Part Two: Integration There’s no such thing as a single artificial habitat that does it all. That’s why Fishiding habitat comes in various and many different design models. Each habitat model is conceived to achieve a specific purpose or to serve in a specific range of depth. In this time-lapse video, you see several of our “Bunker” models combined with two “Small Stake” units. Every Fishiding habitat is designed to mimic something in nature. When it comes to artificial habitat, our research shows that fish prefer complex designs that resemble natural elements like macrophytes or coarse woody habitat; they shy away from assemblages that look foreign and out of place. Since they mimic cattails, the “Bunker” and “Small Stake” models are best in shallow littoral zones where fish would naturally expect to find such environments. In these locations, they get plenty of sunlight and quickly grow algae. This gives them a fuller and bushier appearance and helps to create more caverns in the interior core that small fish use for concealment. Every Fishiding habitat model provides tight nooks and crannies completely inaccessible to larger fish; this feature ensures genuine protection for juvenile fish. This video shows the seamless integration of the habitat and the Chara that grows on the floor of the lake. It’s always desirable to combine artificial habitat with natural elements whenever it’s possible. When you marry the right artificial structure to natural components, it becomes part of the mosaic of the lakescape instead of intruding into or disrupting the ecology. Even in lakes devoid of aquatic vegetation, other naturally occurring elements can usually be incorporated to add dynamism to the structure. Centrachids are particular fond of these habitats and will orbit them persistently—in exactly the same way they relate to cattails in the lake. For young of the year fish, these structures are homes in a literal sense. They provide essential cover, harbor invertebrates, and give the young fish a good head start. At this time, the other types of artificial habitat available simply lack the complexity to provide these vital benefits. These habitats are often spindly exposed frames and possess nothing that can be used for concealment or refuge. Effective fish habitat must have a labyrinth of pockets and retreats that are completely inaccessible to predators. The most impressive part of this video is what you can’t see. Nearby, and just out of camera range, is a wide assortment of brush piles, coarse woody habitat, rich beds of aquatic plants, and other elements that nature abundantly provides in healthy, vibrant, natural lakes. Even with this Camelot so near, fish still deem our Fishiding artificial habitat worthy of attention. We don’t maintain that artificial habitat is better than natural habitat, but by trying to mimic nature in our designs, we demonstrate that it’s possible to create credible surrogates. Designing and building effective fish habitat is a genuine science. It’s still in its infancy, but we’re learning a great deal every day about the nuances of design and deployment. With today’s deep interest in artificial fish habitat, we’re eager to share our findings with fisheries professionals who want to learn more. We’ve come a long way since the days of throwing discarded Christmas trees into our lakes and calling it a day. Stay tuned. In this continuing series, we’ll show you more underwater video of how fish utilize artificial habitat and reveal why so many popular designs are completely ineffective. For more information contact David Ewald at https://www.fishiding.com Phone: (815) 693-0894 Email: sales@fishiding.com)
The Science Behind Fishiding Artificial Fish Habitat-Time Lapse Video (Part 2 of 10)
Ottawa pledges $284 million to expand protections for fish habitats
By Mia Rabson The Canadian Press
WATCH ABOVE: The federal government has pledged to “restore lost protections” for fish habitats that were lost under the Harper government with a $284-million commitment
The federal government will spend $284 million over the next five years to enforce new laws protecting habitat wherever fish are present, Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc says.
A number of amendments to the Fisheries Act were introduced in the House of Commons Tuesday morning to expand the reach of a prohibition against anything that alters or impacts fish habitat to all waters where fish exist.
Changes to the act in 2012 meant the protections were enforced only for fish listed in provincial registries as being part of commercial, recreational or Indigenous fisheries.
Officials with Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in Ottawa today the 2012 changes resulted in a lot of confusion about exactly what projects would require a federal government assessment, because it wasn’t always clear which fish needed protecting and which didn’t.
The government intends to produce regulations that will spell out exactly which projects will require a federal assessment and ministerial permit to proceed and which will not. The department is consulting on those regulations now.
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As well, any reviews done will be captured in a public registry so the public can see the results of every review, something that is not required now.
The act also will require the minister to take into account Indigenous knowledge and expertise when it is provided and all decisions must take into account the possible impacts on Indigenous rights. However that knowledge will be protected from being revealed publicly or even to a project’s proponents without explicit permission from the Indigenous community or people who provided it.
The $284 million will be allocated to help implement and enforce the new law, including hiring new fisheries officers to enforce the act and educate people about it, however officials say there are no details yet about how many will be hired and when.
The legislation also will make it illegal to capture whales, dolphins and porpoises in Canadian waters for the purpose of keeping them in captivity. Officials say existing permits for such activities will be honoured, but in the future only animals captured because they are in distress, injured or in need of care can be held in captivity in Canada.
The amendments to the Fisheries Act are part of a package of government changes to the federal environmental assessment process and fulfills a mandate item issued to LeBlanc when he became the minister.
The bill will be followed later this week by another one that will overhaul the National Energy Board, as well as revise the Navigable Waters Protection Act.
Martin Olszynski, a University of Calgary law professor who worked as a lawyer for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans between 2007 and 2013, said the 2012 changes made to the Fisheries Act differentiated between fish that matter and fish that don
“More substantively, it signalled to a lot of people in Canada that suddenly this prohibition didn’t matter,” Olszynski said. “So you had what was already a very under-regulated issue which impacts fish and fish habitat mostly as a result of resource development becoming that much less supervised.”
He said after the act was introduced the number of projects referred to Fisheries and Oceans Canada for assessment was cut in half. Officials expect the number of referrals and project reviews will go back up, but they said it’s too early to say how many more assessments will be done.
There have been between 80 and 400 reviews in recent years. Lots more habitat news at fishiding.com
The government has been studying these changes since 2016, with online consultations, meetings with Indigenous communities and governments and a study by the House of Commons fisheries committee.
Fish habitats built by volunteers at Build a Brush workshops.Kaylea M. Hutson
Anglers and others who have a passion for all things Grand Lake will have a chance to learn how to build an artificial fish habitat on Saturday, during a workshop sponsored by Grand River Dam Authority.
The “Build A Brush” hands-on workshop, set for 9 a.m. Saturday, May 11, Wolf Creek Park, is designed to teach people how to build artificial fish habitats made using cement blocks and plastic pipes.
Members of the GRDA staff will be on hand during the event, to teach those gathered how to make the habitats, known as “spider blocks” because of the way the black plastic pipes resemble spider legs.
Jacklyn Jaggars, assistant director of GRDA ecosystems and lake management, said the spider blocks become fish habitats once immersed in the lake, because moss and algae grow on the pipes. Five or six blocks placed together provide cover for even the smallest fish.
Those in attendance will have the opportunity to take home several blocks, and encouraged to place them in their favorite fishing spots, explained Jaggars.
The workshop is set for 9 a.m., Saturday, May 11, at the Wolf Creek Park. The event is free, but Jaggars said reservations are encouraged to ensure they have enough materials. To register, persons may call 918-256-0723.
This is the first of two “Build a Brush” workshops. The second workshop is set for Saturday, June 1, at Cherokee State Park, below the Pensacola Dam in Langley. More habitat articles at fishiding.com
HERMITAGE — With the dredging of Lake Julia just about complete and the lake bed for the most part frozen, park personnel, consultants and volunteers took to the mud and muck Saturday building and placing fish habitat structures.
The structures, built at Buhl Farm park, Hermitage, will give fish a place to nest and lay eggs and escape their larger enemies, but also will help anglers know where to cast their lines.Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
Volunteers from Shenango River Watchers and Farrell Area High School; workers from dredging contractor Kirila Contractors Inc., Brookfield; park personnel; and agents of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission built and placed four kinds of structures out of rock and wood boards or posts – rock stars, spider humps, rock clusters and rock rubble humps.
While some of the structures are just piles of rocks or posts sunk into the lake bed, others are more elaborately constructed.
Spider humps are made of treated posts as a foundation, with hemlock posts secured to the treated posts, emanating outward like spider legs, and sandstone rocks piled on top.
Another kind, porcupine crib juniors – boxes built of hemlock boards arranged in the manner of Lincoln logs with gaps to allow the fish to enter – were assembled by fifth-graders from the Shenango Valley schools who participated in the last Outdoor Environmental Education Day at the park.
The structures with wood stimulate the natural food chain by giving algae something to grow on. Invertebrates will feed on the algae and fish will eat the invertebrates, said Keith Beamer, lake habitat manager for the fish commission.
“It’s sort of like a coral reef out in the ocean,” said Jeff McDowell, who works for the maintenance department of the park.
The lake was drawn down last year to improve the dam outflow structures and officials decided to have the lake dredged while the water level was reduced to that of a stream.
The process killed all the fish that lived in the lake, but park officials and the fish commission came up with a plan to restock it with bluegill, crappie, bass and catfish. Officials plan to have local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts help with the stocking.
Posts made of alkaline copper quaternary treated wood will stick out of the surface of the water, giving anglers a guide for casting.
“The fishermen like it because they know where the fish are more likely to be,” Beamer said.
Although the wood is treated, it is not supposed to harm the lake’s water quality or any of the creatures that live in the water, Beamer said.
The boards are made of hemlock, which are expected to have a 50-year underwater life.
The restocked fish will be fingerlings, but officials are talking about putting in trout to give anglers something to cast for this year.
Park officials are not in a hurry to refill the lake as ice on the structures could damage them, but believe it will fill quickly once the outflow is closed.
“Some places, it’s going to be 18, 20 feet deep,” said Thomas W. Kuster, park board member and trustee.
Kirila workers, who used heavy equipment to dig holes for the treated posts and move around the 15 tons of rock used to build the structures, stayed on after the structures were placed to smooth out the lake bed.
“They’ve really gone the extra mile,” Kuster said of Kirila workers. “They’ve taken pride in the project.”By Joe PinchotHerald Staff Writer
Professional Angler sees the benefits of GRDA programs …
Langley – Although February 2013 will mark the first time that the Bass Master Classic tournament has visited Grand Lake, that does not mean participating fishermen will be unfamiliar with the popular fishing waters. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
Grand Lake is always among the most popular angler destinations in Oklahoma and the surrounding region. Its 46,500 acres of water offer plenty of locations and plenty of room for landing the big one or just passing the time and wetting a hook.
Volunteers gather for instructions from the GRDA Ecosystems Management Department during a “Rush For Brush” event held in the Spring of 2012. Local anglers – both casual and professional – have seen the benefits of this GRDA program and other fisheries enhancement efforts on Grand and Hudson lakes.
Still, in recent years, the Grand River Dam Authority Ecosystems Management Department has been very active in lake-enhancement programs designed to both protect and preserve the waters of Oklahoma’s third-largest reservoir. The department was established in 2004 and has stayed busy with efforts like aquatic plant transplant programs, new oversight efforts for fishing tournaments and the very popular “Rush For Brush” artificial fish habitat effort. In late November the department also announced the first annual “Crappie Christmas” program to collect used live Christmas trees after the holidays for use at fish habitats.
“Our ‘Rush For Brush’ program is one of the most popular things we do,” said GRDA Fisheries Coordinator Brent Davis. “We seem to get more and more volunteer interest every year and it’s been very successful.”
GRDA’s efforts at fisheries enhancement have not been lost fishing enthusiasts – even those who do it professionally. Edwin Evers (Talala, Oklahoma), who will compete in the upcoming Bassmaster Classic knows the waters of Grand Lake well and also knows what it’s like to help with the GRDA’s artificial fish habitat efforts.
“The coolest thing they do to manage these lakes is they have this Rush For Brush,” said Evers. “This where volunteers come out and build habitats with materials supplied by GRDA, then fishermen can put them where they want to in the water. It’s just another thing GRDA does to make our lakes so great.”
All that habitat does make a difference in angler success. Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) releases an Oklahoma Bass Tournaments Annual Report. In the most recent report, with numbers from 2010, Grand Lake ranks third to continue “its annual showing at or near the top of our list,” states the ODWC report. In past years, GRDA’s Lake Hudson has also been a frequent visitor to the top 10 list. In other words, a standard answer to the age-old question “where are they biting?” can almost always be “Grand and Hudson.”
Meanwhile, GRDA’s efforts to help manage catches at all those tournaments are also good for the lakes, said Evers.
“The other thing I think makes a big difference in why Grand Lake is so good is how GRDA manages the summer months,” said Evers. “During those times when fish are caught deep and water temperatures are really high, they limit the amount of fish that can come in during a tournament. They go from a five fish limit to a four fish limit in June and July. Then, they take it to a three fish limit in August when it’s the absolute hottest. When you do that, there is a lot less stress on the fish.”
All those efforts help GRDA to meet not only its ecosystems management mission but they also aid the economic development mission. A good tournament reputation helps bring in more tournaments, which bring in more dollars to the lake area. Of course, the upcoming Bassmaster Classic has the reputation as the biggest and most prestigious of all.
Davis, who works closely with tournament officials on GRDA lakes, said larger, more prestigious tournaments like the Classic equal even more money spent per angler, per day.
“I am going to say $300 to $400 per day,” he said, pointing out that those numbers are just for the anglers themselves, and do not include the dollars spent by the fans who attend the events.
All those people will get to experience one of the best lakes to be found, said Evers.
“When I think of Grand, what pops in my mind is one of the premier lakes in the country,” he said. “It’s as good as it possibly gets.”
With a continued focus on good management practices, and ongoing programs that involve lake-area stakeholders, GRDA is working to keep it that way. Headquartered in Vinita, GRDA is Oklahoma’s state-owned electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes.
Directly or indirectly, GRDA’s low-cost, reliable; electricity serves nearly 500,000 homes in Oklahoma and stretches into 75 of 77 counties in the state. At no cost to Oklahoma taxpayers, GRDA also manages 70,000 surface acres of lakes in the state, including Grand Lake, Lake Hudson and the W.R. Holway Reservoir. Today, GRDA’s 500 employees continue to produce the same “power for progress” that has benefited the state for 75-plus years.
The new, second edition of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan advances science-based conservation mission and incorporates new objectives focused on locally driven efforts to reverse deteriorating fish habitats.
National Fish Habitat Action Plan, Second Edition
The revised Action Plan is built on the success and experience of our Partners.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) August 29, 2012
The National Fish Habitat Board today released the second edition of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (Action Plan), setting forth a mission-critical approach to conserving the nation’s aquatic resources for the future. The original National Fish Habitat Action Plan, created in 2006, carried a great vision forward to protect, restore and enhance aquatic habitats through partnerships. While the original Plan met its objectives set forth in 2010, the mission and goals of the plan remain the same and are the foundation of the second edition of the Plan for 2012 and beyond.
The second edition of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan is built on the foundation of advancing the conservation practices of the individual National Fish Habitat Partnerships, the working units of the National Fish Habitat Partnership. The five new objectives in the Plan include:
Achieve measurable habitat conservation results through strategic actions of Fish Habitat Partnerships that improve ecological condition, restore natural processes, or prevent the decline of intact and healthy systems leading to better fish habitat conditions and increased fishing opportunities.
Establish a consensus set of national conservation strategies as a framework to guide future actions and investment by the Fish Habitat Partnerships by 2013.
Broaden the community of support for fish habitat conservation by increasing fishing opportunities, fostering the participation of local communities – especially young people – in conservation activities, and raising public awareness of the role healthy fish habitats play in the quality of life and economic well-being of local communities.
Fill gaps in the National Fish Habitat Assessment and its associated database to empower strategic conservation action supported by broadly available scientific information, and integrate socio-economic data in the analysis to improve people’s lives in a manner consistent with fish habitat conservation goals.
Communicate the conservation outcomes produced collectively by Fish Habitat Partnerships as well as new opportunities and voluntary approaches for conserving fish habitat to the public and conservation partners.
The second edition of the Action Plan details how the new objectives will be implemented. The Plan also highlights conservation “Partnership in Action” stories from Fish Habitat Partnerships to provide insight into their work on the ground. Other sections explain the functions of the National Fish Habitat Board and Partnerships and the critical role of science and data and effective communications to guide activities. Interesting facts and figures related to the National Fish Habitat Partnership, recreational and commercial fishing fill out the rest of the Plan. See the dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
“The revised Action Plan is built on the success and experiences of our Partners,” said Kelly Hepler, Chairman of the National Fish Habitat Board and Assistant Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “Creating and maintaining these Partnerships is the foundation of the Action Plan and will be the primary focus as we address conservation needs for our nation’s waterways now and into the future.”
The National Fish Habitat Board, Fish Habitat Partnerships, federal and state natural resource agencies, conservation organizations and the National Fish Habitat Partner Coalition participated in the selection process of the revised Plan objectives. The release of the revised Action Plan coincides with the launch of the updated National Fish Habitat Partnership website at http://www.fishhabitat.org.
About the National Fish Habitat Partnership The National Fish Habitat Partnership (http://www.fishhabitat.org) works to conserve fish habitat nationwide—leveraging federal, state and private funding sources to achieve the greatest impact on fish populations through priority conservation projects. The national partnership implements the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and supports 18 regional grassroots partner organizations.
What kind of habitat helps the fish grow large and the water stay clear? Can you actually dictate where to cast your lure to find a bass lurking in the shaded cover like a defensemen reads a quarterback?
If you spend the time and effort to plan the design of your lake or pond from start to finish, you can achieve these goals and much more. Chris Kelsay, veteran linebacker/defensive end of the Buffalo Bills has a passion for more than just football. Chris not only loves to tackle running backs and wide receivers, but big bass are also on the hit list. Growing up in Nebraska, Chris has loved the outdoors all his life. When he’s not playing ball, he’s often talking fishing and hunting with his family and friends, planning his next adventure with his bow, firearms or fishing rods. Chris plays off the field with as much intensity as he does at work, stalking, sneaking and outsmarting his opponents with hard work and dedication.
Another NFL great that is no stranger to the outdoors is Aaron Graham, former Center for the Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders and finishing up his career with the Tennessee Titans. These two guys have quite a bit more in common than playing ball in the NFL. Not only are they neighbors near Gretna Nebraska, but they both love to fish and hunt, having their own private lakes that they enjoy with their families and friends. Both these guys played college ball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, as well as Chris’ brother Chad. Retiring from the NFL, Aaron now owns and operates his own company called “Premier Outdoor properties”, which specializes in large tract farm, ranch and recreational real estate throughout Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. Participating with Cabela’s Trophy Properties, his firm can help you find your dream hunting and fishing, farm and ranch, lake or river frontage, and large tract acreages, to meet any needs you may have.
Premier properties owner Aaron Graham provides fishing and lake property advice
Aaron has had his lake stocked with an exceptional strain of bass, with catches to date over eight pounds by his son Cooper. With the lake being about seven years old, Aaron has a jump start on Chris with some experience in habitat, stocking and water quality. We met Aaron over a year ago, providing him with some of our artificial fish habitat products for his lake. Follow this link to read about aaron’s habitat project. The success he has had with our products, encouraged him to put Chris in touch with the team at Fishiding.com to discuss a plan for his first of two lakes, as it was getting ready to be filled to full pool. With a large well, levelor system, aeration and a stocking plan in place, we came up with a plan and design to meet Chris’ desire to create a personal, one of a kind fishery. The first lake Chris has on his property, at just over six acres, needs plenty of cover for the fish to spawn, hide and hunt within. A well known and respected fisheries biologist Bob Lusk of Pondboss.com, recommends at least 20% of the surface area of a lake or pond be provided in habitat.
With plans to include aquatic plants, wood and rock, we came up with an array of artificial habitat models to make up about 25% of the needed habitat for Chris’ first lake. We have always felt that a variety of natural and artificial habitat provides the diversity, all types of fish species need to utilize throughout the year. Like most things in life, everything in moderation seems to achieve the maximum efficiency and ultimate benefits for a fishery.
Kelsay lake habitat plan
The plan we came up with provided an array of structure textures, sizes and shapes to best provide cover for fish spawning and growing habitats. A total of 350 individual habitat units were hand selected to best achieve Chris’ goals to create a trophy bass fishery. A key element to any habitat plan is to create a line of structure from shallow water spawning areas out to mid depth and ultimately deep water cover. This allows young fry to hide in fine, dense cover immediately after hatching, in the shallow water they are spawned in. As these young of the year fry develop and explore out to mid depth ranges, they need to have cover to utilize as they progress deeper. If this cover is not available, they get eaten before reaching preferred size by predator fish. It is imperative that these small fish are able to hide and grow larger to the 3″-5″ size before becoming forage for the game fish. A bass for instance, needs to eat 10 pounds of forage to put on just one pound in weight. If that bass eats the fry before they get large enough, he will eat them all up just to satisfy his hunger and desire to put on weight.
Lake before Fishiding habitat installation
We put our plan together to deliver the structure and help Chris with the installation. Although artificial habitat only needs to be installed once, this was a large amount of structure to ship and install at one time. It was decided we would drive the almost 7200 pounds of habitat out in our own truck and trailer from our facility in northern Illinois. The 475 mile trip had us arriving by lunchtime on a Friday, with the hopes of finishing the installation late Saturday evening, for the return trip on Sunday.
Three of us set out at 4:00 a.m. Friday to achieve our goal. Our son Graham, an electronic media/photography major at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, came to capture the project in high definition pictures and video and help with the installation process. Also along was our nephew Josh Fick, a starting player for the North Central college football team, over excited to meet and work with the NFL players. Meeting us there was Josh Milczski, a Nebraska native, writer for recycled fish.org, a pond boss moderator and Nebraska Fish and Game board member to lend a hand and share his knowledge. Also on hand to help was Chris and Chad Kelsay, as well as Aaron and Cooper Graham.
We unloaded all 350 units and spotted them around the lake per plan Friday afternoon and then when out for a well desreved Nebraska steak dinner to re-fuel for the big push on Saturday.
The weather was un-seasonably hot, with temps. in the low 90’s and full sun. None of us expected to be getting sun burn in march, let alone starting to find Morel mushrooms already. The turkey were gobbling on the roost as we set up for a long day of work, unfolding each unit and stocking them on the bank near their final resting place. Geese and ducks of all varieties, came in and out of the lake all day, giving us a show of the abundant wildlife in the area. There was about 2 feet of water existing in the lake from runoff and ground water level, an ideal situation to put our plan into motion.
Three Nebraska Boys and one flatlander plan the attack
The “Kelsay express” saved lots of time
One huge advantage of Fishiding artificial fish habitat is the ability to grow bio film or periphyton. This “super food” is the best possible fish food available, occurring naturally. It sticks to the inert substrates or PVC limbs, and removes over abundant nutrients brought in from run off, like phosphorus. These nutrients brought in from farming practices, cause excessive weed and algae growth, choking many lakes and ponds. The fish in turn, eat this film and grow to maximum potential. Unlike natural materials, the PVC does not decompose, thus removing needed dissolved oxygen as it rots away. This process allows the water to become clear and feeds your fish naturally, the way nature intended. Inert substrates are used in aquaculture and fish “brush parks” to speed up the growth rates of desired species for market. A leader in this technology is a company called Floating Islands international, based in Montana. Their islands consisting of woven recycled plastics, are being used all over the world to help not only lakes and ponds, but water treatment plants and purification as well.
Shallow Cradle cover for fry.
75 Cradles were placed in shallow water in the pre- designed flat for spawning habitat. These units will help the fry survive the important first months of life. When opened, a cluster of hundreds of strands of PVC create a safe haven for fry and each unit consists of over 22 square feet of surface area to grow bio film and algae to feed them. After they reach the size of about 2″, they venture out a little deeper into the 100 Safehouse models, spread throughout the lake. This mid depth structure adds over 44 square feet each of wide limbed surface area. The limbs in the Safehouse range from 1-1/2″ up to 4″ in width. Each unit stands a minimum of 42″ tall and opens to over six feet in diameter.
Safehouse and keepers ready for installation.
The Fishiding fish habitat products are all made from reclaimed PVC vinyl siding that was destined to be put in landfills. Over 50% of the material acquired has never been used on buildings and will last for many generations to come. This safe, inert substrate, works perfectly for underwater applications in fish habitat. Our main supplier of discarded siding comes from K. Hoving companies. This state of the art waste removal operation currently recycles an astounding 75% of the trash they collect. Re-use is the term they use to explain their company goals. See this story about their firm and the great things they are doing to help our environment. Add the cover and your fish will prosper, Go-Green and save the environment all at the same time.
All fishiding units come complete, ready to sink with no assembly or additional parts/tools needed. Simply open the box, bend to any desired shape and toss in the lake. Each unit sinks upright with the included “stump like” base. There is no incorrect or wrong shape, as diverse as Mother Nature. Artificial habitat products are being used all around the country, as biologists learn more about the many advantages they offer. Years of use from these structures allow anglers and pond/lake owners a snag free habitat for fish to utilize. Saving the environment, these fish attractors help conserve energy with no manufacturing process involved.
Cleaned, cut into various shapes, widths and sizes then cemented into just about any type of safe container, fishing groups are getting involved in creating new habitats lost from degradation and development. All of the fishiding models are available shipped loose as well as in a completed form. Customers can save money by purchasing loose pieces of the PVC in all varities and create their own custom designs by using their own container and cement. A special mixture of cement is also available to ensure a tight, fool proof bond to the vinyl. The pieces and models come in an array of colors, just like the colors available when siding your new home. After the algae and bio film begins to grow, they all take on a greenish/brown appearance.
Kelsay lake artificial habitat at sunset
Groups like the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation have begun to incorporate Fishiding habitat products into their ongoing conservation efforts. Projects in West Virginia were recently completed with great success. Plans to work in New Mexico, South Dakota,Virginia and Texas are being put together currently with the conservation directors in those states. The B.A.S.S. Federation Nation leads the industry by example in conservation work with groups in all states and Canada promoting conservation and water quality issues world wide.
Lake and pond owners enjoy the ease of installation, with no need to ever replace. The limbs all have any holes or notches removed to make each unit snag resistant,unlike brush and Christmas trees. By providing shallow habitat for fry and forage fish, mosquitos can be almost eliminated in the area, as they feed on these pesty critters. Shallow habitat is the key to growing your own forage base, thus eliminating the need to constantly restock minnows to feed your game fish.
100 Keeper models were incorporated into the plan for deep water structure. These large units each boast over 62 square feet of surface area and allow predator fish to hunt and hide around. When opened and bent to shape, they cover a seven foot diameter and are best installed with about a foot of space in between. This allows fish to navigate through them, feeding and resting in the shade they produce. Bass prefer the dense cover and shade that these fish attractors provide.
Also part of the plan was to install 25 Stakeout structures, which are artificial stake beds, crappie and bluegill fisherman use a great deal in the south. These units stand 48″ tall and have an open grouping of individual “sticks” that the panfish prefer. Another 50 smaller prototype versions of these were installed in shallow areas for young of the year fish to navigate through as well.
With all the help and planning, we were able to meet our goal and finish installing all 350 Fishiding habitat units by sundown on Saturday. Chris welcomed us into his beautiful home and surrounding landscape. Although we had no time to hunt or fish while we were there, plans are being made to come back to install our habitat products in his second, five acre lake. With common goals of preserving our natural surroundings and creating a fantastic fishery, we are planning to spend some time together in the great outdoors with bows, guns and fishing rods in hand. New friendships have been made, stories of the hunt continue to be shared and the love of the great outdoors continue to be the catalyst for a common bond between men from all walks of life.
Before and After habitat
“My experience with David Ewald and fishiding.com was amazing to say the least. His passion for lakes and fish habitat was very evident from the beginning. David and his crew are able to help turn your expectations and dreams into reality. We are confident that between the artificial structures from fishiding.com, and the natural habitat we have in place, we will be able to grow and harvest many great fish for a very long time. I highly recommend fishiding.com for your habitat needs.” Chris Kelsay,owner
For a winter that’s been unusually warm, it was no surprise when 2,000 people showed up at a frozen lake near Ladysmith, Wis., for a fishing tournament.
A young angler won the first-place prize of $1,000 after catching a 30-inch pike. (Photo By: John Thiel, Dairyland Power Cooperative)
The Ladysmith Lions Club organized the city’s first annual Ice Fishing Tournament, which followed a major fish habitat enhancement project on Lake Flambeau.
“Since we utilize natural resources for our business, we are strongly committed to giving back to the environment through high-impact stewardship activities, such as the fish habitat project,” said Katie Thomson, senior communications specialist for Dairyland Power Cooperative.
The Feb. 26 tournament raised $25,000. Profits from the event will be distributed to local food pantries, lake-habitat projects and Lions Club programs.
Enhancing the reservoir’s fish habitat was no easy task. Led by the Rusk County Wildlife Restoration Association and supported by the La Crosse-based G&T, the multiphase project began in 2007.
The phases included rehabbing the deep-water area, improving shoreline, and closing the lake for six months. A 30-foot drawdown was set up to drain the lake, which took seven weeks to refill once the repairs were complete.
During construction workers placed more than 150 deepwater fish structures, made of rock, logs and brush, on the lakebed. Seventy-five more fish structures were built and placed along the shoreline.
Numerous pine trees were cut and anchored to the lakebed and placed on the shoreline. This winter, whole pine trees were weighted at the base and sunk vertically in deep water areas.
Fishermen stocked the fish board with pike, walleye, crappie, perch and bluegill after a day of fishing. (Photo By: John Thiel, Dairyland Power Cooperative)
“Restoration really benefitted the lake’s health, which will in turn benefit sports enthusiasts,” said John Thiel, senior environmental biologist for Dairyland.
“The panfish species are becoming more abundant and thriving and the lake’s ready to be fished,” he said. “We provided some real quality recreational activities with the hydro reservoir.”
In addition to the major fish habitat project, Dairyland has established and owns five parks around the 2,000-acre Lake Flambeau. Three of the parks have boat landings and one is equipped with a handicap-accessible fishing pier. The parks are maintained by Rusk County.By Marcia Gaysue | ECT Staff Writer
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a15veu8Onlg&feature=player_embedded Members of the Sportsman’s club are at it again, enhancing their lake with more long term habitat, teamed up with Fishiding, 56 units of all varieties were dropped in a key area adjacent to spawning grounds. About 10 shallow Cradle models were sunk in 3-5 feet of water, with a line of Safehouse structures leading out to deeper water. The Cradle model consists of hundreds of fine strands of reclaimed PVC designed to give fry and baitfish areas to grow and hide from predators. When the fry have adequate habitat, they are given time to grow to the preferred size of 4-6 inches before venturing out into deeper water to become forage for predators.See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.
The key is to make sure there is a continuous line or “tree row” of habitat from shallow spawning grounds out to deep water.
If the fish have to swim from shallow areas out to deeper cover without cover to hide in, they get eaten prematurely, or before growing large enough to best benefit the larger predators like bass, walleye, crappie and musky.
The club members clipped structurespot markers to each unit as it was dropped, to see where each one lands to ensure the continuous coverage.
When all units are installed, they took some pictures to refer to the shape and design they created.
After the pics, they simply pull the clip free on the structurespot markers and wind them up to re-use.
The Safehouse models were installed from about 5 feet deep out to 8 feet and deeper where a huge cluster of the largest Keeper models were dropped.
Algae begins to grow immediately in this dark, fertile water and the club will be fishing over them this winter through the ice.
To date, over 125 fishiding fish habitatunits have been installed, with more being put together by members, donated by fishiding.
Wonder Lake, at 830 acres, is the largest private lake in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Through many different fund raising events, the club stocks fish twice a year as well as building and installing over 100 Wood duck houses, maintaining them and even video recording the hatching of chicks too.
Annual lake cleanups, fish shocking surveys, carp derbys and kids fishing events are just a few of the things the club does for the lake and the community.
The revised Action Plan is built on the success and experience of our Partners.
