Sinking brush

I have some cinder blocks and some cedar trees I was thinkin' about sinkin'.:confused: I have never sunkt any trees before. I had this idea that I could jam the stump of a 7' cedar tree into each cavity of a cinder block and then fill the rest of the cavity with cement to lock it in there. In theory that would make a nice, neat piece of cover to transport to my spot and drop. 3 or 4 dropped close together would make a small reef. Is it really that easy? Can I sink two 7' trees with one block like that? It would be really embarassing if my fish attractor floated away...

Also, would you drop 'em green, or should I girdle the trees this year and wait to drop them until the greenery falls off? Doing it with fresh cedars seems like a sticky mess, but if they work to attract fish right away I guess I could lay down a tarp in the boat...:confused:

If you experienced guys have any tips for making and sinking brush, I would love to hear them. Thanks guys.

I don't know about cedar trees, but it does take 2 concreet blocks per Christmas tree with the needles still on them. I tried 1 block per tree years ago and had a line of tree tops just above the surface when I got done, so had to add another block to each to get to go down.
I've heard that it is best to let the needles fall off Christmas trees before sinking them, don't know about cedar.
This early spring the KDWP put 100's of fresh cut cedars in Clinton, so it must be okay to use fresh cut cedars, but I'm not sure how long it takes the crappie to hang around them.
I might suggest wrapping some copper wire around the trunk and putting some in the block cavity before filling with concrete to keep the trunks in the blocks.

maybe drill some long screws/bolts into the trunk so the concrete will have something to hold on to.

green tree sinks better than a dry tree for sure wrap the wire around each truck

Don't forget the permit.... Also, you might want to put more weight on them to make sure they don't float away...

I did not know a permit is needed to put out brush piles.

Hey Captain Dan,

I'm not aware of any permits either and dont see anything on KDWP. I may have missed it though. I know last year while ice fishing at Glen Elder, there was a small army of people (a fishing club) using 4 wheelers hauling cedar trees out to 2 different locations on the ice. These were very large piles of trees and when I talked to one of the guys, he mentioned that they got permission from Scott Waters, the Fisheries Biologist to sink the trees but they had 100's of them. I know some guys that have sunk a few trees and I dont think they got any permission. But Shane's probably right. I would just call KDWP and ask them if it's required.

Jeff

I think if you're on an Army Corps of Engineers lake, you need permission from the corps to sink brush. But it's a free-for-all anywhere else, right?

Thanks for the tips, especially about using more weight. I never would have thunk a christmas tree could float a cinder block. Good thing I asked before doing all that work. :rolleyes:

Each Corps. lake has it's own biologist & those are the people who will(or won't) issue" habitat permits". Each biologist has their own set of rules. Some appreciate the help & interest from fishermen while others(CLINTON) make the rules so ridiculous that no one is going to bother and even if you did, he probably still wouldn't issue you one. I think it's just a nice way of saying" I don't want you messing with MY lake. I'll do what I want & then give a poor fishing report in the spring because I can't manage MY lake" So you just have to be an outlaw like everyone else. If the corps patrol see's you putting in brush & you don't have a permitt,you will be issued a warning & if caught again,so I'm told, it's a $300.00 fine

Permits-some do, some don't. Start with the bio, their main reasons are fall netting and low water obstacles. The latter is usually imposed by COE's for boat traffic. I will tell you this- "If you build it, they will come" just don't use Walnut. I've built lot's of piles, learned some good techniques through the years. Take your structure to the water a couple days ahead and let em soak, far less weight to sink them. Top your cedars and sink them upside down for more cover verses laying flat. Shoot the witnesses and trespassers (just kidding) but you'll want to when they drop anchor in your pile.

If you do use Cedars, you should "spiral cut" them as they are to thick for fish to get into. They are real messy in a boat. Nothing, NOTHING, beats Hedge (Osage Orange). As it ages, sweetin it with a little willow.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DenOz

If you do use Cedars, you should "spiral cut" them as they are to thick for fish to get into. They are real messy in a boat. Nothing, NOTHING, beats Hedge (
Osage Orange). As it ages, sweetin it with a little willow.

---

Cottonwoods work just as well, just not as "twiggy". Nothing beats hedge for longivity, they claim as it dries it gets denser.(sinks easier)

Cedars out of the water take 2 yrs to drop their needles/foliage. I read ,some years ago, In-fisherman I think, that green cedars give off some kind of acid that keep the fish away. A friend of mine put some cedars in Perry last spring (2010) & we fished over them thru the ice. Never caught anything tho. I put my camera down the hole(12ft to 15ft of water) & the cedars were a dense mass of mossy goo. Kinda looked like a bloated hedge ball, It will be interesting to see what it looks like this winter. Cedar trees with the neddles/foliage gone make some pretty good structure. I have some located that are pasture burnt that I plan on sinking this fall.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fish Taxi

I think if you're on an Army Corps of Engineers lake, you need permission from the corps to sink brush. But it's a free-for-all anywhere else, right?

---

Fish Taxi,

You are correct, you do need permission on COE reservoirs to build habitat. At some reservoirs, the KDWP fisheries biologist oversees the habitat permit application process. The process and requirements can vary from lake to lake so it is always best to check first.

Most City and County lakes also require permission for anglers to install habitat, all of my lakes do.

Private waters you can do as you wish.

So in short, check with the entity that owns/operates the water you want to drop habitat in. It may save you a lot of headaches in the long run. The 2011 Fishing Regulations Summary contains the phone numbers of all fisheries biologists in the state.

Thanks for the info about the premits Craig, and thanks guys for the tips about sinking brush. Much appreciated. I wish I had some hedge trees to spare, but it's the cedars I want to get rid of... If only the osage orange spread like the cedars do, it wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, I seem to only have a few hedge trees, but I have a few hundred cedars... :( Maybe I will just cut most of the greenery off since it is growing out at the ends of the branches anyway. Then I would avoid the big ball of goo that crappiecaster mentioned. It's worth a try. :)