Xmas Trees for Fish?
Updated: January 08, 2012, 11:51
Somewhere on your block right now, maybe down toward the end of your street or perhaps right next door, there's a homeowner who doesn't seem to be keeping a tidy yard.
In plain view, right out in front of an otherwise immaculate homestead, this person has a pile of browning discarded Christmas trees that seems to be getting larger and more mangled by the day.
Don't worry. They won't be there for long.
They're about to become fish habitat.
The practice of gathering discarded Christmas trees to sink as fish habitat has become a January tradition in some parts of the United States almost as prominent as the practice of displaying decorated trees in December.
It's caught on so much because it's cheap, it's easy and it works.
"There are several different ways it can work," said Bobby Wilson, chief of fisheries for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. "You can add a few trees to spot that has no cover and create a completely new fishing spot. Or you can add one to a place that already has some cover to make it a little better."
There are a few drawbacks to using Christmas trees as fish habitat.
The evergreen trees don't last as long as hardwood brush piles, meaning you'll have to go back and repeat the process in a few years. Christmas trees, when dropped on their sides, also tend to get flatter with time, resembling a curved rock more than a tree with limbs.
But besides that, they're annually one of the best bargains in the outdoors world.
Many experienced fishermen like to drop numerous trees on a place that's naturally attractive to fish -- like a hump or a long, sloping point. Some suggest mapping the area with a depth finder when it's clear and then going back to map it again as soon as the trees are dropped.
"One of my favorite places to drop Christmas trees during the winter was near a marina," said Larry Colombo, a longtime bass tournament angler and communications specialist for Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird and others. "By creating brush piles close to a place that I knew I'd be launching, I could use them as a quick place to start on tournament morning or a quick place to finish on my way back to the ramp.
"Plus, with lots of tournaments being held close by, my trees would become a natural stopping point for the fish that were released there."
Another popular tactic this time of year is placing trees on dry land that will be fishable when the water levels rise in the spring.
"If the water is down, you can even group Christmas trees with other types of cover like stake beds or rocks," Wilson said. "Christmas trees work very well as cover when you can stand them up -- and when the water's down, you can even use post hole diggers and cement them into the ground so they'll stay there."
Though bass fishermen do much of the sinking, Christmas trees will attract a variety of species.
"Crappie, bass and bluegills are just a few of the fish that will use the trees to hide in and around," said Clifton Jackson, fisheries biologist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. "Their limbs offer something for fish of all shapes and sizes."
The proper way to group or arrange Christmas trees is something that's been debated for years. Another commonly debated issue is what should be used to tie them down.
"They have to be anchored, or they're not going to be there the next time you come back," Wilson said. "You need a good, sturdy concrete block for an anchor, and you need some type of rope or plastic twist tie that won't rot away after it's been there a while."
No matter how you decide to group them or what you use for a tie-down, the most important thing when you're sinking Christmas trees as fish habitat is to make sure you have proper permission first.
If you're sinking trees in your own private lake, there are no issues. But on lakes governed by an entity like the Tennessee Valley Authority or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it's important to do some an investigating first.
"We certainly encourage people to improve the fish habitat on their favorite lakes, but you have to make sure you're in the clear legally first," Wilson said. "There are certain places -- like areas that are used frequently by swimmers and skiers -- where a stake bed or a pile of Christmas trees might not be the best idea.
"You should always make sure you have permission first."
SINKING TREES?
If you're planning to use discarded Christmas trees to create or enhance fish habitat this year, you should check the regulations for your particular lake first.
