Printable View
I've read many threads and have picked up a piece here and there and I think some of the information related to a river. My question is, on a huge lake, where is the ideal spot to place structure?
Spell it out so simple that even a cave man can understand it :p.
Did I ask a stupid question? 47 people have viewed my question, but no one has responded. Let me ask the question a different way.
On a large lake where there are miles of open water with depths from 1' - 100'. Where is the best place to drop structure to help
develope a Honey Hole?
If this is a stupid question, please let me know, because I asked my wife and she didn't know either. I would like to prove to her that
she really doesn't know it all.
This is what I think. Along a river channel 15-20 fow where no other structure is located.
"The only stupid question is the one not asked..." Albert Einstien. This is only my own opinion, but 1st step is to locate a pre- flooding map of the bottom of said lake (assuming it isn`t a natural lake to begin with). Study it for possible SPRINGS; old gravel pits often are spring fed. These are VERY good spots for cover, as you have 56 F water that is heavily oxygenated flowing into the lake there ALL yr long; ie, "air conditioned in the summer, heated in the winter. Also, as you said, old creek channels, bridge embuttments, seasonal stream culverts under roadbeds, blding foundations, ect are all good targets to start off with. You may want to check with your state`s Fisheries offices before dropping cover, some states just don`t care, some are ANAL! Safer to check before hand. Good Luck, sir!
Forgot to add "humps" (shallow areas off shore that have a steep increase in depth on 1 or more sides), points that have creek beds very close, and hard bottom areas on mud flats can all be other spots worth the time and effort. As suggested, DO check with the "Powers that be (State Wildlife, Army Corps of Engineers, ect)" BEFORE HAND to avoid any possible "Imperial entanglements"...
There are already a lot of very good posts where people share information about placement.I will tell you some of what I have done in the past and some of what I have learned here. I am a diver/spear fisherman I have always had good luck with main lake points, where a ridge hits the lake then gradually gets into deeper water. Seems like the longer the point the better especially if it ends up runing right into a creek or river. It seems that the fish like it at about 12 to 22 feet, with that varieing during the year. Pick a spot going out the ridge/point and sink your stuff so that it is in that depth zone.
Creek channels, uppermost 1/3. find where the edge, some people refer to it as a ledge, of the old creek channel is, find where it is in 16 to 22 feet of water try to place your stuff on the edge or where it lays across the edge from shallowest to deepest. Some times the creek channel may only be 1 or 2 feet deeper than the surounding water.
Also deeper "breaks" below weedbeds and "transition zones' where the bottom changes from gravel to mud, or sand to rocks, ect...
the best place is any where you have caught a crappie before. Just dropping structure may not work if the crappie don't like the area. I have tried and failed. But, if you have caught just one crappie in a spot, he was there for a reason. Add structure and more will come.
My best places are the outside bend of a creek channel. Another great place is a ditch anywhere there is the slightest difference in the depth right at the point wher ther is a difference is the place to put structure. Hopes this helps this is what I always look for!
Here in Oklahoma I put my porcupines in coves that run east west, are at least 12-18 ft deep with little actual trees or brush in them. I put time on the south side of the cove in at 13-15 ft of water and make them with 4 or 5 ft. arms depending on the depth. My favorite spots have a high bank or dense trees on the bank to help block the wind in the spring and summer, as it blows pretty hard most of the time and you can fish them when you can't in other parts of the lake. Put out at least three in a triangle or line on a slight slope if you can. All the better if there is a natural creek within the area as a runway for the fish during the warm up. I catch fish in these condos I call them all year round, even when it's 100 here in Oklahoma I catch them in 12 to 14 ft of water. So I hop this helps
Great information here. It comes down to many different options. Where, what kind,how deep,how many.....Get started and keep track of your results.some will do better than others. What type of cover do you have to sink? Some types work better shallow than deep, vise/versa. check out our new garden/koi pond size structure. Will also work great for shallow fry habitat.
Garden Pond Structure