Fish habitat project planned on Beaver Creek is combined effortPosted: Wednesday, Aug 3rd, 2011
This month, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District will place 60 Continue reading “Oregon needs fish habitat” | ||||||||||
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Details about repairing Dutch Fork Lake:
History: Dutch Fork Lake was created in 1959. That dam had outlived its usefulness when the lake was drained in 2004, Fish and Boat Commission officials said.
Cost: $4.5 million, with the money coming from a state H2O grant.
Timeline: Work to repair Dutch Fork Lake will begin next week and should be complete by May or June 2012. The lake will reopen to fishing in April 2013.
Pond Boss moderator Dave Davidson examines a crawfish trap. Pondmeister Johnny Tanner, from Carrollton, Georgia, has a small pond where he raises crawfish to feed his bass in a larger lake. Inset: Oronectes, ‘papershell crayfish’ from Missouri.
Any bass angler who fishes Midwestern ponds or lakes can testify to the importance or frequency of finding remains of crayfish in stomachs of largemouth bass (LMB). When food habits of LMB were studied at Murphy Flowage, Wisconsin many years ago, the most prominent forage item was crayfish. A conclusion of the study was that LMB were not an effective predator on the high-density population of slow growing bluegill (BLG). Biologists failed to recognize that panfish outweighed the total weight of LMB by about 10:1. Apparently when LMB have relatively little competition for food they chose crayfish over forage fish. What would you choose in your favorite cafeteria offering free food, lobster or fish?
A sidelight of the Murphy Flowage studies was a major effort to improve BLG growth rate by removing as many fish as possible with large seines. Large seines have relatively large mesh and were effective at harvesting the largest fish of the adult population. It was a surprise to discover that subsequent to the removal, BLG growth rate declined. Harvesting adult bluegill resulted in reduced competition for food, an explosion of bluegill reproduction and a dramatic increase in BLG numbers in the lake.
More recent studies have shown that in order to have a balanced population of BLG with good growth and fish of quality (6-inch) and larger sizes, at least 90% annual mortality of age-I and age-II BLG (1.5 to 3.5 inches long) is needed: i.e. 10,000 age-I reduced to 1000 age-II which are reduced to 100 age-III. BLG of this size and age are prey for LMB 12 to 15 inches long. In well balanced communities of BLG and LMB a favorable total weight ratio is 3 or 4 to 1 at any point in time.
Two other unsuccessful efforts to improve growth rate and size structure of forage are informative. In one case, in Wisconsin, adult northern pike were introduced into a population of stunted yellow perch. The result was a decline in the number of quality-size perch. A second case in Nebraska was an effort to reduce numbers and improve size distribution of bullheads by stocking an effective predator, adult flathead catfish. In both cases the introductions did not result as intended because both predators were selective for the largest of the forage available in the lake. The principle learned is the importance of the relationship between size of predator and size of prey.
Back to the question of crayfish. The rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) is an unwelcome visitor in some northern lakes. It has been introduced by anglers using crayfish as bait… not the first time the bait bucket has been a source of an introduction. The impact in many of these lakes has been loss of valuable habitat and native aquatic plants.
I had a similar experience with a different species of Orconectes in a one-acre fishing pond in Missouri. The pond was about 8 feet deep and with clear water. There was a ring of vegetation growing to a depth of 7 feet. In mid-summer the pond looked like a donut with a small opening in the deepest part. Fishing was difficult or impossible except in early spring.
In the fall I had the opportunity to introduce about 10 gallons of crayfish, a byproduct of some other fishing pond research. From my perspective the result was a success. The following year water transparency declined to about 2 feet and vegetation was limited to water less than 2 feet deep. It was easy to fish the pond from shore all summer long. The species of crayfish in this genus do not burrow but have a strong thigmotaxis–a desire to be touching something. In native habitat that could be a log or rock that they could get next to or under. In clay-bottom ponds they work to form a shallow depression where they rest during the day. This tactic may help to avoid predation.
In a small shallow pond without fish and wall-to-wall vegetation, I introduced a small number of Orconectes. The next summer the pond looked muddy; the water transparency was reduced to a few inches and a plant hook came back empty. The aquatic plants were gone. The impact of the crayfish was excessive.
In an established fishing pond with an excess of rooted vegetation into deep water the introduction of Orconectes might yield positive results by improving conditions for fishing, increasing capacity for production of LMB, possibly promoting better wind induced circulation, an improved oxygen profile and a reduction or avoidance of excessively high pH due to decreased aquatic plant mass. The problem is how to find a source of Orconectes?
Fish farmers often produce crayfish in minnow ponds. There, crayfish can be a liability because they injure minnows when ponds are seined or harvested. On fish farms, crayfish are an unwanted byproduct. It is unlikely to find crayfish in catfish ponds because they are a preferred food item.
An easy source of crayfish is the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) sold for human food. Production is a major industry in rice fields. Although Orconectes prefers to feed on vegetation, the red swamp crayfish can be carnivorous and eat insect larvae, tadpoles, snails and small fish. Such food habits would not be an asset in most fishing ponds. Red swamp crayfish have been introduced into many areas. An undesirable attribute of the genus and a relative, Cambarus, is the habit of burrowing. Burrowing activity can damage water control structures, dams and levees. P. clarkii is an intermediate host for parasitic helminthes of vertebrates. Because of adverse affects, efforts for eradication have been attempted in some areas.
What might a pond owner do to introduce something with limited ability for natural dispersion that would feed primarily on plant material or detritus and increase the production of food for fish? A critter that has appeal to me is a different decapod, Palaemonetes, a freshwater prawn also called glass shrimp. They are relatively small, up to 2 inches long, and free swimming. I introduced some into a sediment trap pond above a 35-acre lake in Missouri. They moved downstream and have persisted in the lake for many years.
What about simply buying red swamp crayfish and using them as supplemental food for LMB? Sure, it has been done, countless times. As a pond manager, your job is to learn the facts and make the best decisions you can make. One pondmeister, in central Oklahoma, has bought different kinds of living supplemental food for his bass for years. During the crayfish season, he might buy 2,000 pounds to stock into his 10 acre lake. His mission is to supplement the natural food chain. For him, it works. His bass are so overcrowded that crayfish don’t stand a chance to establish themselves. There is relatively little crayfish habitat and so many bass that the mudbugs don’t stand much of a chance at survival. Advantage, bass.
But, look at another real world case. In 1984, lake manager Billy Cooper, from Houston, Texas, helped renovate a well-known fishing lake that sits less than fifteen miles from the Texas coast. The lake was drained, bulldozers did their magic, rearranging heavy clay soils in the flat country. The lake refilled and restocked with forage fish to set the table to grow giant largemouth bass.
Within months, the lake looked like chocolate milk. What happened?
This 30 acre lake sits in the middle of rice country along the Texas gulf coast. After the bulldozers left, the landowner seeded part of the lake bottom with rye grass and let it grow to six inches before flooding the lake in January… about the time crayfish are feeding and growing as fast as they can.
The source of the muddy water was literally hundreds of pounds of growing, thriving crayfish, fighting for food and for space and stirring bottom clay soils. These creatures were outcompeting the fish, overeating the food chain and making the lake muddy.
After a concerted effort at trapping, crayfish numbers were reduced to the point that fish could begin to thrive and the water cleared well enough the lake could perform as wished. In this case, crayfish cost the landowner some time and were a problem.
Crayfish asset or liability? The best answer is, it all depends. If they are introduced under appropriate circumstances, it would be important to prevent overharvest of LMB and maintain numbers and sizes to take advantage of an increased food supply. If you get a good population established you may decide to trap out a mess to make a poor-man shrimp cocktail or a New Orleans gumbo. Bon Apetit.
POND BOSS Magazine is the world’s leading resource for fish, pond and fisheries management information including discussions on muddy water, raising trophy fish, fish feeding, building a pond, algae control and more. Check us out at www.pondboss.com or contact Bob Lusk, the Pond Boss himself, at 903-564-5372. His books, Basic Pond Management, Raising Trophy Bass and Perfect Pond, Want One, may be purchased by calling 800-687-6075 or ordering online at www.pondboss.com
Photo: Kate Danson
MNN: What is this book about and why did you decide to write it? Why did you feel the need to become an ocean activist?
Price: $350.00
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Product Description
Here is what you have been asking for! A substanial addition to any habitat plans, this deeper water structure group, has room for all ages and sizes of fish.
With three each of the Keeper and Safehouse, this resting area provides a total of 318 square feet of surface area.
The right amount of cover to create room for fish to rest and feed in the same location.
These six units will cover an area between 20×10 feet, or a line over 30 feet long.
Experiment with different layouts with each additional refuge you install.
Keeper
Maximum shade and protection is abundant throughout this eco. friendly product made with reclaimed pvc material. With limbs all standing a full 48″, these 2-1/2″-3-1/2″ wide surfaces grow algae and aquatic life quickly.
Each keeper weighs approx. 32 pounds, and is recommended for depths over 10 feet. This large and somewhat coarse cover, provides habitat for all sizes of fish.
Bass,crappie,panfish alike utilize the shading effects of this new type of artificial fish attractor. Go-green and promote fish habitat restoration! Made in the USA with all American made materials.
Reclaimed pvc limbs provide an eco.-friendly solution to fish habitat loss and degradation.
Safehouse
These safehouse fish habitat units stand 46″ tall and weigh 16 pounds each. This fish attractor has all the needed shade and coverage to hold all sizes of fish.
Consisting of limbs ranging in width from 2.5″-3.5″ wide and 18″-46″ tall, they open to a full 72″ wide. With a minimum of 44 square feet of surface area, it provides plenty of room for algae and shade to attract fish.
Recommended for depths of 6′-12′. Reclaimed pvc limbs provide an eco.-friendly solution to fish habitat loss and degradation.
Bend to shape by hand to any desired shape and toss in water. Sinks itself. Made in the USA with all American made materials.
Over 44 square feet surface area each.
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perfect price and size
Posted by Unknown on 27th Apr 2011
thanks for adding this group of structure. i alraedy bought two keepers and they work good.Will be ordering more of these groups sonn.
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Click on the link below to see how easy fishiding is to install. Self contained units which require no tools or additional parts/materials. Units come in either 8″ or 10″ tall boxes, ready to be bent to shape. The pliable pvc material bends easily by hand to unlimited shapes and angles. Maximum shade is cast by the wide limbs which grow algae fast. Bass, Crappie, Panfish are just a few of the species that love this new reclaimed, environmentaly friendly fish habitat. Numerous sizes are available form aquariums to the oceans. Various textures provide cover for newly hatched fry to full grown predators.
fishiding installation of artificial fish habitat/fish attractors
Structure Fishing 101
written by Tim Allard
Structures are a big factor in fish habitat and certain types will concentrate fish.
Structures are areas where there is a variance in the depth or contours of the lake bottom.
If you’re new to fishing, knowing how to find structure and understanding how fish relate to it will dramatically improve your ability to find and catch fish. As a term, structure gets used a lot in fishing articles, television shows and presentations by professional anglers. In this guide I’ll define structure, discuss various types and share some tips for fishing them.
What is structure?
Structures are the physical features of a lake or a river bottom. From a fishing perspective, structures are areas where there is a variance in the depth or the contours of the bottom, and these changes can range from subtle to dramatic. Structures can be natural as well as human-made features of the underwater landscape. Structures are a big factor in fish habitat and certain types will concentrate fish.
Before I get any further, let me explain what structure is not. Sometimes cover is incorrectly used interchangeably with structure. Cover refers to objects in or on the water that provide shelter for fish, such as vegetation or a dock. Of course, finding structure and cover together can make great fishing spots (e.g., a hump with a dense weed bed), so it’s no surprise that the two terms get used interchangeably.
Some Basic Structures
Here are some common fishing-structures. A ledge is the beginning of a distinct change in depth. It marks the top of a drop, which is simply the sloping of the bottom towards deeper water. Ledges and drops are main structures that hold many freshwater species, such as walleye and muskie. Add a weedline in close proximity to a ledge or a drop and they can be prime spots.
A hump is a shallow area surrounded by deeper water and often a preferred piece of structure for bass. Humps are sometimes called underwater islands. A hole is the inverse of a hump – a deep pocket in the bottom surrounded by shallow water. Holes are favorite hiding spots of bottom-dwelling hunters, like catfish.
More Advanced Structures
The above items are some basic structures, but they also form the building blocks for more elaborate pieces of structures. What follows are some of the more common fishing structures, but this listing is by no means exhaustive.
One example is a spine. To imagine a spine, first picture an underwater hump as an elastic band. Take that band, stretch it slightly and you’ve got a spine. One of the most common places to find spines is as a continuation or off of a point from a shoreline, but others exist off the end of humps as well.
The contour of spines will vary, some even have fingers running off the sides of them, and their gradient, or slope, will also vary from steep to subtle. Like a hump, spines are surrounded by deeper water, with drops and edges on each of their sides. Long spines can be travel routes for fish as they move towards shore, transitioning from deep to shallow water.
The inverse of a spine is a cut, or trough, which can be described as elongated holes. Most common in flooded areas or reservoirs, many of these structures were streambeds in their former lives before water levels rose above their banks, submerging them. Of course, drops can sometimes contain cuts in their sides that are simply grooves that were not previously riverbeds. Again, these irregularities can attract fish and are worthy of fishing and their ledges can be particularly effective at holding fish or acting as route ways.
Still got that elastic? Holding both ends, bring them together slightly until the band bows. You’ve just created a saddle between two islands or underwater humps (your finger tips). Saddles can be great structures to fish with both deep and shallow water structures as well as being corridors for fish to follow as they move from one structure to the next. Depending on their disposition, fish may be anywhere on the saddle complex. They may be tight to the islands and feeding or positioned slightly off the saddle and inactive. In this case, it pays to know the behaviors of your target species and fish these areas accordingly, but when in doubt, pick the structure apart with different lures to work a variety of depths.
Another piece of structure is the breakline (sometimes shortened to break). A breakline is really just the edge of a drop that runs perpendicular to the shoreline. If you’ve ever trolled along the shore in an S-pattern, running between shallow and deep water, you’ve been fishing the breakline. Sometimes anglers will describe the different breaks as primary and secondary. The primary breakline is the first sharp drop in depth traveling from shore outward; the secondary following thereafter and another major drop in depth. Whether you think of breaks as walls or underwater stairs, they can be good structures to fish. Yet the entire breakline does not always hold fish. What makes them great fish-holding structures is when other elements (like a cut or a bend) or cover (such as a weed edge) are added to a stretch of the break.
Why is Structure Important?
Structure often concentrates fish. Structures provide different advantages to various species (such as corralling baitfish, providing an ambush area, or being close to deep water for comfort). For reasons like the three listed above, many species seldom stray far from structure. Learning how the fish you’re targeting relates to structure and being able to find structure on the water will increase your ability to catch fish. Structures can move you away from shorelines to intimidating expanses of water that may seem void on the surface, but what lies underneath can be fishing hotspots.
Putting Structure in Context
It’s important to keep in mind that structure is but one factor in the finding-fish equation. Finding structure can put you on fish, but it’s not an absolute that you’ll catch them. Structures are often feeding areas, but if there’s no food they’ll likely not hold fish. Weather conditions and seasonal patterns are also important to keep in mind and, again, are part of a larger equation to finding fish.
Other factors affecting if structures hold fish are temperature, oxygen supply, or water quality/light penetration. Since different species have different dispositions, some structures may appeal to certain fish and not others. For example, a 12-foot hump on a gin-clear, rock bottom lake may be a smallmouth bass hotspot, but too bright an area for walleye during the day. Yet at dusk and dawn it might concentrate light-sensitive walleye that move in to feed and ambush prey. Sometimes how well structures produce fish is all about timing and putting environmental and forage factors in your favor.
Using hydrographic maps and fish finders together can make finding structure a relative easy task.
How Fish Relate To Structure
As mentioned, food and environmental factors impact the mood of fish and thus, impact how they relate to structure. A common misnomer is that if fish are not directly on top of structure, they are not there or are not relating to it. Speaking in general terms, fish “on” structure are usually aggressive (add cover to the mix and things could change), while fish suspended “off” of structure are less aggressive or in a neutral mood, resting between feeding binges (unless baitfish are also suspended off the structure). Fish distanced from structure are still relating to it and catchable, so novice anglers should learn to fish both the actual structure as well as its surroundings. It pays to ask, “How do the fish travel to this spot? Is there an obvious route on my hydrographic map?” and “If fish are not directly on the structure, where might they be off of it?”
The Tools of the Trade & Finding Structure
As mentioned earlier, the easiest structures to find are those that extend from land, such as a point. The reason is obvious; one sees the gradual slope on land and knows this piece of structure likely continues into the water. What’s difficult is finding structure when there are not hints from land. This is where a fishing finder and hydrographic maps are critical.
Hydrographic maps illustrate the bottom contours and depths, showing where the structures are on a body of water. Of course the scale of the map will impact the detail of the features it shows. Depth finders are your underwater eyes. They provide a continual reading of the depth below your boat, and help you pinpoint depth changes and find structure. Using hydrographic maps and fish finders together can make finding structure a relative easy task, even on a new lake.
A recent addition to an angler’s arsenal are GPS units, which can hold hydrographic maps as well as store waypoints, allowing you to mark structure once you find it. Of course, carrying some buoys is also handy to help you stay on structure as you fish the entire area.
Tips for Fishing Structure
I won’t try and cover how-to fish the various types of structure in one article, but I will suggest a few tips. First off, working jigs along the bottom and around the edges of structure can catch several species of fish, anglers should not just concentrate on the bottom (whether using jigs or not). Consider trying lures to work other depths around the structures. Also, try and fish “off” of structure as mentioned earlier. By this I mean if trolling the breakline, weave out into deeper water to look for suspended fish. The same concept applies when casting areas, like humps, islands and saddles.
Here’s a tip: fish sometimes suspend off of structure around the same depth as the structure itself. So, a hump that’s 12-feet deep might have a pike several feet away from the edge of the structure, suspended at 12-feet over water with a depth of 25-feet. Another important tip, which I’ve touched on already, is learning to isolate prime structure by considering other factors influencing fish behavior (such as food, cover, environmental elements, and so on).
Once you’ve done your homework and found structure you think will hold fish – take the time and fish it thoroughly. Many anglers work large structures too quickly, and if a big trophy is relating to a certain, special area on the structure (often called “the spot on the spot”) you might pass over her.
Learning about structure is just another way of thinking to solve the “Where are the fish today?” puzzle. Use maps and read up on your favorite species and how they relate to structure and you’ll find yourself catching more fish. Large pieces of structure can be intimidating to fish, so take the time to look for the best areas (considering other fish-factors) and fish them thoroughly.
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Warmwater Lake and Pond Habitat Initiative
The Department’s fisheries biologists recently discussed the feasibility of installing fish habitat structures to mitigate for the absence or loss of physical fish habitat in some New Hampshire water bodies. This discussion was initiated because of the potential opportunity that exists to enhance warmwater fisheries through fish habitat improvement projects.
The overall goal of these habitat projects is to improve warmwater fish populations and the opportunities to fish for these species. An additional objective of installing shoreline habitat structures would be to increase youth fishing opportunities.
Improving fish habitat by installing structures has been a successful management strategy in use for many years in states across the U.S., as these structures can benefit both forage and sport fish populations in a number of ways. Habitat structures have been shown to provide important nursery areas for many fish species and can act to increase fish growth and survival. The abundance of forage fish species is often enhanced in areas with habitat structures, which in turn can increase the abundance and growth of sportsfish (this is especially relevant in some NH lakes and ponds where a decline or lack of forage fish and/or crayfish may be the result of the absence or loss of appropriate habitat). Additionally, studies have shown that habitat structures can increase nest density, spawning success and juvenile survival of both largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Using fish habitat structures in New Hampshire waters is currently in a conceptual phase and there is no firm timeline for when, where, and what types of structures will be used. Before formulating a specific plan, the Department’s fisheries biologist will first thoroughly review the existing scientific literature, inventory current habitat quality and quantity on various lakes and ponds, and communicate with anglers in an effort to better understand their interest in this type of initiative.
The Department is also actively pursuing a feasibility analysis of using fish habitat structures. The feasibility analysis will answer the following questions: Will fish habitat structures provide habitat for the fish species of interest? What types of structures have been used elsewhere and for what purpose? What types of structures (artificial or natural) are allowed under current regulations? What are the potential problems (maintenance, ability to obtain permits from NH DES, potential navigation issues, potential effect on other fish species such as invasive species) in using fish habitat structures? What are the costs of building, deploying and maintaining such structures? How will anglers use the fish habitat structures (i.e., how will they access them)? What monitoring efforts would be best suited for evaluation purposes?
Warmwater fish habitat projects offer an exciting opportunity to improve fish habitat and warmwater fisheries in New Hampshire lakes and ponds. Additionally, involving anglers in this process presents an excellent opportunity for the Department and anglers to work together towards the common goal of improving and sustaining our state’s fisheries resources for current and future generations.
CONTACT:
John Magee, Fish Habitat Biologist
Gabe Gries, Region 4 Fisheries Biologist and Warmwater Project Leader
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