# Anyone ever built a small private reef?



## marlin77 (May 8, 2014)

We are in about 10 feet of water off the end of our wharf and its a very fishy area. Thinking about throwing a bunch of cinder blocks out front. 

Any other ideas?


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

not sure about the legal aspects of putting out fish holding structure. With that said....back in Okla and Ark we would take black plastic water lines (we'd scrounge scraps at construction sites), cut them into 3 ft lengths and concrete them into cinder blocks or the cut off bottom 10 inches of a 5 gallon bucket or plastic basin (got 'em at Lowes) and drop them in clusters near drop offs and creek channels. Took several months but they definitely held bass.


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## dustyflair (Nov 11, 2011)

look up "crappie condos" made from PVC


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

marlin77 said:


> We are in about 10 feet of water off the end of our wharf and its a very fishy area. Thinking about throwing a bunch of cinder blocks out front.
> 
> Any other ideas?


 
I have never done that.!!!


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## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

marlin77 said:


> We are in about 10 feet of water off the end of our wharf and its a very fishy area. Thinking about throwing a bunch of cinder blocks out front.
> 
> Any other ideas?


http://www.reefmaker.com/marine-ecosystems/estuary---oyster-reef

they make concrete/limestone reefs for inshore oyster reefs


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## marlin77 (May 8, 2014)

TeaSea said:


> not sure about the legal aspects of putting out fish holding structure. With that said....back in Okla and Ark we would take black plastic water lines (we'd scrounge scraps at construction sites), cut them into 3 ft lengths and concrete them into cinder blocks or the cut off bottom 10 inches of a 5 gallon bucket or plastic basin (got 'em at Lowes) and drop them in clusters near drop offs and creek channels. Took several months but they definitely held bass.


Thanks!! This is all hypothetical of course


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## dustyflair (Nov 11, 2011)

I went to dollar store and bought 10 of the plastic dish pans. I think they are 18 qts. I cut a bunch of plastic pvc in about 3-4 foot lengths and then put about 12 in each dishpan and then filled the dishpan with cement. Each pans holds almost an 80 pound sac of quick crete. I then dumped them in about 10 foot of water, let them set for a year and came back and they were LOADED with crappie. I was doing this for crappie so it has to work for other fish. Also using PVC makes it snag proof!!!

I pulled the condo out of the plastic dishpan and reused the dishpan over and over and over. We did 10 at a time so every time we did poured some new ones we would have enough for 2-4 new locations.

Kinda look like these...http://www.crappie.com/crappie/crap...ond-mgmt/38351-heres-first-pvc-crappie-condo/


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

Why would it be illegal?


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## Blazerz65 (Mar 22, 2013)

minkmaster said:


> Why would it be illegal?


I believe it could be a navigational hazard. Though we know ot won't be, but they would consider anything put down that wasnt under a permit ect.. could be that. Kind of like FADs even though most arent even close to being a navagational hazard they still consoder them one.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

I'd be shucking oysters and tossing the shells out there too. Hypothetically.


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

Hypothetically I wonder if you could create an oyster bed if you could dump enough shells


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Just go ask Mr. Tucker at The Boat Marina if he has any of the concrete bait balls left that you can have.


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## Defhbra (Aug 18, 2014)

Thanks!! This is all hypothetical of course


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

Well coast guard specs can have a lot to do with home made reefs...... Shopping carts are a quick snatch and dump. Fish show up quickly. Win win..... Shhhhh 


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

I have heard of someone dumping 4 or 5 old stoves in the deeper water at the end of their pier . The gray snapper loved it. :whistling:


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

Structure is structure. Just as simple as fads, I've shot good snappers and seen big mackerel and jacks, etc. Off fads. Through the year bait just stacks up on them. And you'll find all sorts of good fish around them. That's prolly the easiest and cheapest thing to drop. Cause if you have a good storm year it will move or cover up most other garage made structures


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

minkmaster said:


> Hypothetically I wonder if you could create an oyster bed if you could dump enough shells


 Yes, if you get live oyster larvae and populate the bed & tidal movement is good, salinity stays pretty constant and so on.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Here a couple I made and set out a few weeks ago


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## doggfish (Oct 30, 2009)

Try'n Hard said:


> Here a couple I made and set out a few weeks ago


i have heard of people using metal shopping carts as reefs don't rust(or float like the plastic ones) and you can stack em together to get more on a boat

doggfish

your best friend you have never met


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Nice crappie reefs Try'n , I'm impressed with your creativity.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Try'n Hard said:


> Here a couple I made and set out a few weeks ago


Underwater art work dude!!!


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

GROUPERKING said:


> Nice crappie reefs Try'n , I'm impressed with your creativity.


my job/career could be classified as high end arts & crafts - creativity is usually what has kept me from getting rich doing it


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Pier-Dude said:


> Underwater art work dude!!!


Thanks PD........ but your avatar is still annoying.... I just stare at it trying to find something different every time that elephant goes up - always exactly the same!


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

LOL here is your new avatar.


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## scott44 (Aug 17, 2013)

GROUPERKING said:


> Nice crappie reefs Try'n , I'm impressed with your creativity.


Me too! I aint creative like that at all.I'd put that big white one in the front yard with a happy plant in it.Nobody would recognize it if ya kept it trimmed.


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## coterotie (Aug 11, 2014)

Just out of pure theoretical hypothesy. If one were celebrating christmas on one's boat while cruising in about 85' of water out in the GOM with a couple of cypress christmas trees set in 5 gallon buckets of concrete (for stability) and if a big wave were to wash them overboard, if one were able to return to that spot, might one find that some curious fish had moved in?


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## dustyflair (Nov 11, 2011)

coterotie said:


> Just out of pure theoretical hypothesy. If one were celebrating christmas on one's boat while cruising in about 85' of water out in the GOM with a couple of cypress christmas trees set in 5 gallon buckets of concrete (for stability) and if a big wave were to wash them overboard, if one were able to return to that spot, might one find that some curious fish had moved in?



In the gulf you gonna need some weight. Cement weighs 40% less in the water...So...You drop a hundred pound block down there with a tree in it it will be gone. I have another way we like to do it in the gulf to build a small spot. We use 5 gallon bucket filled up most of the way with cement and use some nylon ropes with plastic bottles tied to the end of the ropes so the lines float up once the bucket is on the bottom. Stands up like a head of hair. Works good. I shove some alum foil in the bottles to help it show up on my fishfinder.


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## karma (Oct 26, 2007)

SWIM I know sunk a boat 20 ft boat 5 mile southwest with rebar all attach to it and it has been a great spot now.. SWIM also has several shopping carts he collected in the ghettos but never deployed them yet.. here was SWIM's idea for a great cheap reef..


So here is how it goes with SWIM's plans on creating a reef in 50ft of water..

You take a nice anchor device.. Something nice and heavy.. solid steel preferred.. and throw it over board with about 5 ft. of heavy chain.. attached to it some good weather resistant anchor rope.. you will want at least 150ft for this reef.. 

then you thread the anchor rope through a shopping cart.. In the shopping cart you mount a premade 5 gallon bucket that has female receptors for PVC.. Then once you are at the spot and making the reef.. you then plug in several pieces of PVC and secure it with a good PVC glue to make a spread shooting out of the bucket and the shopping cart.. 

so now you have an anchor.. now a shopping cart with a reef on top.. then you place a 10-ft PVC pipe AKA Spacer through the rope.. Then repeat..

Thread the rope through your second shopping cart.. add you 5 gallon bucket reef to it.. and throw i over board.. Then repeat if ya like.. 

Add another PVC spacer.. You get the idea..

Once SWIM has completed his shopping carts.. that also join together so you can easily bring 4 shopping carts on your boat with out looking to suspicious.. 

You finish the reef by adding more chain.. and capping the rope with a again very heavy anchor device.. and just reassure it will probably stay.. i would add more chain from the final anchor and then anchor it again.. 

SWIM would like to know if you ever do this and let me know how it goes for ya.. Also if anyone wants to take 4 shopping carts off my hands.. PM me..


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