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Okay, I have built a hundred of these things in the past out of bamboo.........but I picked up some christmas trees today (couldn't resist) and I was wondering how much sacrete does it take to sink a 7 to 8 foot cedar tree that probably weights 50 pounds. The base of the trees are about 6 inches across. I'm going to use 5 gallon buckets to hold the trees because I want them to stand up on the bottom. Thanks for the help.
A 3/4 full 5-gallon bucket of concrete should weigh about 60#. That is more than enough to sink what you are describing. Enough that you can stick more in there for added volume.
Horizontal, flat on bottom ya can tie a couple of good rocks with 2 ft leader so the rock rests on the bottom and save yer crete for the condos.
I have sank an eightfoot cedar tree by using 2 cement blocks and that yellow poly rope that Wal-mart sells. The blocks are about $1.07 a piece at lowes, and fifty foot of poly rope is .97 . Drill a hole threw the base of the tree and attach a loop of poly rope to the blocks.
I also got a few and was wondering about something. I have heard people saw burn them first. Has anyone did this and does it make a differance? thanks Dennis
Ended up with 30 Christmas trees. Let the sacrete dry for a couple of days and put them in the lake yesterday. Yes, 60 pounds of sacrete mix will sink an 8 foot tree. Thanks for the input. I hope the picture comes out it's my first time to post a pic.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...7/DSC05635.jpg
where are you going to drop them at. no detail just what lake,one more are you going to drop the little sick tree in the front with no leaf on it cause my wife just made me put one up like that one :rolleyes: why do some people sink them upside down, is it for better cover.
Hi cruise, sure let him give detail, (just kidding) I got folks in East Texas down there 2X a year. I could stop by, fish his hole for 2 hours, get 45 crappie and be on my way.......
I don't have a picture, but found a cedar tree on the bank that had been dead awhile and dried out. It was a little bigger than I thought after I cut the bottom 10ft off and hauled the rest to a spot to sink it, I realized I did not have enough sinking material in the boat, tied 6 cinder blocks on it, it didn't sink, finally found a rock that probably weighed 120+ tied it on and down she went slowly. Its in 28ft of water and comes up to about 8ft, looks awesome, can't wait to fish it.
ff do you have the gps coordinates to that one. :D
Most COE lakes don't actively enforce the requirement for a permit to simply sink old christmas trees. However most do frown on some of the more oddball versions such as those made out of tires etc. BUT cutting a standing tree from the shoreline whether live or dead is much more likely to come with a costly reminder from one of the rangers.
On our lake we hd a program for years of sinking large cedar trees for fish habitat and making them on maps for the public, we then "Partnered" with the Missouri Department of Conservation and work together to sink trees and still mark them on maps. We don't enforce the permit requirement for placing brushpiles since most folks who have docks have a pile or two by their dock and thats what happens to a lot of christmas trees here. We do not allow the general public to cut them from the shoreline to sink, not saying it doesn't happen but we have had a few cases where citations were issued.
Be careful when figuring you weight to sink brush. keep in mind if you have the slightest amount of current because they can move. especially if they sink slow when you drop them or they have not gotten waterlogged yet. I have sunk brush with a reasonable amount of weight only to go back a couple weeks later and it be no where to be seen. My area does not get much current at all unless we get a huge rain and then still, you can hardly notice it. No visual eddys to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. very gentle. I would think that a lake would be very comparable. CF
If you put trees in less than 8' of water here, the beavers will eat them and after a couple of nights there will be little evidence you ever put anythng out.
Copy that, I don't think it really matters to the rangers how I sink brush because officially your not to suppose to sink your own,;) but for the record it was a floater that got hung up on the bank when the lake level dropped, they are laying all over the place from when the lake came up 30ft, and dropped back to normal.Quote:
Originally Posted by MOPanfisher
i honestly havent had much luck with cedar trees less they were either burned or needles fell off first...seems like the fish didnt like them, might just be my area or im just bonkers
Most of us Ranger types are more mild mannered if'n ya tell us where the piles are so we can fish them too!
I would have never guessed you where a Ranger type.:D
Christmas trees will work but the crappie dont like touching the tree because they are abrasive and rub the slim off them,take a hatchet and cut some limba out making holes in them if you going with Christmas tree,also the little crappie will use them more than bigger ones and it takes longer for fish to come to them sometimes.
I ve always found they come to cedar first big ones love them
My favorite cover is Cedar, it will last awhile and doesn't take long for the fish to get on them
I had always heard that they make great cover and have seen people using them for years. Yesterday though, Iw as reading an article on the Bass Pro Shops web site about structure building and there seems to be people now that are saying that Christmas trees give off some scent that Crappie do not like... Has anyone else read or heard about that? I thought it was crazy, but I figured I would ask any of you all what you think about it.
I have heard pine trees give the chemical that is used to make terpintine.
For good anchors I used concrete test clyinders 18" x 6" and weigh 28 Lbs.
I take rebar tie wire and twist it onto a 16 D Common nail and leave enough wire sticking out to tie onto the tree. Then fill this with concrete. PERFECT anchor.
Rick
I read that too. I've not sunk them myself as it's not really legal here in Ohio and I don't want to pay the fines, but I have fished quite a few that do hold fish. Maybe when they are fresh and still have sap coming out that's true? I fished some newer ones I found here on my home lake last year. Water was down about 6-7' all summer and clearer than usual, so they were easy to find. I caught a lot of good crappie off them. I have heard that Christmas trees only hold the smaller fish, but at least for the ones I fished that didn't seem to be the case. I have caught better fish off cedars, but there are few of those in the water here. They always seem to fall with just the tip touching the water, just daring someone to give them a good push. I wish the state would lighten up on the restrictions for sinking brush here in Ohio, but until then I guess I'll have to fish what I can find that braver souls sink.
sank six ceders in my pond and 5000lbs of rocks is this bad
How big is the Pond. The rocks will add structure for them to hold on. As for the tree...I do it just not real sure. I do catch walleye near the ones I dropped but not crappie
Cedar trees = my favorite also!
The trees will eventually become water logged and lay on the bottom if you dont stand them upright in a bucket. Another solution is to tie a float to the top, a coke bottle will work. Don't tie it high enough to float on the surface or everyone will know where your spot is.