Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Unusual Structure-- useful, or not?

I recently ran across an old fiberglass sattelite dish, and am wondering if it would make good structure.

It's one of those king-sized dishes... must be at least 10' in diameter, and is very heavy. It's sort of a mustard yellow color, for better or worse.

With the huge bowl facing upward, the outer edges of the dish are 16-18" high. It makes a nice shady overhang that runs 3-4 feet beneath. Looks like an excellent hiding place for fish, and maybe a good horizontal surface for fathead to attach their eggs.

How about the huge yellow bowl? Should I partially fill it with dirt? Pea gravel? How about riprap? It may attract spawning bream, and they would be easy to see against the yellow background.

Thoughts?

I have been trying to think of ways to recycle one of these things as well. Mine is 12' in diameter and gray. It can be unbolted into four equal "pie pieces" which gives a few more options.

Well, no replies JayMan. I guess nobody has tried it, so you and me will have to be pioneers.

I think I'll try it. I can always hoist it out of there if it looks bad or doesn't work as cover or habatat. It certainly sounds like it would be good for attracting nesting fatheads though. I hear they like to lay their eggs under horizontal surfaces, and there is over 100 square feet of surface there!

I have a similar old sat dish. It is mesh aluminum I think. I will do something with it. I also have a stainless steel washing machine tub with many 5/16" holes in it and a 5 inch hole in bottom where the agitator went. Any ideas on what to do with this?

Throw it in...but be mindful of water level changes.

I cut the end off an old 60 gallon pressure tank and a 50 gallon water heater and put them both in. Unfortunately, the pressure tank is now exposed and mama don't like it one bit. Eventually, it'll sit in about 4 feet of water and make great CC nesting habitat.

Matt considers the ramifications:
I gotta think, tho, that the stack of old tires balanced against Nessie creates an exterior decoration pallate that is appealing overall. :p
(ya know, if you're anything like me you can't pick a color to paint worth a lick, but give me some junk-trash and look out Picasso)

Every pond I build represents a chance to "clear the decks" of unwanted materials. As long as it isn't harmful to the environment or people, it goes in the new pond for fish structure. I have a 76 GMC p/u setting in the front yard in fine East Texas tradition that is going in the next new pond.

ML, watch out. You may have to bush hog if you move the truck. Come to think of it, my dad's '58 Studebaker P/U is at my sister's house. That's a good idea. I'm taking bids on this permanent 'fishing reef'.

bobad, might I suggest that if you do place the sat dish in the water, that you have some chain or cable attached to it that runs to shore.

That way, you might be able to easily drag it out of the water if you don't like it.

If not, please take some video if and when you try to remove it from the water. It could be a winner to watch!

Burgermeister says:
I'LL TAKE IT! When I was 14 years old, that was the first vehicle I ever drove, tho I believe my experience was a stake bed. Deep in the northwoods of Wisconsin, my best pal's parents were hardcore timber loggers. It was a family affair. They taught me to get up early, run a chain saw, pull a spoke shave, load the logs into the truck and drive 'er. Man I miss that stuff.

Or when 12 foot satellite dishes come back in vogue! :rolleyes:

Well, Brettski...I've got tires sticking out too. Mama hates 'em, but she knows that SOMEDAY, the water will finally cover them for good, as with the other "Structure"...she's way more optimistic than me, but I can't really use that word around her anymore...she don't want no more stuff in her pond.

We just got another inch of rain last night. I'm trying to be grateful, but the ponds are still not on a raise. Rains come just right for farmers...soakin' style. Unfortunately...that doesn't fill the ponds...oh well.

...subliminally slick Matt declares:
(..."her" pond)hmmmmmm
I gotta remember that one.

I have a 600 dollar Sweeney feeder and solar panel that are serving as structure right now. Seventy mile per hour winds can do that sometimes. Don't know exactly where it is either. Somewhere in the bigger pond. The Sweeney folks have been nice, but I don't think I'll try to get them to warranty that particular bonehead move.

right now there's 1000 BG gathered, waiting for the sun to come out

Ya gotta wonder if a little current from the solar panel would attract the fish, or repel them. I know for sure that electricity attracts fire ants!

Brettski,I know what you mean about the Studebakers. My dad never drove anything else. They were just ahead of their time. His pickups had a 'real' overdrive in them, not just a 4th or 5th gear. It was a separate transmission box. There was a slide lever to put in or out of overdrive. When engaged, you got up to 45mph, let off the gas then back on, and it went into OD.
My dad's claim to fame(other than he could throw a rock over the watertank) was that he had the only vehicle in town that would climb 'depot hill' in high gear( 3 on the column). Also 4 main bearings in Studes. Good memories.

BM, that's like looking in my rear view mirror. I had a 56 Power Hawk with that overdrive when I was a kid. Dang, that thing would run in OD.

Burger,
Ya know, I've been thinkin' more...perhaps more accurately described as reminiscing? Is it possible that it was a '48 stake bed Studebaker truck that I remember? I remember the green color, the wooden bed with stake rails (bigger than any standard PU truck bed, tho not huge), and 3 on the tree (pretty sure). I also remember a straight or slant 6...? Man, it had gutz and ALWAYS started. They just left it parked on the logging road they just blazed, at the point that they left off as they beat into the woods for pulp-wood. What a character builder from a life-style twice removed from my own.

FYI.....until a couple of weeks ago we were suffering from a major drought in Ellis Cty. While my pond was down, I took my albatros (10'satellite dish) down and put it where the lake used to be and filled the bowl with Christmas trees and other metal junk that would keep it in place. Well, 2 weeks ago the lake filled up and I am now catching bass,crappie and bream all around it. Plus everyone I catch has a smile its little face from being able to watch the Jimmy Houston on satellite.......Yuk,Yuk
Build it and they will come........

Bruce, sorry to hear about that expensive structure...but those guys with an original satellite dish are right there with you in terms of $$$

Recently I posted a pic of my 200 fat cat feeder, ewest wanted to know what the wire to the top was for...I never thought about 70 mph winds turning my feerer into structure, I had this 350-400 lb. thing trying to root the feed out

"Hogzillita"

Maybe "Hogzelda"

Taking the liberty since I had the fortune/misfortune of naming the first one.

That's a better choice.

My thought was a pork chop or two on the grill. Eastland nice work and I like that hammock. I now assume the wire was for shock treatment.