I am trying to increase the spawning habitat for the forage species in my pond this year and hopefully have a better food chain. Someone told me that wooden pallets put in the pond made very good spawning habitat. I also saw that dunns fish farm sells a sheet of plastic that you put into the water for the fish to spawn on. What would you reccommend for spawning material?

We staked some miniature (home-made) wooden pallets in about 1-3 ft of water, and that seemed to work well for our fatheads and gambusias.

I'm not sure if they would produce the same results for GSH and shad, though.

How were you able to tell it worked? Could you see lots of small fish in the area of the wooden pallets?

Exactly right. Granted, most of the fry would be along the banks in the shallow water anyway, but we noticed a big spike in recruitment after staking in our pallets.

I was under the impression that pallets work well for fatheads who use the underside of things to deposit their eggs, however, shiners need something that is more like vegetation. The plastic you saw may work well. Aquatic Ecosystems sells material for shiners to spawn on that looks like air filters used in portable air conditioners.

RobA, are you getting to full pool yet?

Spawing fabric

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post68229

Fathead spawning

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7716&fpart=1

Bluegill spawning

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=61285&fpart=1

GShiner spawning

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA038

Spawntex Spawning Mat




BG beds




FH

Thanks for asking. Water is almost 8 feet deep. Still about 6 feet to go. Contractor was there yesterday finishing up installing the pipe from the creek to the pond. Hopefully that will speed it up.