OUTDOOR CORNER: FISH MAKE GOOD ORNAMENTS FOR OLD TREES

Soon Christmas will have come and gone and by the New Year you might be wondering what to do with your Christmas trees. Recycling your Christmas trees into your pond can create fish attractors.

Fish attractors are elements in or near the water that provide valuable fish habitat. Any type of structure such as brush piles, vegetation, root wads, trees, concrete blocks or stake beds can be classified as a fish attractor. Fish attractors can increase the size and number of fish caught. These structures provide a good place for fish to hide from predators, feed, rest or spawn.

The best attractors provide food for fish by creating a home for aquatic insects. Small fish will be attracted to the structure to eat the insects. Bigger fish will come to eat the smaller fish. From an angler's standpoint, fish attractors can be a useful tool. These attractors can be personal fishing hot spots.

Christmas trees make excellent attractors for fish. Trees can be tied to concrete blocks for concrete slabs using nylon rope or wire. Generally, one concrete block will sink three to four 6-foot Christmas trees. Remember, in order to improve fishing, a few large brush piles will concentrate fish better than a lot of small ones spread out over a large area.

Attractors can be placed very easily in a new pond before the pond fills with water. In ponds that are already filled, the trees can be put in by a boat, or you can drag them onto frozen ponds and wait for the ice to melt. For safety, have at least four inches of ice and never go by yourself.

Do not place trees in water deeper than eight feet. In the summer, water deeper than eight feet usually contains low oxygen. Fish will not occupy an attractor in water that has low oxygen.

Try to place attractors in your favorite fishing spots. The size of your pond and existing habitat will determine how many brush piles to install. Each pond situation is different; however, if there are three trees in a pile, eight piles per acre should give you a good start. Try to place the piles close together. You might even try to put some of the piles on top of each other. Do not be afraid to put more in; the more the better. After two to three years you will probably need to add more trees to each pile.

Live or dead trees around the back can be cut and allowed to fall in ponds. The base of the tree should be left attached to the stump to hold the tree in position. This will provide structure along the bank.

Fish attractors are very important for healthy fish populations and your fishing success. For more information about fish attractors contact the Missouri Department of Conservation in Cape Girardeau at 290-5730.

Christopher Kennedy is a fisheries management specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.