Free Structure Pipe- Check where they are laying hi-speed Internet

[Basstagger]

If you want to save big money on building your own fish structure,  here is what I found.

 

They are laying High Speed Lines in our neighborhood and they have huge spools of 2 inch orange pipe everywhere. I saw piles of 2-3 foot sections they were cutting off and  I asked what did they do with these 3 foot sections. They said they have to pay to dump it all in the landfill. This stuff is much thicker than PVC and it's all free. I now have over 400 pieces sitting in my backyard and will soon be putting 6-8 pieces in a 5 gallon bucket, adding cement, and  then sinking them.

 

They won't be dumped in a landfill and for many years to come, people will catch fish off these for years.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, Basstagger said:

If you want to save big money on building your own fish structure, 

It'd be great - if it was legal to do this in MN.

 

We're prohibited from sinking anything into a body of water to create structure.

[jbrew73]

 Can old tires be dumped into lakes for habitat too?

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, jbrew73 said:

 Can old tires be dumped into lakes for habitat too?

Some states allow it - check with the DWR for restrictions/regulations.

[Bluebasser86]

Yeah just make sure it's legal before you do it. 

[schplurg]

What kind of plastic? Geez people can just go and dump crap in their local waters? I don't trust my neighbors with that responsibility.

[throttleplate]

4 hours ago, jbrew73 said:

 Can old tires be dumped into lakes for habitat too?

only if a car is attached to the tires.

[T-Billy]

17 hours ago, throttleplate said:

only if a car is attached to the tires.

A bass fisherman found a car sunk by the ramp at my nearest lake this summer with his side scan.  Thankfully nobody in it. Stolen from a town 30min north of the lake.

[Basstagger]

These structures will all be sunk in a 200 Acre Private Lake. I have checked with our DNR and they informed me that other states are starting to use the same plastic tubing. They have asked me to send them pictures once we are done cause they think it's a great idea for fishing clubs and private ponds.

[ryanerb]

I love it! I'm all about increasing the structure!!

 

My only question, if every John, Dock, and Harry put structure in the lake, is the whole lake going to be full of 'trash' at the bottom. Tires, tubes, trees, etc. I guess it could be a good thing, unlimited structure, but I'm sure there is a 'limit' as to how much we put in, and what truly 'qualifies' as 'fish structure'. What if some dude dumps an old TV in the lake and says 'its going to be good for fish structure'... Actually this is maybe why most states don't allow it. Depending on what you're dumping in, you never know what the product is leeching out. I guess this is why our local agencies should be actively doing fish habitat themselves, and not leaving it to the fisherman. Then they can ensure it's done in a proper way? Just another .02 cents on a highly debatable topic. 

[ironbjorn]

I just don't understand why the earth is in the condition it is now.

 

Humans: *dumps plastic into water for sport*

[TnRiver46]

I started to add some tree branches I was trimming to the water around our dock. Then I remembered how often I get my lures stuck casting off the dock. So I scanned over the area and the down imaging showed a giant tree. Sunken bushes and trees are a great place for bass and crappie but also a good place to loose all your hooks 

[schplurg]

Yep I always questioned the idea of throwing X-mas trees into the lake for that reason (snags).

 

Again, what kind of plastic are we talking about here? Many will break down at some point and leach chemicals into the water. This sounds like a very bad idea, especially if it's just "some plastic I found"

 

One thing the last few years have shown me personally is that there is a lot of bad information and an equally number of stupid people in this country.

[Tennessee Boy]

I know nothing about that pipe so I’m gonna do a little research on the Internet.  I’ll be right back….

 

The orange pipe used as conduit for fiber optic lines is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) which doesn’t break down easily in water.  That makes sense because it is being buried in the ground to protect expensive fiber cable.  Sounds like a great product to build a fish attractor out of like the countless plastic fish attractors you can buy.  Most bodies of water need more cover for fish.  The regulations vary from state to state and even lake to lake.  The US Army Corp of Engineers lake near me requires a permit that is issued by the Corps on a case by case basis.  Follow the rules and you can’t go wrong.

[RDB]

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/management/habitat/fish_attractor_types.phtml

[Basstagger]

I did not know there would be so much interest so please let me clarify for some:

- I assure You,  we are following all the laws and rules and with very few people using the lake, not much happens without someone seeing it.

- The lake is 200 acres and there are only 98 House lots on the lake. There are a total of ten fishermen on this lake besides the small number of Children/Grandchildren

- Anything placed in the lake needs to be approved by our state's DNR - Department of Natural Resources.

- The small fishing club we have has already hauled OUT of the lake, the tires, appliances and trash so we do not have things leaching into the lake

- The plastic 2 inch diameter pipe is exactly what Tennessee Boy said - HDPE and will not break down easily. I estimate that we ended up with 500 pieces between two and four feet long. I then cut 200 pieces eight feet long  off of the different spools.

 

This stuff is being hauled off every day they lay this HDPE Fiber Optics around the country and it IS NOT Recyclable. I think it is better using it for fish structure than sitting in the landfill doing nothing.

 

I showed this to the sight supervisor that gave us the HDPE pipe and he said I could make a living following  him and his crew around selling these fish habitat buckets. He said he would give me $80 for two of them. His crew was very interested in what and how I was making these. I think I may have started their side business.

 

 

Our DNR has asked us to send them pictures cause they know of two other DNR Departments n the USA that are currently taking this pipe from the landfill and making fish habit for their public waters. 

 

Hope I answered any concerns or questions.

 

 

 

[Allaroundfishing]

On 10/15/2021 at 6:58 PM, ryanerb said:

I love it! I'm all about increasing the structure!!

 

My only question, if every John, Dock, and Harry put structure in the lake, is the whole lake going to be full of 'trash' at the bottom. Tires, tubes, trees, etc. I guess it could be a good thing, unlimited structure, but I'm sure there is a 'limit' as to how much we put in, and what truly 'qualifies' as 'fish structure'. What if some dude dumps an old TV in the lake and says 'its going to be good for fish structure'... Actually this is maybe why most states don't allow it. Depending on what you're dumping in, you never know what the product is leeching out. I guess this is why our local agencies should be actively doing fish habitat themselves, and not leaving it to the fisherman. Then they can ensure it's done in a proper way? Just another .02 cents on a highly debatable topic. 

Nc used to make tire reefs in their lakes for years, some local lakes have tire reefs that are legitimately 30 feet wide by 100 feet long, and 25+lb bags get caught out of them several times a year, whatever they might leech out certainly doesnt seem to keep the fish away

 

Edit: the tires have been in the lake for approaching 40 years

On 10/14/2021 at 8:19 PM, jbrew73 said:

 Can old tires be dumped into lakes for habitat too?

not legal in many places but most of my local lakes have tire reefs all thru them, some are 30+years old, fish love them.. especially big catfish in the winter and mid summer, bass love em too if theyre in the right places

[fishingtx]

On 10/14/2021 at 6:46 PM, Basstagger said:

If you want to save big money on building your own fish structure,  here is what I found.

 

They are laying High Speed Lines in our neighborhood and they have huge spools of 2 inch orange pipe everywhere. I saw piles of 2-3 foot sections they were cutting off and  I asked what did they do with these 3 foot sections. They said they have to pay to dump it all in the landfill. This stuff is much thicker than PVC and it's all free. I now have over 400 pieces sitting in my backyard and will soon be putting 6-8 pieces in a 5 gallon bucket, adding cement, and  then sinking them.

 

They won't be dumped in a landfill and for many years to come, people will catch fish off these for years.

pm me about these

[ryanerb]

16 hours ago, Allaroundfishing said:

Nc used to make tire reefs in their lakes for years, some local lakes have tire reefs that are legitimately 30 feet wide by 100 feet long, and 25+lb bags get caught out of them several times a year, whatever they might leech out certainly doesnt seem to keep the fish away

 

Edit: the tires have been in the lake for approaching 40 years

not legal in many places but most of my local lakes have tire reefs all thru them, some are 30+years old, fish love them.. especially big catfish in the winter and mid summer, bass love em too if theyre in the right places

That is an awesome tire reef!! 

I have no clue what tire reefs leech out, they probably don't leech much, if anything at all I would guess. I'll leave that to the scientists. One time I caught a TON of crappie that were up shallow on a bed of about a dozen tires! It was so fun!

 

Some interesting reading here about tire reefs, although it sounds like they should have filled 'em with concrete first! (ocean is obviously much different!!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_Reef#Failure

 

From an article about a lake in California:

Quote

Quinn Granfors, an environmental scientist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife office in Winchester. Granfors also created habitat from discarded Christmas trees and more than 1,000 citrus trees ripped out of an 80-acre grove in Mentone.

The trees are held down with concrete blocks, their bare branches poking out of the shallows.

In the coming months he plans to add A-frame pallet structures and 70 or 80 “caves” made from 12-inch diameter pipe for catfish spawning.

Piles of rocks from construction also will be dumped along the shore for habitat, where they will wait for the water to rise again.

Plenty of great options out there!

[Alex from GA]

5 christmas trees tied together at the bottom with enough blocks to sink them, 2 or 3, with a 2 liter bottle tied to the top makes a great brush pile.  Sink in 20-30'.  This won't work in FL.