Artificial Stumps

I've been collecting buckets for bamboo condos and it struck me that an upside down bucket sitting on the floor of my garage kinda looks like a small tree-stump.

I'm thinking about taking some of the buckets and trying to figure out a way to sink them to make a man made stump field. I'm thinking maybe the best way to do it would be to find a way to make the bucket float and then tie it to a cinder block where it would suspend a foot or two off the bottom, do yall think they would attract fish?

I'm thinking maybe cut up some foam pool noodles and glue them to the bottom of the inside of the bucket and then use some sort of spray in foam to encase them in and protect them from getting waterlogged. I found some spray foam at lowes used for sealing the gaps between stones on artificial waterfalls that is supposed to be fish and plant safe.

I am wondering if I should try to paint the buckets a darker color to make them look more natural, the buckets I have are all either white or yellow. Also, I am considering using aquarium glue to affix lengths of bamboo to the outside of the buckets to provide for algea growth to make them more attractive to the fish.

what do yall think, is it worth trying?

I've Made Bucket Stump Beds For Years And They Do Work, Try To Sink Them In A Circle 8-10 Buckets Each, Cut Handles Off So You Don't Hook Up
Drill Holes In Bottom And One In The Side Top Use The Top Hole To Sink With Rope Or Cable And Of Course Some Heavy Stuff To Hold It On The Bottom I Never Painted Them Just Clean Any Paint Or Whatever Out Of Them Bluegill Really Like It And Crappie Do To. Make Sure Rope Is Long Enough To Get To The Bottom And Pull Rope Back To Boat.. Fish Will Actually Be In The Bucket. No Joke

You guys must really have alot of buckets.

Make sure to get a good visual mark of there location because they are hard to see on a locator without SI. Just not enough structure off the bottom for definition.

Gman

Y not just fill the bucket with quick-crete then when it sets dump it out. or even but something like a ball or balloon in it and make it hollow...Wont uses as much crete.

Take a 5 gallon bucket, find a small one that fits inside it with about 1 inch clearance, mix up some quick Crete and make a permanent one.

To use the buckets, make it even easier. Get a 5 pound brick, a 4 foot section of PVC, and a bucket. Connect the PVC to the brick and to the center of the bucket. Drill some holes to sink it and voilà. A bucket off the bottom that has no chemical or anything added. Again, put some eye hooks in the top and you can snag them and move them later if you want to. Or you can snag them by dragging a rope around the PVC toward the bottom.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...tfishcondo.png

Interesting.

Why not just fill the buckets half full of rocks or sand and sink them that way? That way all you are out is the cost of buckets, which is 0$ for most. Make sure to drop them hard so they sit firm on the bottom.

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Originally Posted by SpeckWick

Why not just fill the buckets half full of rocks or sand and sink them that way? That way all you are out is the cost of buckets, which is 0$ for most. Make sure to drop them hard so they sit firm on the bottom.

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THATS THE WAY WE DO IT. JUST FIND A GRAVEL BANK CLOSE TO WHERE YOU WANT TO DROP THEM, ONLY TAKES A COUPLE OF SCOUPS OF DIRT OR GRAVEL. THEN BACK OUT TO THE DROP OFF POINT AND YOU ARE DONE. NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE HANDLES THEY RUST OFF, THOUGHT I WOULD BUT HAVENT YET! I KNOW GUYS THAT HAVE OVER 1000 BUCKETS OUT. LARGE STUMP FIELD!! THEY WORK

Sounds like they would. I have a large flat in mind on my home lake here in Ohio that could use some. Trouble is we aren't "allowed" to sink any cover here in NO-HIO and the flat is wide open to view from a couple different parking lots and ramps. It does get dark early here this time of year though.......

i have some 10x10 and 20x20 bucket fields here at one of our local lakes....let me tell you they really work...pulled more then 100 12in + crappie off of them this spring...but i did mine a lil diff then everyone else....i drilled 1in holes all around my buckets and ran 3ft pvc out the sides and fill them with concrete...tryed to make them like small tree but everything is plastic so there is nothing to snag

Speckwik - Your learning, drop them after dark. Fill partially with rock or gravel and let them goooooooooo

Fish 4 all that looks like a good idea. May try it soon...

I would use rocks to fill the buckets, much cheaper than sac-rete!

When sinking my homemade structure, I like to tie a marker bouy to each one before I set them out (I use empty plastic drink bottles) this lets you know where the ones you have already set out are... exactly!

After I have set out all my pieces, I remove the markers so as not to tip off others to the whereabouts of my personal structure... but that's kinda blown the first time someone sees me fishing it!:rolleyes:

Are these better for shallow water fishing (10ft or below) or deeper water? I mostly fish in 15-20... and I have a TON of buckets sitting behind the barn itching to be used. I Like This Idea!

Guys, what if one took two buckets, partly filled the botton one with gravel, rocks or whatever for weight and set the second bucket on top of the first opening to opening. use some cable ties thru holes to hold them together and then drilled a small hole in the bottom of the top bucket to allow the air to escape after the bucket settles on the bottom. The trapped air would act like a parachute to settle the whole thing slowly but then the small hole will let the air out over time and then you have a stump about 3' high. Place them deep along creek channels or shallow along spawning flats. Any thoughts? :)

I Use The Same As Crappie Killer Jigs Does. I Too Have Use This For A Lot Of Years. Another Idea Is The Barrel That Are Used In Traffic Marker An The Cone's Work Really Well

Here's how I would go about it :

Find out if it's legal, first ;) ... and if so ---

Procure myself some 5gal plastic buckets (free ones !! )
Place buckets in bed of pickup & head to the lake
Stop alongside of the highway, where the road has been blasted thru a hill
Fill buckets with rocks/gravel that has fallen from the rock cliffs
Launch boat with rock filled buckets aboard
Drop handleless buckets in the shallow areas I want "stumps" in
Drop buckets with handles still attached, in the deeper areas

To insure that the deeper buckets sit upright, when they reach the bottom ... I would use a length of ski rope or anchor rope, with a large S hook attached ... hook the S hook to the handle and lower the bucket to the bottom ... jiggle the rope to free the S hook from the handle.

If I were so inclined ... I could also place some small branches down into the buckets, or even thru holes in the sides of the buckets, just for added cover effect. Also, having cleaned the buckets of any residue of its former contents (esp if bleach is used) .... scarring the outer surface with sandpaper or file, would allow the algae to build up faster.

Out of pocket cost should be minimal, if there even is any cost :p
That's how I would go about it ...so, feel free to copy or tweak the method as you wish ;)

... cp :cool:

Lets say I had access to a lot of buckets that had tractor hydraulic fluid in them. What do yall think would be a good cleaner to get them safe for the water/fish. I have a small pressure washer that I could use in assistance.

I would clean out the buckets with diesel first then may be some soap to cut the diesel.

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Originally Posted by ccga

Lets say I had access to a lot of buckets that had tractor hydraulic fluid in them. What do yall think would be a good cleaner to get them safe for the water/fish. I have a small pressure washer that I could use in assistance.

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We wash them with hot water and Dawn dishwashing liquid. Setting them (full of soapy water) on a driveway in the sun in hot weather will heat up pretty good making cleaning easier. Rinse and they are usually clean enough.

I work for a piping contractor so rather than use buckets, you may be able to find a place where you can get leftover pipe. Your best luck dropping them would be with 8" plastic pipe.

Drill holes to allow the air to flow out so that they don't want to turn over as you drop them.

Drill holes near the bottom so you can put rebar or even smaller (green) branches through them. Just make a cross a couple inches off the bottom and slide your rebar, all thread, cane, anything, through it. This will make sure it stays upright when it lands.

8" pipe with 4" of concrete poured in the bottom, locking in your "cross", will give you a stump field that will outlast you.

I do like the idea of helping it out along the way. Placing some greenery in the holes and/or concrete would surely make it an instant attraction. :D:D:D

FF - Man I am getting a hernia just thinking about lifting that puppy. You know ya might stun afew when that one is going down. Yes that stump field would outlast me AND my son combined. Hey it works, that is all that matters.:D

get some 3in screws about 10 per bucket, screw them in the bucket around the rim, get a plastic dish pan or something about 2or 3 in larger than the diameter of the bucket. fill the pan with quick-crete, then push the bucket into the quick-crete with the screws going into the cement. drill some 1/2 in. holes in the top of the bucket.so it will fill with water.

These work well for me. Cheap to make, easy to install and last for many, many years. ;)

Take a 5 gallon bucket, add a few rocks or a couple of shovels of chert or gravel. Remove handle. Buy some 10' pieces of black plastic sever pipe with hopes in it- type used for field lines on septic tanks. Cut into 5 ea. 2' long pieces. Drill hole at top edge of bucket, use plastic zip ties and add a 2' piece of the plactic sever pipe on each side of the bucket.. Sink at least 10- to 20 buckets on a point or creek channel ledge.

You now have a small stump field.. They work.. and the plastic sever pipe, which is 4' in diameter, gives baitfish a place to hide and rest to - in the pipe.

I'll be watching the sonar for double trunked stumps when I come up to Weiss to steal your fish Pops!;)