I've come across some free PVC (woohoo!), but it's much larger than what I am used to building my structure out of. What kind of ideas are out there for building structure for my SMB/YP/RES/HSB pond and possibly building some for buddies' LMB/BG ponds?
Structure my butt (to be used as an exclamation)
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I'm thinkin' Craigslist
Too big you think? I was wondering if I cut them into 3 or so foot long pieces and stacking them up they might be nice structure. No?
Just use your imagination, I dont think there is a wrong way to assemble them!
I dont think there is a wrong way to assemble them!
Oh, I bet I can manage!
Wow! Fish structure heaven. I think Brettski may be right, use the small diameter stuff for structure piles, sell the big stuff and get yourself and new rod and reel.
Or a couple of rod n reels! The bigger stuff would make CC spawning structure, that could be good or bad.
A fire hydrant too??
Omaha, I have pvc the same size in my pond...get it if you can. I am pretty certain it will only be free once! Might i say pvc that size is very expensive. My pvc was 3/8 wall thickness and i cut different shape holes in it with a wood cutting blade in my sawzall. Get the most aggressive blade u can find (so it cuts fast) otherwise it will create heat and get gummy. Picture in your mind (if you will) that that pvc pipe is a large tree trunk that is hollow...and your a BG. Where could you escape if a LMB came in one end? Cut some holes so you can get out before becomming a snack! I also took some of different lengths and did the same routine but they got stuck upright on the pond bottom instead of flat like the larger ones. That help any?
Thanks everyone. I didn't realize large PVC was worth that much. Maybe I shouldn't take it and be in debt to this guy for the rest of my life.
Omaha, I have pvc the same size in my pond...get it if you can. I am pretty certain it will only be free once! Might i say pvc that size is very expensive. My pvc was 3/8 wall thickness and i cut different shape holes in it with a wood cutting blade in my sawzall. Get the most aggressive blade u can find (so it cuts fast) otherwise it will create heat and get gummy. Picture in your mind (if you will) that that pvc pipe is a large tree trunk that is hollow...and your a BG. Where could you escape if a LMB came in one end? Cut some holes so you can get out before becomming a snack! I also took some of different lengths and did the same routine but they got stuck upright on the pond bottom instead of flat like the larger ones. That help any?
How did you get them to sink? And that is a pretty cool idea, I hadn't thought of that. And great advise for the saw blades. Thanks.
No limits to what you could do with that stuff. PVC trees , pvc fence , 3 pipe ridge , standing tripods and so forth.
I got my pipe free as well and they ranged from 14-24 inch od. I bought 8in pipe 20 ft i think was the length and they were close to 140 each with my disabled vet discount. The bigger ones gotta cost way more than that 8in. I put in my pipe b4 the pond filled with water, used a bachhoe to dig each hole then poured an 80lb bag of concrete in each one. You could do the same. As long as you set it upright is should stay if you use a tire at one end. just screw the tire 2 the pvc and fill with concrete mix or chunks of broken used concrete. If you want, make some 4-5 ft tall and fill them totally with rock/rubble. it would probably make a great crawfish hide. I like the very large diameter white pipe in the center of the first pic, that one would work very well.
Shotguns, rifles or pistols? Who needs saw blades?
Nothing like the smell of cordite/gunpowder in the morning!
Going to need a bigger shop huh?
And a flatbed.
U should have that already.
Just thought of somthing. Make sure u wash each of these b4 u put them in if you can. No telling what was inside or outside of those pipes.
U should have that already.
The flatbed or the shop? I have access to both so it might just be a matter of how much he's willing or wanting to give me.
Just thought of somthing. Make sure u wash each of these b4 u put them in if you can. No telling what was inside or outside of those pipes.
Good advice. What products do you suggest I use to clean them?
Good old Palmolive or dawn should work fine. Just be picky when you get the pvc, dont get the ones that look like lots of work to clean! I was thinking a trailer and a shop. Doesnt every guy own these?
I don't know if every man does, but I definitely agree that every man should.
Josh, you stuck gold! Nice work. You can create all sorts of structure - but remember one can go overboard on adding structure to their ponds. You want to concentrate fish, not spread them out, something to keep in mind. I think Bob's acxiom is 10-20% of your lake should be structure oriented...not absolutely certain on that number though.
I went to sink my PVC trees last weekend in the canoe. They weigh around 40lbs each. I tipped the canoe, nearly drowned as I was unwilling to let the tree go, and after all was said and done I have one tree laying on it's side that i won't be able to get vertical until the water warms and I can swim out there. It was a debacle, I'm glad no one was there with a video camera.
I want to stress the importance of adding structure prior one's ponds filling...I know Eric has a good article on adding structure post filling, but apparently I need to refresh my memory on it.
It is much easier to move x lbs underwater than above water. Use trotline cord. Tie it to the top of the structure. leave plenty of extra and tie a float on the end. Get near where you want it and push it out. Then get the cord once it hits bottom and move it to the location and orientation you want. There are other ways as well.
Eric...I tried that method- my problem was the darn tree would not remain vertical, it kept falling over due to an uneven bottom. The tree was 6' tall with 5' arms and maybe it was a little top heavy. It was my first attempt at building pvc trees, and my first attempt at placing them. Comedy of errors is an understatement - the water temps were in the upper 40's and literally took my breath away...was NOT anticipating swimming Saturday.
Maybe I should have driven a piece of rebar coming out of the bottom of the 5 G bucket to act like stablizing pegs that would have dug into the clay bottom better? Maybe I should have made shorter trees? Any advice...it may save another city boy from nearly drowning!
Josh, you stuck gold! Nice work. You can create all sorts of structure - but remember one can go overboard on adding structure to their ponds. You want to concentrate fish, not spread them out, something to keep in mind. I think Bob's acxiom is 10-20% of your lake should be structure oriented...not absolutely certain on that number though.
He's from Lincoln, so I guess we're meeting somewhere south of town at a truckstop. I'll have to see how much I end up and not get carried away.
I went to sink my PVC trees last weekend in the canoe. They weigh around 40lbs each. I tipped the canoe, nearly drowned as I was unwilling to let the tree go, and after all was said and done I have one tree laying on it's side that i won't be able to get vertical until the water warms and I can swim out there. It was a debacle, I'm glad no one was there with a video camera.
Jeez dude! Almost made yourself fish structure! Hey, did you ever get a chance to put one of those floating docks together? I thought about doing that partially for this reason. Easy mobilization around the small pond.
TJ, I like the idea of the rebar coming out the bottom of the bucket, but that still sounds like something of a crapshoot, might hold, might not, and if it does, who knows for how long? Do you have the materials to make something of a porcupine type structure? Something along those lines where it won't matter what side it's on, it'll still have your branches off the bottom? PVC floats right? I'm just brainstorming here, but is it inconceivable to think you could concrete a small cable into a slab of rock and attach it to a "tree" that will float above the sunken rock? I've never seen anything like this so I'm not sure if it's been tried or not.
And you can certainly have some of this large stuff I'm getting if I end up with as much as I think I am. Plus, he said he's got a lot more longer pieces that he'd sell on the cheap. And he's in your neighborhood.
Eric, if you're looking at some 2:1 type slopes, how long do you like those bottom rebars to be to keep it upright?
Mine looks identical to the second example, but I have 25 branches which may be the reason its so top heavy and tipping over. That's a lot of branches, but I'm a glutton for punishment. I wish I had fixed the rebar to the bottom, that makes for a much larger base. I think i'll have to go swimming when temps warm and retrofit them.
I also finally got fed up and ordered some porcupine centers. Seems much simpler to place.
Any advice? Yeah, wear a wetsuit, the water's cold!
You could use stuff that size as cover for a world record LMB! Just picture a PVC tree of that stuff with a school of 25 pound LMB hovering around in it!
Oh, and plant the hydrant in your yard for your dog!
I wonder if you cut some of the larger diameter sections into pieces that were only about 4-5 inches long and set them horizontal in shallow areas where BG nest if they would move inside and go about their business?
I went to sink my PVC trees last weekend in the canoe. They weigh around 40lbs each. I tipped the canoe, nearly drowned as I was unwilling to let the tree go, and after all was said and done I have one tree laying on it's side that i won't be able to get vertical until the water warms and I can swim out there. It was a debacle, I'm glad no one was there with a video camera.
Don't feel bad, debacles happen everywhere to everyone, I have even seen pictures of guys seining on here with a life jacket on, makes sense to me, I'm that clumsy.
I had some free 6" flexible PVC ducting given to me, thought it would make good structure so I hacked it up. It had a wire molded in it like a slinky, I made large pretzel shaped knots out of it, and wired the ends to some 10" concrete blocks and cut slashes in the pipe to let the air out. Loaded for bear I paddled my 14 foot boat out in a heavy wind and cursed and struggled to get my unweildy creations over the side once I got the boat in perfect position, each time the wind would blow me around and I would drag them back in and start paddling into the wind again. I finally got them all over in a semi circle fashion to form a half reef if you will around my future dock site. It later dawned on me that I could have waited until the next morning when it was dead calm and eased out there with no trouble, slipping them in place without hassle from the wind but that would have been to simple.
I wonder if you cut some of the larger diameter sections into pieces that were only about 4-5 inches long and set them horizontal in shallow areas where BG nest if they would move inside and go about their business?
That sounds like a LOT of cutting.
That sounds like a LOT of cutting.
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All in the name of better fishing...
Man!!! If you got that for free??? Nice work!
Here is what I did with some larger PVC pipe. Just another idea.
PVC Piers for Dock QuestionIt has worked out great for me making piers for my dock.
You could also cut 2 foot sections and bolting them together for your fish.
Nice find!
Omaha, Did you end up with this pipe? Are you stock piling it for use later, have you made any structure with it? A little news please!
I got quite a bit of it, but haven't been able to create any artwork since then. So I'm stockpiling. And I could get more if I end up going a little crazy and using it all. Thanks for checking in on me.
there is 2 types of pvc pipe solid & pourous, i use the solid for hollow tree stumps layed flat on the bottom for these i stand them up & mix a sack of ready mix concrete & fill the bottom 2-3 inches to close them off for catfish breeding. i use the pourous schedule pipe for trees standing upright. fill bottom ft of main pipe which makes it sink but the pourous pipe floats so even if it tips over it floats back up.kinda like weebles wobble but they dont fall down. LOL!! easy to tell difference between 2 types of pipe just look at the end after you cut it & if your still not sure just throw it in the water.
