# Reef deployment



## waterninja (Jul 31, 2012)

I put down a bunch of reefs that I built myself about 4 years ago. I left the country for a couple of years for work and now I'm back. I went out to check them, and they are just not holding fish. They are in the reef area to the South East of Destin in about 100 feet of water. I was thinking about moving them all to 1-3 locations. I built them so they would be eaisly moved and have moved one before so this is no issue. Is there sound logic in moving them all to one place? Is there anything else I could do such as attach a FAD that would get them going. I'm really dissapointed, I thought I had a good design, but it is clear that I failed. I wish I had just bought coops and dropped those! 


I'm going to get me a barge together again and this time focus on dropping coops.


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## Aquahollic (Sep 24, 2009)

How big are they? Also, how high of relief do they have?


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## Instant Karma (Oct 9, 2007)

Are you sure they are still in the same spot? Anything that can be moved that easily can be moved by minor storms.


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## atlantacapt (Oct 2, 2007)

we have experienced similar results in some cases even with coops. We have dropped 6 and 4 produce well, but the other 2 for some reason hold minimal fish. Not sure why this is, because all are in similar areas. Perhaps there is low oxygen concentrations in isolated areas in the gulf? All of our coops have been down 4-5 years as well. The ones that pack fish are usually loaded with 5-25 pounders and groupers as well . The other two hold a few small snapper and nothing else. None of ours have FADs above them either...doesn't matter in 100-130 as the snappers should be stacked up almost to the surface.


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## waterninja (Jul 31, 2012)

These had about 7 feet of releif, they were rebar stuctures. They all are still there, at least all of them I have checked. We dove one during the spearfishing tournament and nothing but ortamental fish. 

Should I just move them closer to some other stuff? Leave them alone? Stack them all together? Write them off as a waste of an intire year of my free time?


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## ryanbr (Oct 10, 2007)

That may be part of the problem. Take a look at yours and compare the DENSITY to coups. How much do they weigh? Coups weigh 700lbs(?). I've had a couple of "light" coups do well because they had some "stuff" on the bottom and a vertical chainlink wall on the backside. I've thought that homemade pyramids should have a vertical side and not a true pyramid. Divers know that reef fish, especially grouper, like coups and other reefs that may have a vertical wall they can lay against and also like a dense reef that has an interior they can find shelter in. You may try adding some interior structure and also some chainlink, eventhough they may already have some on them.


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## capt mike (Oct 3, 2007)

*coops for reefs for sale*

Coops just seem to have all the right parables. I'm not saying that because thats all I use but the proofs overwhelming that they are the most economical ready made reef structure available to the recreational fishermen!


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## ashcreek (Oct 4, 2007)

How much does it cost to have someone put a couple coups out for you?


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