Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat YOY cover

I’m trying to add some cover for YOY fish, especially BG, and a protected place for FHM to spawn. The LMB in my older pond are doing well, but BG are few and far in between.

I added a gravel bed last fall near where some beds were to increase spawn success. I’m creating bundles of tall willows to, hopefully, increase survival after they leave the nest.





I know they will not last very long, but I have a great supply. They are going in relatively shallow water, so would you stake them down? Their own weight will keep them mostly submerged. Would it be best to set them on the ice now, or wait until I see spawning activity and put them around the beds?

We are starting to cull some 10 to 14 inch bass as well.



I have some decent brood fish, but I want to see more offspring survive.

I think there are too many branches in your willow bundles of willows. Make them about 1/2 as big but make lots of them. I would not weight the bundles especially since they will decompose relatively quickly. Just place the bundles in the pond with the trunks on shore so branches are in 12"-24" of water. Fry to 1.5" long favor the shallowest water close to shore for refuge-cover and feeding what periphyton associated organisms live on and among the twigs. When the small twigs decompose just easily pull the trunk bundles out and replace them with new bundles. Make some bundles my method and some your method; compare results and do what works best in the future.

Also look through the Structure ideas in the Archives Common Pond Q&A for additional ideas for small fish cover.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92463#Post92463

Dandy bluegill you have grown there in Colorado!. Be watchful as the fishery develops that you keep big BG coming into the population as those old big ones die at ages of 5-8yrs old. Expect that big male in the picture to live only 1-2 more years.

Agree with Bill. Spaces the size shown in the xmas trees below are good for new BG. Archive provided by Bill has good pics and discussion. Place near 30 feet +- from BG colony at multiple locations.

Outstanding CO BG! Well done!

Ditto!!

Thanks Bill and ewest for the input. I will try some smaller bundles too. I was keeping them tighter thinking about giving the FHM pockets to spawn in where the bass can’t get them.

Increasing my bluegill recruitment is my goal with this project.