Fish Structure--March Tip of the Month!!

[rudapa]

Here is an example of a simple low cost way to add structure to your favorite fishing spot. I believe the tubing is mostly invisible to sonar, so all that should show to others is the block. We placed a bent nail in them for a loop so you can lower them down with a hook on a rope, when they hit the bottom it pops right off. We are placing them in sets of 3.

A 80 lb bag of concrete will make 7 single hole cinder blocks. The 1/2" irrigation tubing is $8.99 a 100'. You can make 4 per roll. Each block is 97 cents. Total cost is less than $4 each.




Modified by rudapa at 3:33 PM 12/24/2009

[sport188]

[Popeye]

Cool, but you do have to make sure you are not in violation by placing these. Some areas I fish, putting these in constitutes littering and is a fineable offense

[ChampionDon]

When I drop structure, I like to first put out bouy markers to where I am going to place them, then I have a marker to drop them by, then I can get GPS waypoints spot on for the future. I always do it at night and in the winter time, dark and cold is the best

[Noodle238]

How long before these are "seasoned" or begin to hold fish?

[mahan77]

Nice design!

[joefish]

This idea is not new I have seen them several years ago.

[Capt Cook]

This idea is not new I have seen them several years ago.

Not to split hairs joefish, but this thread was started in march 2006, and it really is a good idea for peeps looking for inexpensive cover/structure that is not going to degrade.

[Shewillbemine]

We only have privately owned lakes here in southern Cali. Anyone ever get "caught" adding structure to to their lakes?

[Florida Jig Co.]

Has anyone tried this in Florida and how did it work...

[Mikel]

Still need reports of how well these work???

[mikesxpress]

SS hardware. Rotozip holes. Ballast is carried in alt container. TeeP assy is floated beside the boat and the bottom barrels are loaded with ballast to suit your conditions/current flow. Tilt slightly and fill. They sink and sit straight up as shown every time. I have over 40 of these deployed since 1985 and still fish all of them. Add a small cedar tree thru the top barrel and the fish are on them in 24 hours. 8-10 days without the tree.
And before these folks start in,
Attachment 81811
they have been placed in waters (and continue to be placed) that they are legal.

[Tr165]

I really like this. Deff gonna make some of them

[SC Bullet]

[Clarko]

I also saw a pic of the State of Mississippi using these but made out of double hole blocks with maybe 20 risers coming out of them. Do you find that the pipe stays in the concrete OK, or are the sides too slick and let it slip out? Just wondering if I should drive a nail or something into the pipe to give the concrete something to grip to? Have you actually found bass to hang out on these? We made some large PVC pipe tree structures a few years ago but so far have not had much luck with the bass being interested.

[richg99]

Regarding "roughing them up to better allow algae to grow"... I read a suggestion someplace about just tying the pipes in a bundle, and dragging them behind a truck on a rough road. Sure sounds like it would roughen up the pipes. richg99

[181fsc]

Love the idea. Just put two structures out using PVC and a couple old water hoses. Holds fish but you guessed it...you can hang a plastic worm in it due to the water hoses. Thought the hoses would float around more but I'll use pipe next time.

[txmark1959]

very good

[Skunked again]

If your using 5 gallon buckets, cut them in half. Holds more than enough weight, also get two molds for the price of one.
I like the pick of the plastic 55 gallon drums, gonna have to try that one.

[Thndrchkn]