Well I am trying something new. I have been driving Bamboo and stakes in the bottom of the lake for a few years and it works well but always looking to improve. I made a driver that will drive up to 14 inch wide planks into the bottom of the lake. I had an endless supply of sawmill slabs and figured they would make great cover if I could figure out how to use them. It works great. Looks like a large cereal box on the end of a 8 foot pole. I just sharpen the ends of the slabs and drive them in the bottom. I figure these things will create a ton of shade since I put about 20 to a spot. Anyone ever tried this?
Has a great name too.. Slab beds..
I've never tried stake beds with slabs, but there is no reason it won't work.
As with other types of man-made cover, location is the key to their producing.
I'd bet dollars to donuts that you will be in business real soon.
aj
I am going to try and remember to take a picture of the driver this evening so you guys can see it. Pretty neat little tool.
My home lake is slap full of standing timber so by adding structure doesnt usually work, unless you place it FAR AWAY from any of that standing timber. BUT...I also fish a lake 30 minutes from home that has practically no wooden structure other than brushpiles someone else placed that you'll stumble across while fishing and a few of those do pay off. But as stated, location means EVERYTHING at a certain time of the year. Sounds like your 'slab beds' will be the ticket, just dont spend them all in one location.![]()
Yep even gave the driver a name. Used expanded metal because the first prototype was solid and created suction and also helped in making it more light weight. This works so take a look and make your own.
Thanks for this post 68. I have hundreads of empty skids at work, and i may break a few apart and use this tool to drive the slats into the bottom of the lake.
...you can also just nail some of the planks upright on a pallet base turned up-side-down. When you get to the drop-off point, go to the bank and collect a few choice rocks (enough to sink the pallet bed) and fill 'er up.
Depositing this type of stake bed is a TWO-MAN job--I speak from experience.
Have a safe time and catch a bunch.
aj
I have a friend that puts three pallets together in a triangle and sinks them but he said it takes a lot of weight to sink.
Very good idea on the Slab Buster and the original driver to.
Last edited by fishbaskett; 07-13-2009 at 06:49 AM.
I have tried to put the the pallets out in a triangle and with the stakes sticking up and just found it to be too much work for a lazy guy like me. It takes about 2 large concrete blocks to sink each pallet with stakes and that is more than I care to handle alone. With the stake driver I can go out alone and put out a stake bed with 100 stakes in about 20 min. Here is a tip for the new slab driver. Make sure your slabs are at least 1" more narrow and 1" thinner than the opening in the driver. You will need the play o make the driver work best.