Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Rock pile?

I have made a couple of DIY structures, and ordered a honey hold shrub and tree to put in my pond. Is small rock pile a good structure to have? How would it function differently? About how deep should I put it? Pond is in NC and is approixmately 1.6 acres. Max depth is 15 feet.

When evaluating lakes over my career, I've found most fish attracted to structure or cover absolutely love rock piles. I'd actually pick that as my Numero Uno choice. They need to be larger than most of us think...like at least 6'x 6' wide and 4-5' tall. Bigger rocks are better than small ones--rocks from softball to basketball-sized. If you'll drop a marker, like a duck decoy on a string, you can find that place again. Another hint, put a piece of 3/4" plywood across the bow of your boat, stack the rocks on that and you can drop them off by hovering over your spot, then raising the plywood. Don't load so many rocks as to make it too heavy, or to sink your boat when you raise the wood. Ask me how I know...

LOL.

On the other hand, a sunken boat with rocks in it would make outstanding habitat. Just saying....... ;-)

Rock piles are great! Crawdads and little fish can hide in them and big fish hunt them and suspend on them. For us we just make sure they are deep enough not to bother swimmers if anyone swims in the pond.

Here is one we put in our big pond two years ago when we dug it, a single load with a dump truck about 18 tons. Now I wish we had put two or three piles in.

In my opinion, several areas are needed where structure is present that covers 3-6' sections of the water column-vertically, with overlapping depth coverage.
For example... If pond is 20', there needs to be a few structures covering 20' up to say 15', then several structure types starting on bottom in 16-17' going up to say 10-12'-in a vertical fashion. Need to intersect the water column in a way that allows fish to move "up & down" on that particular structure, not just in and out following pond slope. A couple of earthen piers from bank line out to 5-7' protected with riprap covers the shallower portions and adds shoreline structure and the very important diversity and extended linear feet.
Bill is correct in that the forage would utilize more riprap if laid down in "beds" up to and above the actual waterline-which will be where a good percentage of forage species will produce-and survive. but they will be moving out and collecting on other vertical structures later that are important also but it's important to have that available up shallow for the forage to continue to cycle in a more protected environment.

Honestly, not sure about the depth. Id guess between 5 and 8 feet. Different sized rocks, probably from a mini basketball size to irregular soccer ball. I have not seen any crayfish evidence, and didn't filet any. I wonder if it's a food hangout, or just more of an attraction since it's different/irregular. The fish weren't big, but were big for my pond. Several 14 to 15 inch fish. Im trying to get them bigger.

In a few ponds that we have done, the fish seem to like the rock piles even more if there is some woody structure nearby, like a tree trunk and branches.

Great job shooter!

How deep is the water at your rock pile? How big of rocks did you end up using?

Are you seeing crayfish feelers when you lip the bass? The bass may be using the rock pile for their ambushes. The bass may be eating crayfish or other forage that is concentrating on the rock pile.

Did you clean any of the bass and examine their stomach contents?

Every trophy bass in the history of the world was once a 14-inch bass.

Sounds to me like your plan is proceeding nicely!