How to float the top of a 4" ID PVC Crappie Condo Tree

[Moose1am]

I need to get my PVC trees back out of the lake and fix them so they stand straight up in the water. I am thinking about pulling them up and then after cleaning and drying them out adding some floatant in the top of the 4" ID PVC Pipe. I am thinking of using that Foam in a Can stuff that is an Expanding foam that expands to 2x it's size after it's exposed to the air. It comes in a can and is used to insulate around windows and pipes in homes. It's a do it your self type of foam insulation in a can. Anyone out there ever used this stuff before? I got it to spray behind the kitchen sink's cabinet where the pipes come though an outside wall. I wanted to insulate the wall behind the cabinet where the pipes run though the wall. I get small ants in the house during the spring time and I think that the ants are traveling along the water pipes and into the kitchen. So I can block their path and also insulate the wall behind the cabinet in one fell swoop.

I am thinking that this expanding foam when sprayed inside the PVC pipe and after it cures will make the top of the PVC pipe float. What do you think?

Hanging a float to the top of the PVC pipe with wire or rope would work but it would also be something that the jigs and hooks could get fouled up on when fishing the PVC crappie tree. By having the foam INSIDE The pipe it would present a clean slippery surface where the jigs hooks would not hang up on the smooth surface of the PVC pipes. That was the main reason I decided to make the PVC crappie trees. If they would only grow algae and work. I may have put them into too deep of water for algae to grow on them. The lake that I placed them in is very dingy. There is a lot of sediment that falls out of the water onto the top of the shallow weeds and it's been killing the weeds. With that much sediment in the water it makes it impossible for sunlight to reach down into 20ft of water where the pipes are laying on their sides right now.

[fishingpox]

Moose, I know some types of insulation will water log. Maybe if you cap the ends off will be ok. Grind the edge off the caps so your hooks won't snag. Or just cap off without the spray insulation in them. Good question.

[labill]

I need to get my PVC trees back out of the lake and fix them so they stand straight up in the water. I am thinking about pulling them up and then after cleaning and drying them out adding some floatant in the top of the 4" ID PVC Pipe. I am thinking of using that Foam in a Can stuff that is an Expanding foam that expands to 2x it's size after it's exposed to the air. It comes in a can and is used to insulate around windows and pipes in homes. It's a do it your self type of foam insulation in a can. Anyone out there ever used this stuff before? I got it to spray behind the kitchen sink's cabinet where the pipes come though an outside wall. I wanted to insulate the wall behind the cabinet where the pipes run though the wall. I get small ants in the house during the spring time and I think that the ants are traveling along the water pipes and into the kitchen. So I can block their path and also insulate the wall behind the cabinet in one fell swoop.

I am thinking that this expanding foam when sprayed inside the PVC pipe and after it cures will make the top of the PVC pipe float. What do you think?

Hanging a float to the top of the PVC pipe with wire or rope would work but it would also be something that the jigs and hooks could get fouled up on when fishing the PVC crappie tree. By having the foam INSIDE The pipe it would present a clean slippery surface where the jigs hooks would not hang up on the smooth surface of the PVC pipes. That was the main reason I decided to make the PVC crappie trees. If they would only grow algae and work. I may have put them into too deep of water for algae to grow on them. The lake that I placed them in is very dingy. There is a lot of sediment that falls out of the water onto the top of the shallow weeds and it's been killing the weeds. With that much sediment in the water it makes it impossible for sunlight to reach down into 20ft of water where the pipes are laying on their sides right now.

RE: Foam in a can......The foam you are referring to is actually an "open cell" material. Works for insulation, but I don't think it will float your attractors. Styrofoam, on the other hand, is "closed cell" and it has the bouyancy you are looking for. First time I used the canned foam was on a remodeling job under a threshold to stop water from coming in. It didn't work. Had to scrape it out and used silicone to seal it. I'm not saying it won't float, but it's not very bouyant, and over time it will probably saturate, as fishingpox indicated. Your best bet is a styrofoam, medium density. You may have to cut it into discs or strips that will fit inside your pvc. Old stryofoam chests or foam minnow buckets will work, or you could buy sheet styrofoam at a construction supplier. There is also a closed cell foam "noodle" in various sizes that will work, also available at Home Depot or Lowes. It's also round and you might find a size that will slide right into your 4" pvc. If you want to check your canned foam for open or closed cells, take a close look. If you see tiny holes it's open cell. If it has a contiguous surface, it will be closed cell. Good fishing!

[labill]

Bumping you back up, Moose.....

[blufloyd]

This poly foam degraded to nothing in an application in my brother's pond.
I'd say skip it. Simple rectangular peg type pvc crib holds a ton of crappie here for icefishing.

[CrappiePappy]

you may want to try and get ahold of "CUZ". He can give you some ideas on how to set up "crappie hotels", PVC trees, stake beds, etc.

You may want to just leave the fallen "trees" where they are, and just add some standing ones around them. If they're in 20ft of water, and close to a migration route or spawning bank ... they'd be good in early Spring (staging point), Fall (white crappie holding area), and even into the early Winter months (shad die out time).

I've told this before - but, when making a "stake bucket" or using a plastic bucket for PVC, and filling it with rocks/sand/concrete - I'd leave the handle attached. Use a S hook on a drop line, to lower the bucket into place - the handle wire isn't much of a hangup hazard. Most of the fish will suspend over top of the stakes/PVC, in the upper branches of it, or on the outside of it. And I'd tend to think it would be hard to balance the hold down weight vs the bouyancy needed to "float" the PVC pipes in an upright position.
And I wouldn't worry too much about algae not growing on it - algae feeders usually don't congregate on structure that deep ... but it does provide a place for Crappie to "hang out" and watch for schools of baitfish to pass overhead. ...............luck2ya ........cp