Christmas tree thief

[Arty]

There's a lake about 20 yards behind my back door. Man made community lake in our HOA. I'd guess it to be 50 yards wide and 300 yards long. 12-15 feet deep in the middle. I fished the whole thing hard this past year. There is NO cover in the pond. There ain't even really trees around it (Cept for 10-12 year old maple trees, about 20 feet tall).

Anyyyyway. I drove around the neighborhood tonight and stole 4 Christmas trees sitting on curbs. I'm gonna stick the trunks into a small bucket I concrete and toss them out in front of my dock. I think I can throw them into about 8 feet of water pretty easily.

Question is.... How long before fish find this new neat protective cover ?

I've done a lot of reading, and learned to trim branches to get some room in between the limbs, as a Christmas tree is probably too tight inside for any big fish to get into.

What I couldn't find is a consensus on how long before any fish find that it's there.

Opinions?

[Captain]

About a minute after you throw it in. Seriously.

[Arty]

That's good to know and I trust your judgement. I read everything from 1 month to 3 years.

[Arty]

Guess I'll know in the spring when If I catch that big 5+ pounder again. Neighbor 3 doors down claims there is a 10+ in it that his father In law caught 2 summers back and threw back in.

[Captain]

I would leave the top limbs thick to start with. They will loose all their needles sooner or later. But I'd leave them thick because they will be closer to the top and will hold small bait fish if thick enough and that will help hold your bigger fish on deeper. Just a suggestion.

[Arty]

Sounds like a good idea

[Buckrub]

Wrap cable around it. Makes it sink and show up on sonar.

Don't expect cedar to last long......especially the green parts.

They'll find it fast it's sole or close, and longer if there's more structure around.

[Arty]

Ain't no boats on the lake to use sonar so cable not required. Besides they will seriously be 10 feet in front of my dock.

Yeah I also figured they wouldn't last too awful long. But hopefully long enough to catch a fish.

[Captain]

The Skelton structure will last YEARS! The needles will fall off in a year or so. But the limbs and branches will be there a long time. You will be loosing hooks and bobbers for years to come on them.
The trick is to put them out where they CANNOT be found by others. I would not put anything on them that would make them show up on depth finders. I'd put them where I knew they are and not tell a soul.

[HideHunter]

I put some "lay-downs" in a pond in the morning and caught bass off them in the afternoon..

[Captain]

I put some "lay-downs" in a pond in the morning and caught bass off them in the afternoon..
Yep Bass LOVE an edge or structure. They will flock to it.

[Arty]

I'm putting them out at night. Not only so no one sees them to fish. .... But also just in case someone tried to raise a stink with the HOA (not sure why they would but hell it IS an HOA).

[Captain]

I'm putting them out at night. Not only so no one sees them to fish. .... But also just in case someone tried to raise a stink with the HOA (not sure why they would but hell it IS an HOA).

Smart.

[Arty]

Hell I prolly don't even have to make sure they are standing upright.

[Captain]

Nope. Any structure.

[Big Skyz]

I would add to this but Captain has pretty covered anything I would. Only thing left is make sure you take some pics of the fish you catch and post them here...because no one would look in the fishing forum even if we had one.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Sounds like a good plan! And if there's crappie in there you'll have them on there too.

BKB

[LJ3]

I see a Len Jenkins Fishin' Show episode in your future this spring!

[Captain]

I see a Len Jenkins Fishin' Show episode in your future this spring!
If y'all need a REAL fisherman to come up for the show let me know. :D