Fish attractors

[Z-MAN]

A number of the places we fish in kayaks have very little or NO structure and in this hot weather - the fish seem to be really scattered and hard to find. IF (big if) you can find the bait fish you can usually pick up a few, but ....most of the places I fish sure could use some man-made structures, AKA "fish attractors". I started a Google search and was amazed at how many posts there are on Crappie.com from around the country. I was really concerned about using PVC pipe - which I always have tons of laying around. Since it's not "natural" like trees or bamboo, I wasn't sure it would work, but it seems that it gets covered in algae in weeks if not days, and the "build it and they will come" theory works just fine. The nice part about PVC is that even in a kayak, I can "assemble" the structure on site and don't have to drag a real tree, bamboo stalks or lumber structures that I assembled on shore. (Ever see a guy in a kayak with a TREE in his lap...I have!) ANYWAY - I plan to place a few in some of the honey holes that I fish and will post the results as they come in....but I'm anxious to hear if anybody else has used PVC to any extent to make their structure. One comment that I saw many times on posting all over Crappie. com was that for some reason (no air bladder? I dunno!) PVC seems to "disappear" from your fish finder after a few weeks. Some think that it's the algae growing on it ...who know, but it PAYS to either mark your spot with a buoy or with a handheld GPS, cause you're probably not going to find it on you fish finder for very long. Anybody else tried PVC?

Z

[BensGoneFishing]

We've used PVC for stake beds and PVC with buckets for stumps with limited success. Can't wait to hear your results....

[Hitek]

I have put all kinds of things out. PVC will hold some fish but the wood and bamboo will hold more and we have more success from cedar than anything else. If you have the PVC already, its a no brainer. Maybe mix a little wood with the PVC.

[jdunn]

I have used both, with the PVC, you will want to sand it, or I bead blasted mine. The reason is PVC is very slick, sanding it allows the algae to attach allot faster. I wasn't sure when I was building my structure, so I sanded one and didn't sand one, put them both in the water the sane day only a.few 100 yards apart. Wanted to see the results, went back a week later, sanded pvc was covered, un sanded had little to no algae on it.

[Ditch Basser]

Z-man, 

I have PVC fish attractors that I sank in a private pond in Texas when I was still in high school. As you know that was a few years ago. I caught Crappie around that PVC tree in 10 feet of water last year. I snagged one of them with the anchor and pulled it to the surface. It was still mostly intact. I don’t think PVC will hold as many fish, but it will out last any other material.

I prefer using bamboo. It’s lite weight, doesn’t tangle your jigs as bad as cedar and will last several years. I can cut bamboo into 6 or 8 pieces about 5 to 6 feet long, concrete into a plastic coffee container with quick set concrete. I use the no mix so pour on top of bamboo, cover with water and wait on hour and your ready to drop. I’ve caught Crappie around bamboo within hours of placing it in the water. This may not be the best way, but you end up with something small enough to set the base between your legs in the kayak and still have room to paddle. It’s also lite enough that you can lift it with one hand to drop over the side. 

I sank three fish attractors with Grant Sunday morning, you’ll have to ask him if he’s had time after work to give them a try.

[peepaw]

Check out our site as well as the Structurespot blog for all your habitat needs, questions and ideas!

[Ditch Basser]

peepaw,

I've wanted to make some of these but haven't found a way to get the material for free. I need to check at some of the local building sites. Thanks for sharing the information and photo's!

[peepaw]

There is tons of this stuff available if you look in the right spots. Visit a disposal/construction dumpster facility and they will give you all you can carry. Try siding contractors as well as places like Lowes/Home Depot/Menards for bargain bin material they will sell for almost nothing. They throw it out if they can't sell it. Look for siding contractors working in the area, they don't want it either. Building contractors, like I use to be, have lots of partial boxes leftover without enough to start and finish another job. Should have to pay VERY little or nothing for the material.

Cut into strips and make sure you remove all the nailing fins which would cause snags. Good luck, post the pics when done!

[Bob D]

I've done the Christmas trees and bamboo and think the boo is the way to go. Not near as many snags when fishing jigs and holds fish real well.

[BensGoneFishing]

Anybody know the rules about collecting bamboo on a right of way? There are a couple of places on 65, just south of the Tennessee River Birdge where bamboo grows out on the interstate right of way and I know there is some on refuge property as well. Where do you normally get your bamboo?