New pond is starting to fill and groundcover is growing nicely. I ordered 5# of FHM and 5# of GSH for delivery next week. No problem getting pallets for FHM spawning habitat, but unsure what to do about GSH habitat since is a new pond with zero weed growth now. Hopefully the GSH will spawn in the spring, but I understand they need a substrate to lay eggs on.

I have oats planted well down into the bowl of the pond and water level should be upon them in spring. This might work as there should be submerged weeds and oat stalks available. I wondered if I should make something else available just in case, though. Looking for an affordable (read cheap) alternative to commercial spawning mat.

I thought about scrounging a few ramshackle artificial Christmas trees after the first of the year and poking the branches along the shoreline like artificial weeds. Also seen coconut husk matting on fleabay fairly reasonable, I assume you would tie it to sticks and string along pond edge. Also thought about buying a few cheapo furnanace filters and staking them around the pond.

I don't want to reinvent the wheel, so I'm open to any other cost effective ideas. Thanks.

I am very curious as well. Do GSH require living structure or will they reproduce using cedar brush, for example?!?!

Hey ShortCut, don't want you to think I'm following you around here! :-))
My GSH I see ONLY near my cedar brush piles..I see them nowhere else in my case. I have confirmed recruitment this summer but the adults are always right near the cedar piles. Is that where they spawned?? I cannot confirm that. I do know that Anderson minnow farm told me cedar trees were the best thing to use but they also told me they use special spawning matts that are like artificial grass. Probably because their ponds are devoid of anything else, structure wise so it's easy to collect the matts for rinse into hatchers.
And Roundy, true pines-the needles-are a super high source of unwanted organic matter that takes forever to decompose and can add to low water quality issues, if you have cedar I'd use that first.

roundy,
I found this link in addition to great information from Snipe, Pat Williamson and Shortcut in a similar thread I asked recently that was very helpful.

https://agrilifecdn.tamu.edu/fisheries/files/2013/09/Golden-Shiner-Culture-A-Reference-Profile.pdf
Heppy

See this also - note all the other good SRAC fact sheets

https://srac.tamu.edu/viewCategory/2