PVC Not Working

I put a lot of PVC out over the last 3 years and so far I am dissapointed . The wood seems to out produce by a big margine. Anyone else have the same results? This is what I have been using with 4 pieces to a pile.

Attachment 22987

I would think those would work out good. Are your concrete blocks breaking apart when they hit bottom?

thehines,
The structures are staying together fine. They fish great and look big on the graph but for some reason they will not hold fish. I thought over a couple of years the algae would build up and they would mature but it has not happened. I usually put out wood and they will hold fish in the same bay. I have several test plots close together with similar size beds and wood wins everytime. Take care.

Maybe it is the white PVC. Ever try the black stuff to see if it makes a difference? I would still expect wood to outperform anything artificial simply because it is not foreign to the fish and will start supporting food items a lot faster.

I always try to sand down the pvc before I put it in. Just rough it up a little. I think it gives the algae something to stick too.
How do you get the pvc to stay in those blocks so well? I tried to make some like that and they just broke into 10 pieces?

Don't see anything wrong with your build. So the only variable would be WHERE to place them(to me).

I use old pvc if I have it, but would prefer sinking a 6-foot cedar with a single concrete block. Drill at the base, a hole large enough to slip a cable through the trunk and through one end of the block. Tie it off and you're done. You can find cable at the local cable tv outlet. Yep, the leftovers are in the dumpster in the back...or you can just ask them to hold some for you if you have an issue with raiding the dumpster.

Either way, it's cheap and it is VERY effective. The only down side to using cedar is that it makes a mess of your boat! But that's why God made vaccuum cleaners.

aj

Sac-a-lait started a thread which is not far below this one on the structure sites called "another little old build". He says he thinks his pvc works as good as wood. You might want to look at the thread.

My PVC works better then wood!

A lot has to do with where you place the PVC structure....ours is in 10-20 feet of water just off the dock in a cove. They look almost identical to the ones you have built. In the spring time we slay the crappie! Its unreal, but thats bc of the placement, the crappie are moving into the shallows and our structure is sitting right there.

In the fall its the same thing, the crappie move in to feed on the shad that are in the shallower water, our structure, once again, is in perfect position to hold the oncoming fish.

in the winter its a little different story, sometimes they are there, and sometimes they are not.

where you place your structure can be vital to how it fishes.

I've put bamboo tops out for years with great results. I put out 30 pvc tops in similar areas (10'to 15' of water) two years ago and wasn't impressed with the results.

There are allot of reasons to use pvc over wood but the bottom line is they have to produce crappie.

I have some pvc condos that have been out for 5 years and have never caught a fish off of them. The spots are good. Myrtle bushes dropped next to them will produce in a week. I'm through with PVC. I fill cinder blocks with concrete and carry wire out with me and a chainsaw. I can fix up 10 to 15 brushpiles in a few hours and then fish them for 3 or 4 years and replenish the good ones, find new spots for the others. CF