Thread: Using rocks for weight

Trying to figure a quick light weight way to sink brush in a local lake. There are plenty of big rocks along shore to sink driftwood and brush tops that are naturally along the shore. My question is what to use to hold the rocks. I suppose wire around the rocks would work but thought some of you may have a better idea? Using sand bags filled with rocks on the banks would seem to work and be quick but how long would the sand bags hold up? Would like to be something I can throw in the boat that I can run up on the bank and have a top ready in a few minutes to avoid any unwanted attention. Any ideas?

Plastic milk crates, get from convenience or grocery stores for free

Don't read into this wrong...I am trying to help.

If you are dropping in PUBLIC Waters, don't take the cheap way out...just do it right.
If the lake has a dam, boaters, swimmers, etc, cover like that can break free if not weighted properly and cause all kinds of problems.
You can easily damage a boat, hurt a skier, swimmer, or damaged water outlets, gates, etc.
A Private fishing Pond or lake will offer different opportunities where you don't have to be as extreme....unless there is a dam.

Like UAAGR said, I have used hundreds and hundreds of Milk Crates...you can fill them with rocks, and attach the cover with 250lb black tie straps. YOU WANT THE ATTACHMENT AND WEIGHT TO OUTLAST THE COVER! Small tie straps will not last.
If you do not want to use buckets/etc with concrete in it, your only other real option is concrete blocks...and tie strap or cable/clamp the cover to it.
Wire will rust, give way, and allow the cover to float or suspend....same with the sand bags. Any pressure on them from current, wind, etc, along with the pressure of the cover that wants to float, will make them fail faster.

All the cover we dropped in 10+ years, was built to OVERKILL STANDARDS...that way we didn't have to worry about hurting anyone or anything!
Let me also throw out a WARNING...here in OHIO, if you are caught illegally adding cover to a State or Army COE Managed Lake, they will throw the book at you, fine, jail, loss of boat, license, etc! If you have materials in your boat, even unassembled, you can face the same punishments!
Each year we had to have permission from The ONDR Regional Fish Biologist, ONDR Park Management Dept, Park Manager, and Army COE...we had to provide a yearly plan and general areas we wanted to cover....we did have a few restrictions, but they pretty much allowed us to recover all the prime areas on our 2500 acre lake!

Thanks for the ideas guys. Not looking to go the cheap route but more something that can be carried in a bass boat and make piles while I'm already out fishing.

Take plastic buckets (cut holes to allow water in ) and fill with rocks replace lid . I have used mesh feed bags and they hold long enough for cover to become water logged . You can use buckets of rocks and add enough quickcrete concrete to bind and hold metal (rebar , eye bolt , ect ) to tie to .

I like the bucket idea. Wish they could be stored a little easier for travel. May still yet give the sandbags a try. Seen several pictures of agfc using them so they should work ok.

Originally Posted by arkansaskiller

I like the bucket idea. Wish they could be stored a little easier for travel. May still yet give the sandbags a try. Seen several pictures of agfc using them so they should work ok.

Most places here you can carry a stack of buckets and fill with rocks off the bank in some cases .

Burlap coffee bags could work well. The sell them here for $0.99/pc. You can fit more rocks in one of those than you care to lift.

The rocks in our area (Kansas) can be easily drilled. I use a cordless hammer drill with a 3/8" bit and drill a hole in the middle then run my wire thru and tie off. That way all I have to carry is the drill, wire, and a cordless sawsall in the boat.

Originally Posted by haugboss

The rocks in our area (Kansas) can be easily drilled. I use a cordless hammer drill with a 3/8" bit and drill a hole in the middle then run my wire thru and tie off. That way all I have to carry is the drill, wire, and a cordless sawsall in the boat.

haugboss, would that be limestone? sandstone??