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Okay guys gotta ? and need a answer. Whats the best way to anchor a large piece of brush say 15-20 long.
I figure cement or something but whats the best material to hold the buckets or whatever to the tree. Won't rope dryrot and the brush float back up?
Thanks Guys.
J.T.

JT,
When anchoring brush, it's best to use cement blocks and regular anchor rope.The cement blocks will last forever and offer cover to small fish, crawfish and bait fish. The nylon rope will last long enough for the wood structure to become completely saturated with water, which will render it waterlogged and it will stay sunk. JT, be sure it's legal to place structure before you do. Some states won't allow it without a permit or permission. If the water is owned by the city, county or state, you better check first. Good luck with your project, hope it makes a real honey hole. Johnnie Crain Iowa Pro Staff

JT-I agree with Johnnie, thats what I was going to say until he said it. Good luck with the project.

I do have another thought, if you have some cinder blocks, you can run the main branch through as many blocks as you think it might take, then cut off one of the branches so it kind of springs out and holds the blocks on the branch (same principle as an expandable wall anchor.

You might want to look at taking a 5 gallon bucket putting the tree in it then filling rocks around it then pouring cement in it. After this has set up and dried you will be able to place the bucket on the lakes floor standing up now you have standing structure with no ropes to get tangled in. Also a good wood to use is a dogwood tree because it is slow to rot and will be there a while.
I have had better luck using the buckets then using cinder blocks and rope.


Rodney Birditt Aka: Fishhead

Fishead,
Good idea about the standing timber, but, JT said the wood was 15 to 20 feet long, better be a deep hole. JT, maybe you could cut it in half and have two standing timbers. Good post! Johnnie

JT, pour the cement into the 5 Gallon bucket as suggested. Put a few thick nails into the base of the tree in a cross pattern to anchor it into the cement when it dries. The tree will not come out. Of course check your local regs to make sure it is legal to drop piles and trees in the water you want.

All great Post guys. I very seldom use wood any more. I have a freind that does clean ups at new homes being built and he brings me the PVC pipe that is left over. I take the PVC and make my own "tree" out of it and then sink it with the cement buckets. Now I have a Tree that never rots. Works for me. Plus it does not mess up the boat.

You all have good ideas about doing this. While you are talking about dropping any cover into your waters, don't forget the safety aspect.

Wear your PFD's and watch the tag ends of those lines. Cut them short.

Thanks for an excellent thread. Keep 'em coming.

Johnnie is correct about checking on the legal end of things.

As for the rope, I would use the poly type, as this will not rot as quickly as regular nylon.

Here is another thought, if there is a pontoon boat that can be used, and you want to spend some money on a couple of Berkley Fish Hab cribs. Place the tree, through the cribs, attach the sand bags provided to the inside of the cribs, and push them into the area. It will not only have the tree sunken, but also provide a larger fish attractor at either end - like a giant dumb bell.

We've used the Fish Hab cribs at some local lakes, and they have worked very well. In fact, you can get one free for every 75 UPC tags collected from Berkley fishing line. This could be a project for a group, if you would want others to know where the spot is going to be.

Dan