# Making your own artificial reefs



## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

For guys that make their own reefs, how are you transporting them to the designated areas (so Whackum doesnt find them lol)? I have been thinking about doing this for quite some time. I know some people use a pontoon boat made into a barge. 

What are some other alternatives without having to hire someone? 

I went to a meeting way back in the day for the RFRA (I think that is the name of it, used to meet down near Joe Pattis). Do they get some reefs built as a group and then deploy them?


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## SnapperSlapper (Feb 13, 2009)

Easiest and safest way is to pay someone reputable that deploys reefs to put them out for you. For it to be permanent in any way, it needs to weigh at least 800-1000 pounds. That is a lot of weight on the typical small boat and dangerous to deploy.


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## jasoncooperpcola (Jan 2, 2008)

You come get this pos rotted 18' wellcraft from me yard load it up with stuff and sink the entire shibang! :thumbup:


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## Bonsaifishrman (Mar 17, 2009)

Cheapest is a concrete block, poly rope and a screw cap 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon jug, mostly water filled with about a cup of air. Drop on same spot over and over till built like a kelp forest. About 3 to 5 foot tall. Fish all around it.


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

Take Jason's old hull and fill it up with stolen shopping carts, tires and old washing machines. Make sure the floor and flotation foam is removed. When you get where you want it, tow it backwards off a stern cleat and it will fill with water over the transom and sink. 
IMPORTANT: 
Go in the night under a heavy fog if possible, stealth operation. Take at least an 8-ball of Cocaine and a few ounces of good pot with you. 

When the FWC or Coast Guard shows up, dangle the drugs in there face and they will most likely drop the charges of sinking an illegal reef and just charge you with drug possession. The Attorney fees, court costs and jail time will be far less for the drug possession than attempting to deploy a non permitted reef:whistling:


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

If I was going to put an artificial reef out without a permit, most likely I would determine where I wanted to put it first. Get a blown engine block, take off the valve covers and oil pan, clean the heck out of it being the ecologically sound thing to do, attach a chain to it with a bridle to a good quality mooring line, through the mooring line pull six foot strips of plastic tape (police line tape would work) through the strands of line about two feet apart along the length of mooring line and top the mooring line off with a ball fender or marker buoy. Since I calculated the length of the line to leave the buoy at 50 feet below the surface, I would have just made a FAD similar in theory to those used in Hawaii. The plastic strips would provide habitat to the lower end of the food chain and most likely the upper end of the food chain would be hungry Amber Jacks. Hypothetically speaking of course.


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## jasoncooperpcola (Jan 2, 2008)

The floor and foam are already out.....


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

Wait, why did everyone assume I was doing this illegally?

If I was going to do something illegal, I would take a million dollar life insurance policy out on me, fake my dwath, move the money to a swiss bank, and buy the coke mentioned above...


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## swhiting (Oct 4, 2007)

SHO-NUFF said:


> Take Jason's old hull and fill it up with stolen shopping carts, tires and old washing machines. Make sure the floor and flotation foam is removed. When you get where you want it, tow it backwards off a stern cleat and it will fill with water over the transom and sink.
> IMPORTANT:
> Go in the night under a heavy fog if possible, stealth operation. Take at least an 8-ball of Cocaine and a few ounces of good pot with you.
> 
> When the FWC or Coast Guard shows up, dangle the drugs in there face and they will most likely drop the charges of sinking an illegal reef and just charge you with drug possession. The Attorney fees, court costs and jail time will be far less for the drug possession than attempting to deploy a non permitted reef:whistling:


This is priceless!


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## jasoncooperpcola (Jan 2, 2008)

Also I have plenty of tires, old washing machines and can get shopping carts. So y'all can provide the rest.....


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## SHunter (Jun 19, 2009)

Funny you guys are talking about this but I remember in the 60s and 70s one of my buds putting some old volkswagon shells out there. Made us some good fishing sites.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

That was before permits were required. Everyone that could put out piles of tires, car bodies, scrap metal, washing machines, refrigerators, boat hulls and even school buses for private reefs.


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

I had a buddy who owns a plumbing buisness. Every trip he would haul out a few old toilets and drop them on the same spot. Ended up with a few hundred toilets on it. I still remember what is was called in the old loran book. The throne.


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## bonita dan (Oct 3, 2007)

I use to span my gunnels with 2x4's and zip tie the 350-400lb reef to it along with a couple ratchet straps to keep it from sliding. Before reaching our designated area of the west laars we would let the straps go and wait for a clean area,cut the zip ties and lift the 2x4's to one side while giving it some gas. Mark the spot,circle,ping it again,go pick up the floating 2x4's and ping one more time to verify the spot and head to the house. Its just that simple aside from the pre-deployment process(photos,paperwork, inspection,blah,blah,blah).Oh and don't forget post-deployment stuff as well. Hope that helps and I was one of the first 50 down at the RFRA. Sure do miss that place and all the good times and all.


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