Building structure

alwaysfishking wrote:
I launched this morning to the site of 2 fisherman gently lowering
cinderblocks out into open water. They must have had about 30 of them on the
jon boat as it looked like it was gonna sink. I fished nearby watching as
the continued to drop these blocks down. I figured they were building some
structure to fish later on some time. When they left I motored over and
marked it on my GPS. I'll see how it does whn I go back out.

Question:

If given the oppurtunity how would you go about adding some structure to a
lake. This particular lake has a very featureless bottom, barely any stumps
or sticks, average depth is between 8-12 feet and it's loaded with weeds.

What materials would you use to construct it, how big would it be and in
what shape? Anything that promotes fish growth and doesn't hurt the lake is
permissable. Idea's? suggestions?


I used to build a lot of brush piles on lakes I fish. I like big trees -
cedar if possible, they last forever. I also liked green trees, easier
to sink. I would find a 20 foot tall cedar with big branches - I like
an open tree bass can get in rather than a tight tree like a Christmas
tree, and anchored it with cement blocks wired to it.

I put the trees on their sides on good structure like the ends or sides
of points, on ditch edges or on humps. I prefer only one brush pile per
s tructure, that concentrates the fish. Now I don't build brush piles
any more - there are already too many. You can ride most any point or
hump here and find several brushpiles - they are hard to fish because
fish may be in any of them. With one brush pile you fish it then go to
the next place.

I have caught fish out of brush piles within an hour after putting them
out - green trees. A couple of tournament guys I know put out fresh
piles just before a tournament - they want green trees to fish.

I usually built the brush piles in about 12 to 18 feet of water - never
had much luck in real deep piles, I think the bass hold in them but move
more shallow to feed.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Just about anything makes structure on barren lakes. The thing to
remember is to locate it very close to another structure (point,ridge,
saddle, shelf close to a channel, on a long point that runs close to
channel, etc.) or on top of a large barren structure to help locate
them in a smaller area.

Old vs. new: hotly debated! Many old rumore about new brush not holding
fish,,,,,bull hockey! I've caught fish off of it within 2 hours of
planting! Now, as the foliage starts decaying, it will deplete the
oxygen in that area and while that is happening, it won't be as
attractiveto the fish. Once that has ended, it'll start holding fish
again (maybe a couple months depending on type). Best woods are white
oak, cedar with limbs hacked off to create holes, osage orange (lasts
forever!) or mullberry and more. Soft woods like pine don't last nearly
as long.

GaryH1961 wrote:
Just about anything makes structure on barren lakes. The thing to
remember is to locate it very close to another structure (point,ridge,
saddle, shelf close to a channel, on a long point that runs close to
channel, etc.) or on top of a large barren structure to help locate
them in a smaller area.

Old vs. new: hotly debated! Many old rumore about new brush not holding
fish,,,,,bull hockey! I've caught fish off of it within 2 hours of
planting! Now, as the foliage starts decaying, it will deplete the
oxygen in that area and while that is happening, it won't be as
attractiveto the fish. Once that has ended, it'll start holding fish
again (maybe a couple months depending on type). Best woods are white
oak, cedar with limbs hacked off to create holes, osage orange (lasts
forever!) or mullberry and more. Soft woods like pine don't last nearly
as long.

Sorry Randy, my data on Green Trees was incorrect. Sounds like they do
hold fish. Data was passed on to me, and I had passed it on to you
without doing extensive research to disprove it otherwise.

I don't mind being wrong as long as I can learn from it. Thanks Ronnie,

Chris

actually, the algae growth is what starts the good cycle again. The
period of time from the foliage decaying to when the algae starting to
form is the "dead" cycle. Sorry, had a lapse last night. :-)

GaryH1961 wrote:

Just about anything makes structure on barren lakes. The thing to
remember is to locate it very close to another structure (point,ridge,
saddle, shelf close to a channel, on a long point that runs close to
channel, etc.) or on top of a large barren structure to help locate
them in a smaller area.

I think I have asked this before here - what do you consider structure,
and what do you consider cover?

Structure is an irregular feature such as a ridge, hump, dropoff, point,
seawall, riprap etc. Cover is an object or objects that the fish can relate
too & use for an ambush point or refuge, such as stumps, docks, laydowns,
rocks, etc. Ideally you have cover on structure, a recipe for great
fishing.

If you strategically plant some cover on your structure, you can create
productive fishing spots for many years to come.

Say you know a ledge that holds scattered fish. Find irregularities such as
points & turns in the ledge & sink a brushpile on those irregular features,
and the fish will use them as long as water temp, conditions & food is
present.

The piles I plant are made of fresh hardwoods & anchored with cinder blocks.

Warren


"Ronnie Garrison" wrote in message
.. .
GaryH1961 wrote:

Just about anything makes structure on barren lakes. The thing to
remember is to locate it very close to another structure (point,ridge,
saddle, shelf close to a channel, on a long point that runs close to
channel, etc.) or on top of a large barren structure to help locate
them in a smaller area.

I think I have asked this before here - what do you consider structure,
and what do you consider cover?

I would think in the case of the concrete cinder blocks a row of small piles
leading from deep water to a large shallow feeding areas such as a wide bar
with tulies, grass and other cover would be ideal. Preferably with piles
directly on break lines and perhaps splitting the distance on longer
shallower breaks to provide a new and unique path for bass to follow from
deep water to shallow water. I might even go so far as to place a pile of
such bricks just off the deepest break in the deep water as a place or them
to concentrate when holding at their deepest point.

My idea is rather than enhance a current path and contact point instead
create a newer and better path and contact point that would not be obvious
to other angler.

--
Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com