Thread: Question on PVC Beds

When you tire from the step bit try this type bit next time cheaper bit and much faster drilling. This bit would drill through one side and out the other side in one step and the 7/8" size would allow the 1/2" PVC to easily slip through the larger size PVC pipe.

Originally Posted by scobby100

Guys,

Thanks for all the replies. I'm using 1/2 inch PVC for the limbs. The hole saw works great but a pain to remove the excess.

Please do not take this wrong...I am trying to be as helpful as possible!

What you have here is a good start...but, why stop at that...since you already have a couple of these made you can add on now and improve the design to BENEFIT YOU and the fish!

Knowledge of the Crappie allows you to design cover that will really be used and you have a very good starting point.
Crappie cover should be broke down into 2 main types....Dense or BIG!
Dense cover is what Crappie like to get into to feel safe and secure, and to ambush prey from....it also offers shade, can provide food, if wooden (zooplankton, minnows, etc.), and even oxygen (certain algae/bacterial growth).
To get this type of cover, you could put your cover in a bucket, tub, concrete mold, etc, and then add wood limbs, bamboo, or branches from cedar, etc, all around the PVC, to fill in all the gaps around your PVC.
Natural wood attracts algae quickly and as it starts to degrade, this provides food for the very bottom of the food chain (Plankton, microbes, etc.) in the ecosystem.
If you prefer to use all PVC then you can fill in all around what you have made already and make the entire thing denser!

Big Cover is more for the Big Slabs that really don't have much to fear because of their size, or they don't have many Predators in their waters! They prefer a big Stump, Milk Crate condos, Big Rock, Dock posts, fence posts, etc...what they are concerned with are BIG ambush points where they can hide, and big areas of shade...the shade provides cover so they can linger hidden in darkness to relax or feed!
To get this you could add larger PVC posts in the bucket with your PVC, or larger limbs, you want to get the biggest "STUMP" possible and several in an area!

What you are doing is a good first step, but since you are doing things and wanting to do them correctly, just go ahead and spend alittle more time and really benefit yourself and the fish!
Once you get a few of the enhanced cover in, then you can add the other style, plus cover for baitfish/etc.....this will make your entire area SELF SUSTAINING!

Don't Forget to sand all of the PVC (we use 60 grit paper) so algae can get a grip and attach firmly on the slick plastic, and build thick and strong colonies.

Wow great advice, do you have a picture of your PVC beds?

scobby100; Check this old post out on my poor man's habitat. Intimidator shows me several ways to improve my fishing habitat in this post and others here had a lots to add to help add to my knowledge of fish habitat. Lots of pictures of fish habitat.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/crapp...ie-attractors/

Originally Posted by scrat

scobby100; Check this old post out on my poor man's habitat. Intimidator shows me several ways to improve my fishing habitat in this post and others here had a lots to add to help add to my knowledge of fish habitat. Lots of pictures of fish habitat.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/crapp...ie-attractors/

Yep...there are ALOT of good pictures of cover in that thread!
Like I said, any cover is better than none, but if you're gonna take the time to do it, do it the best way possible, so you don't have to do it again!
It may take a few minutes longer in the beginning but over the long haul it will be worth it!

Some of the BEST fishing videos are the ones that show you the underwater views of where people are fishing...IMHO you learn everything about Crappie habitat from these kinds of pictures...you also see exactly what I am talking about.
Crappie get skittish during stress, rough weather, cold fronts, if predators are around, etc., they will bury into dense cover....when things are good they are on the outside of it just hanging around or moving back and forth from cover to feed!
The more time and thought you put into a Crappie "AREA", the better....you can actually plan out areas, SO THEY NEVER MOVE! The area will actually REFRESH itself as you take Crappie from the area...if you manage the area correctly, you will have a supply of Crappie FOREVER!

You can find areas where they spawn that has deep water close by....build a baitfish area in the shallows first....with fruitwood, 'boo, bales of hay/alfalfa, etc., and make laydowns and cover for the small baitfish...you can also add in plastic pallets, skids, small dense pvc habitat.
The soft wood vegetation will kick off the entire food cycle, drawing all the microscopic food, then the baitfish, craws, worms, etc.
Then if you provide cover or laydowns, the baitfish will stay in the shallows...even shad and other food will move in to graze off of your feeding stations!

The Crappie will move in to feed, then if you supply the Crappie with "both" kinds of cover, close-by and leading to the food stations, and then into the deeper water (for Summer and Winter), they will not leave the area as long as you provide food for the baitfish every couple years....THAT IS THE EASIEST PART OF CONTINUING THE CYCLE!

Sir Intimidator is correct. Dense natural cover such as "C" trees provide ideal if relatively short lived cover for many species including juvenile game fish while extremely long lasting but less dense osage orange (hedge apple) will remain for 20+ years. Adding osage limb brush blocks ("BB"s) close to your PVC buckets will very probably DOUBLE their overall effectiveness...TRUST US, been there, did that (a LOT !) and have the "Friends of CJ Brown Reservoir" T-shirt to prove it ! Placing the 2 types in close proximity to each others preferably with the PVC slightly deeper can be VERY effective !

Guys outstanding information. I will find some extra cover osage orange and add to my PVC trees. Thanks