ahvatsa,
I like the islands and believe you will really like them also. I did something very similar in the deep water of each of my ponds and they are a magnet for fish.
What do you plan to do with the round bales of hay? Leave them in the water? Wondering because I sat some on the waters edge, in shallow water and they turned out to be a garden spot for cat tails. As the hay decomposes, it creates an environment that cat tails love. Once I removed them, I never saw cat tails again.
