Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat How many Christmas trees?

Hey guys hoping you could help me! Its that time of year and ive been trying to collect trees. I have a 2 acre pond with LMB, CC, BG, and YP. Trying to decide on how many trees i should place on the ice...if it ever gets thick enough! I know the YP use them for spawning so i was thinking i put 4 along the bank that has more cattails (the other 3 sides have less and notice the LMB and BG use those areas to spawn) but not sure what depth? Also i was thinking of sinking another 4 in two groups in approx. 10'? Just want to make sure i have enough and put them in good locations. Should i also consider putting some in deeper areas? Max depth is approx. 18'. Thanks in advance for any help!

Oh not to mention 3 TM...but those wont spawn so i dont think it should matter...

General rule of thumb is to have 20% of the surface area of the pond in cover for the fish. That could be underwater weeds, or man-made cover. YP typically spawn in shallow water, I've never seen skeins deeper than 5'.

I add my Christmas Trees in a spot at the dam. I added around 6 or 7 last yr used to build a pretty thick small area. This yr I will be adding another 6 to the same spot, freshening up that spot. Christmas trees only last a couple or years or so.

Tracy

I thought i saw a post with an article here showing a tree every year for 10 or so years? Seemed like they provided decent cover for 5/6 years?

From the structure archive

[quote=esshup]General rule of thumb is to have 20% of the surface area of the pond in cover for the fish. That could be underwater weeds, or man-made cover. YP typically spawn in shallow water, I've never seen skeins deeper than 5'.

20% That is the answer I've been for. How much of the pond should be in cover. Thanks, Esshup

No problem. Do the math, it's a whole lot more area than what you think!!!!!!!

I've cut down about 50+ 3-4' tall cedar trees. I plan on putting about 10 together and tie them up and putting them in the pond in different places.

Use a cinder block to keep them where you want them.

And do NOT try to place them by yourself, from a canoe. It can get hairy, and wet.

Cmm

I did the same thing but I used 6 to 10' cedars.

Tracy

+1 on cedars and cinder blocks. I floated them out behind the canoe, with the cinder block in the canoe. When I got where I wanted them I tied the block to the base of the stump and let them sink. It worked fairly well except for the biggest one it was ten by ten, and very difficult to float behind the canoe.
I then made some artificial trees from junk lying around the farm and sank those around the cedars. I'm hoping the grandkids can fish around those without being hung up all the time.

You can build floats out of PVC piping to help move and maneuver these objects. I used 4" PVC to help float some structure to where I wanted to place it.

Thats a good idea basslover! I plan on putting them out this weekend on the ice. Im guessing i should put the ones near shore on the side for the perch?

It is much easier to sink them when green rather than dry. There are several ways. If you anticipate trouble then tie trot line string to them and a plastic bottle so the bottle will be on the surface. That way you can find them and move them to the desired location and sink them .

Sounds like the voice of experience???

Any photos to go along with that visual?



My buddy and I decided to sink some pallets, 3 tied together. Took them out with the boat along with several cinder blocks to set on top of them to sink 'em. One by one we added the blocks, watching the pallets begin to teeter the more weight we added. When it was needing one or two more to finally sink, the pallet tilted and all the cinder blocks slid right off down to the bottom of the pond.

Up sprung the pallets

So now there's a nice pile of cinder blocks.

2 piles, because we tried and failed again

Stupid is as stupid does? In our case, yes, but we certainly had some good laughs in the process, and thankful no one was watching

Yet interestingly, over the past year the pallets have still not sunk but are 90% submerged (anchored with one cinder block) and has been a great LMB hangout!

Keith,

Ha. No pictures. I did unload from my person anything I didn't want to get wet. Just in case. But, alas, no witnesses to me cussing and fussing over my small(ish), weak body trying to maneuver those cedars with blocks wired to them over the side of the canoe into the perfect spot. I decided that where they landed became the perfect spot! I will try the float them out and tie blocks to them at boat side method the next time. Thank goodness for the brainy ones on the forum.

I bet the bass love the shade from that partly submerged pallet, as well as the gills that it probably attracts too.

Cmm

Cim, when I placed 7 Christmas trees last winter (or the winter before, due to CRS I don't recall), I tied all the blocks to them and slid them in place over the ice.

Ice melted, kerplunk went the trees exactly where I wanted them!

Of course I wasn't smart enough to think of that, it took the brainy ones you speak of on this forum to suggest it .

I just love those "why didn't I think of that?" moments, and I have many

PB Rocks!

Lots of balloons and a pellet gun.........