Dave, I used some bamboo in my pond however I no longer place it in the water. As Rad has said it is tough on tackle. There are a lot of variations in bamboo as far as the type and additionally how old the bamboo is before going in the water. Newer green bamboo will probably not last much longer than a year, two year old bamboo may last up to three years. Bamboo also floats so after the bamboo gets old and breaks off from the bucket you will find it all around your place. Personally I would go with PVC since it would be almost forever.

Don