Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Keeping trees from Floating

What is the best way to sink trees or keep them from floating as the pond fills up? I was planning on putting some very big trees in the pond but worried they will float up. What have you done or do you suggest? Also most of the trees were going to be oak trees? But I thought I read that some people thought Oak was a bad idea. Pond/Lake will be around 8 acres with depth 6-15 feet.

Where is the pond (state) ? Here is a method without using weight but rather staking in place. I have used oaks many times without issue - ,some report issues. At 8 acres I would try an oak structure.

From the Hands On Structure presentation during PB III.

A method of adding cover to a pond with water. This is an adaptation of the Ray Scott method from the Great Small Waters video. It can be done using xmas trees , buckets of limbs , pallets , or pvc structures. It involves driving a post into the pond bottom and using it to mark and hold the structure items. Using a boat (if unsteady you can use an A-frame ladder to drive the post) to drive the post ( using a shovel or fence post driver or hammer or ax) . After the post is in place tie the xmas trees to the post with small trot line string. Think about how you want the trees to hang in combination. Top up or down , horizontal . vertical and at what depth for each. You can also tie several trees together in squares to triangles (tree tops to bottoms to form and even structure). Then tie and place it over the post. Note after a year or so you can cut the string and allow them to fall to the bottom and tie on new ones. This will form a pile or cone of trees from bottom to top.

Post and trees





Tied to the post





Set to feed over



After they sink



Xmas trees work well for BG cover from predation.






A typical Ray Scott rendition of a pond with this method (pickle bucket method) and ridges , cuts and standing timber etc.

Day, don’t use fresh or green oak. It contains tannic acid that leaches out and is highly poisonous. (Tanins).

When I first impounded water in my 2 to 3 acre pond, we knocked down some big oaks and piled them in the bottom. We got a big rain and the pond filled. I bought and stocked a lot of bluegills and fathead minnows. Also, a heckuva lot of crawdads.

Then, the crawdads started leaving the water. I found no fish activity in a couple of weeks. In other words, none came to pellets. The water turned black.

I tried an experiment. I soaked a piece of green oak in a bucket and added some minnows. Within a short time, they were all dead. I knew a Texas Parks and Wildlife guy that was involved in lakes and ponds. I called and told him about what happened. He had no idea. We ran another test by putting some minnows in a floating bucket in the black pond. just to prove it to him. Yep, they died within an hour.m

I expect you could use oak that has been dead and dried out. But, why take a chance? I now use a lot of cedars.