Do you know how to "hinge cut" a tree? You can drop some trees in the water that way and the hinge to the stump should keep the tree anchored in place. (Sometimes the tree will even keep growing.)
Cedars in your fields always involve some money or labor to clear. You can burn, mow, or hand cut. Don't know which fits your property size and available equipment. However, they sure are nice, free structure for your pond. You probably need to connect them and sink them with some type of anchor. Otherwise they may move around in your pond.
They do degrade over time. However, I like that property - it changes the nature of the structure each year from very dense to progressively fluffier. Add a few cedars every year and your panfish will have wide selection of cover densities to choose their favorite.
You should also probably go the the Common Pond Q&A sub-forum. The second sticky post is on structure and cover. Lots of excellent advice, including many budget-friendly options.
Not only will the cover in your pond help the survival rate of your panfish, it will also "concentrate" them in certain areas, and that makes them much easier to find and catch!
P.S. Praying for rain is also a frequent topic on Pond Boss. Having a preacher in the forum with "connections" will surely help in that regard!
