# Fish attractors



## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

Ok guys, we need to make some fish attractors and drop in these lakes. Most of the lakes are getting old and the cover (wood) is depleted. I started searching the internet for home made fish attractors and came up with this one.
http://www.fishattractor.com/
Now you could make these on your own or you can purchase them through their site.
I just bought some 4" and 3" PVC and I already have a hole saw to drill the holes.
So I'll put a couple out at Brookeville lake and CC, you guys better not be following me around unless your putting some in too 

AND... PVC has been used for fish attracting structures by the Corp of Engineers throughout the country. Lures wont hang up on the PVC.
AND...It is compact when broke down and nestles readily when assembled for easy transporting.
I can see it now :B are going to be all over these things!


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## kingfisher (Nov 29, 2004)

Thats an interesting idea, let me know if you have any success, i may be puting some in CC for crappie season


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

I'll let you know kingfisher.
Gonna drop some next week hopefully (If I get a chance to get out there). I hope the PVC doesn't melt on the way there! Has it been hot or what?

I wonder where you should put something like this? On a flat sounds good


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

It is a great idea, and Im sure that it would improve the fishery.

However, you might want to check on the legality of placing them in public lakes.


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## big_b16 (Oct 17, 2004)

How about a Buick?


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

> How about a Buick?


A lot of people must have had that very same idea about 20 or 30 years ago! All the rivers that I fish here in SW Ohio have tons of cars rusting in them. Unfortunately, the current seems to have pushed them to the bank, and now they are not very good fish attractors.


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## 1fastfisher (Jun 1, 2005)

I think you have to get a permit to put any structure in any lake and lakes around here it is almost impossible. perfectly legal down south to put out brush or stake beds in fact it is encouraged. 

do a search on( crappie unlimited ) check it out we need it up here too.


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

Yeah I figured it would be screwed up here in Ohio and down south it is legal.
But when I think about it I guess it's best to not allow everyone to start dumping whatever they want into the lakes. I know I read somewhere that even some types of wood will actually repel fish for a period of time.
But in my defense, I think this PVC pipe outfit would really be one of the best types of material to put in a lake. 
You know, You'd think that one of our department of whatever would install these themselves. With the amount of money that Southwest Ohio takes in on fishing license alone should cover the cost of the PVC and labor to put them together. 

I guess I won't put some in after all. I'd hate to get into trouble over this and lord knows I don't have the money to battle the state. Big Brother can't be beat


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Looks like it's worked it's way out. That was the same thought I had.


> However, you might want to check on the legality of placing them in public lakes.


I'm almost 100% sure it's a crime to "dump" in the lakes. Seems like a good idea, but what if everyone started doing it. I know there are some trees or cedar bushes placed in Brookville. I don't know if they are legal or not, watch for orange ribbons tied to trees along the bank. Easy to find if you're trolling crankbaits along the edge....that's how I discovered them


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

What about petitioning the ODNR for permission to place them?

I think that everyone can agree that it can only have a positive impact on the fishery, and since it would be privately funded (no ODNR money being used) I dont see how they could logically refuse.

I think that Trout Unlimited created some artificial habitat in a local river. Is it also necessary to get permission for that type of project? Anyone know if the same could be done for smallmouth bass? I would really be interested in working on that type of project on some of the local smallie streams!


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

Looks like a good design for ponds or small lakes. I'm not sure if filling that pvc with sand would be enough to anchor it to the bottom of most rivers or reservoirs though.


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

Yeah I bet your right.
I'd spend $3.50 for an 80lb bag of cement and put about 5 or 10 lbs in each tube (or more depending on the current). I bet that would fix it.


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## ohioredneck08 (Jun 9, 2005)

ive been thinking of this and i think if you could find a drop off at CC like a sharp one that if you were able to put it right on the edge that it might be good????? but what do i know


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

I'd have to agree with you on that.
That's sounds like a great place for something to "stick out" and attract fishies


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

ohioredneck08 said:


> that if you were able to put it right on the edge that it might be good


Wonder if this would work.
Take something like a large J hook and attach to a rope. Lower the PVC attractor into the water and hook the unit with the J hook. Lower down into the water slowly until contacting the bottom. Then simply (hopefully) jigle and pull on the rope gently to disconnect the J hook from the attractor.

I think if you just drop it in say 12-15 feet of water it might not go straight down. If it was a sharp drop it might end up going over the edge?


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## ohioredneck08 (Jun 9, 2005)

the j hook sounds good lust mark your rope and look at a depth finder and se if you can locate the drop off and see how deep it is just before the drop off then mark your rope so you know how much rope it takes to get say 12 feet 
you know what i mean?


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## kingfisher (Nov 29, 2004)

seems to me like the place to put it would be a fairly shallow bay with no cover at all, that way all the fish would only have one place to hide and you could find it easier. I guess it really depends on the species you want to attract and the time of year.


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

Good idea/point you guys. Both sound very good.

As far as putting one in a bay, I bet it would do the fish population a lot of good if there were more than one of these structures down there. It would be nice if there were only one there but eventually everybody and their brother is going to find it and you'll have to wait in line to fish it. Plus, if you have a bunch of them out there the numbers of fish will increase (supposedly).
Thanks!


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

You might want to do it discreetly if it is in public water. Some discussion on a similar topic.
http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12897&highlight=authority+charge


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## ohioredneck08 (Jun 9, 2005)

i just thought of this before you drop it in you could drill little holes in it and fill it with dog chow  so they smell it


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

Good idea. It will at least draw in the bait fish. And if they are there you know the predators will be right behind them.


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## AEFISHING (Apr 25, 2004)

http://www.jandjhabitat.com/


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## Nightprowler (Apr 21, 2004)

Do you think this will help fishing ,,,long term? If someone was pulling keeper fish out everytime they went, someone will see them. And they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends. Soon we'd all be complaining that there was no fish....hold on, we do that now!


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

The state does put PVC fish attractors in the lakes. Contact your district office and they will mark a map for you or may even give you gps coordinates.
The district 3 office in NE Ohio gave me gps coordinates for their fish attractors. All you have to do is ask.


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## Tredder (Nov 8, 2004)

I like the idea of setting up some cover in the lakes, especially when it's associated with some key structure. I just hate gettin all those pine needles out of da boat.
As for giving away a "secret spot", I've also had some luck chumming (especially the weed beds). This gets the minnows active and then the bass get excited. As the chum is gone, so go the minnows & bass, and then the spot becomes as inactive as before.


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

Nightprowler said:


> Do you think this will help fishing ,,,long term? If someone was pulling keeper fish out everytime they went, someone will see them. And they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends. Soon we'd all be complaining that there was no fish....hold on, we do that now!


If we ("WE") put several of these in the lakes I think (hope) it will help the fish population a lot.


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

Tredder said:


> I like the idea of setting up some cover in the lakes, especially when it's associated with some key structure. I just hate gettin all those pine needles out of da boat.
> As for giving away a "secret spot", I've also had some luck chumming (especially the weed beds). This gets the minnows active and then the bass get excited. As the chum is gone, so go the minnows & bass, and then the spot becomes as inactive as before.


From http://www.wmi.org/multi_boards/doc.asp?message_number=14712&ini=d:\asp_ini\mb_5.ini
"small pine trees emit unpleasant, if not toxic, resins shortly after being placed underwater and rot away comparatively rapidly. Theyre hardly worth the effort. Hardwood brush and Mexican cedar trees last a lot longer"


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## ohioredneck08 (Jun 9, 2005)

as long as you hide them good no one will know and just shoot anyone you see looking atcha  dont shoot but i dont think people would come back and take that many if they do there selfish!


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## fish4life (Jun 27, 2004)

I think it would be great to add more structure to any lake or pond with this PVC. One extra thing you could do to add to the attraction is fill the tubes with dog food adn driil alot of small holes in the pipes to release the small particles of food. This will draw bait fish which will also draw big fish. We have used this in a private lake my cousin has in Tenn. It works really well for crappie and bass in water without alot of natural structure like trees or rockpiles.


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

Here is my 1st shot at it. I a couple a little different.
Hope this works and I hope you all are going to make some too.

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/data/500/237P00029701-thumb.jpg

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/data/500/237P0002969-thumb.JPG


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## Fletch (Apr 10, 2004)

If it didn't actually put a picture in here I don't know why. I followed MRFishOhio's instructions to the T.
http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23973&highlight=upload+photo


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