad guy here, it just I don't like otters eating my larger sized fish and they seem to show up from time to time. It would keep the trap from being close to the shoreline and away from good animals.