Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Guide To Building Structure

http://www.forestry.uga.edu/warnell/service/library/l0251/

Some of this is pretty big (18 foot diameter) and for use in lakes but you can scale it down if you want.

J.

Good source. One thing I might add...the reference material suggested one unit per 100 acres of water. I disagree with that. 23 years of pond management and electrofishing has taught me that 90% of fish in warmwater, fresh water ponds and lakes, live in 10% of the water. So, if you have 10 acres of water, be sure to have some type of cover in an acre of that water. And, be sure to provide cover for different species of fish you manage. Got bluegill? Give them dense cover, near the shore. Managing largemouth bass? Be sure they have "fluffy" cover, fairly shallow water with quick access to deep water, near points, if possible. Smallmouth bass? Riprap, rocks in cool waters. Learn the fish, then learn their cover and duplicate. Careful, though. Too much cover is the same as none. Cover congregates fish, but too much acts to distribute them.

Bob,

What is example of "dense" cover?
What is example of "fluffy" cover?

Harv

Cover: Dense vs Fluffy.
Bob L. may want to help out here but as I understand his definitions they are:

Fluffy Cover or Structure. Is structure that has wide open spaces for larger predators to easily swim and maneuver or hunt through. Trees with only larger branches, standing timber, tire pyramids or structures, large rock placed in piles w/ wide open spaces, boulder strewn areas, log piles, stake beds with uprights 1ft -2 ft apart, car bodies, (reed or bulrush beds are marginally placed here) some may consider reeds/bulrush Dense Cover; see next.

Dense Cover. Close or tightly spaced branches, stems with small interstitial spaces only accessable to smaller fish (less than 6"). Larger fish are forced to patrol primarily the parimeters. Most natural weed beds, christmas trees, tree limbs with lots of small branches, brush piles, stake beds with uprights 1-6" apart, cattail beds, reed or bulrush beds may better fit in this category.

An extensive area of Dense Cover is primarily a refugia where newly hatched fish and fingerlings live & grow without severe predation pressure.
Most fish structures are really fish attractors for use by fishermen. By my definition two or five Xmas trees together are not refugia they are fish attractors. A large group or collection of 40-60 Xmas trees are approaching an area big enough to be called a refugia. Natural weed beds in shallows extending into deep water are refugia. Big difference between fish attractors and refugia or nursery areas.

Bill, that was a fine explanation. I think the distiction between fish attractors and refugia often gets blurred as well.