catfish stucture - do you create catfish habitat?

[phatkat]

does anybody go out to the lakes when the levels are down in the winters and make or enhance stucture for cats or any ideas.

[HoosierPoleCat]

hmm often wonder that to phat. I dont fish lakes for cats. But I do add strucure in my pond for panfish.

[james]

In my dads stock tanks he has old tractor tires that have been sunk and they really like them they have a hole in the mud in the middle of one thats got to be 3 feet deep. ive also heard of people sinkin drums for cats. ive been makeing some big rock piles at my honey hole since the lake is so way down right now

[flathunter]

Making your own structure is a very good idea, I know guys who do it and have had great success in drawing flatheads to there fishing areas.

[centralcalcat]

Never done it personally but I imagine that you can add structure fairly easilt, just make sure it is anchored down. I know that at he area I fish for cats at here in CA, there are quite a few old 50 gallon steel drums that made it into the water those are excellent spots for panfish, channels, and crawdads.

[blackwaterkatz]

For those of you who do make your own structure, what do you use that is easy to install and not harmful to the environment? I have some places in a nearby river that I would like to put something, but I'm not sure what to use.

[jim]

Tommy I saw an article somewhere where they used old culvert.It seems its easier to create structure for flatheads which like to get into things like drums, culvert,large pipes etc.:)

[Fishgeek]

Culverts, tires, drums, old milk cans, etc...all those things can be used for catfish habitat - particularly spawning habitat. However, make sure you check out w/ the DNR to make sure what you're putting in is legal. I know in our natural lakes up north here, the DNR will let you put structure in but it requires a permit and must be approved (typically by the district fisheries biologist). Things like tires, something made of treated lumber (or railroad ties), & metal barrels are discouraged. Something else to consider, if you doing this in a river you better make it really heavy or anchor it really good 'cuz its probably not going to stay where you put it!

[gargoil77]

A co-worker uses old water heaters for cats. I'm not exactly sure how he prepares it. I've never seen the inside of one.

[jtrew]

Somewhere on the board, I posted some info about using old pallets for structure. Probably find it by doing a search for 'pallets'.

[james]

I dont know how everyone else feels about puting drums, crappie set, car tired chained together into the water. But I dont like the idea all your doing is dumping thrash into the lake IMO. I perfer natural habitats.

[LilRyjoe04]

Culverts, tires, drums, old milk cans, etc...all those things can be used for catfish habitat - particularly spawning habitat. However, make sure you check out w/ the DNR to make sure what you're putting in is legal. I know in our natural lakes up north here, the DNR will let you put structure in but it requires a permit and must be approved (typically by the district fisheries biologist). Things like tires, something made of treated lumber (or railroad ties), & metal barrels are discouraged. Something else to consider, if you doing this in a river you better make it really heavy or anchor it really good 'cuz its probably not going to stay where you put it!

Hey Fishgeek, who do I have to call to make sure what I am putting in my lake behind my house is legal? Do you have the phone number? What kind of structure is prohibited? What kind of treated lumber should I not put in my lake? Do you have the fishery biologists number? I need help here so I'm not breaking the law. Can I put trees into the water? I put a tire in my lake behind my house about a month ago, is that illegal and if so should I go diving and pull it out? Thanks for the help.

Ryan

[Fishgeek]

Ryan,

Below is a link to a map of the state and the names & contact info for the DNR's district fisheries biologists. From reading posts, I think you're in the Indy area, right? The biologist for that are would be Rhett Wisener. He can better answer specific questions since I don't deal with permits at all...Thank God!

The DNR doesn't like treated lumber because they tend to put some nasty chemicals in that stuff which can leach into the water. As someone else mentioned previously, the permitting process is also to keep people from dumping junk/trash in IN's waters in the name of fish habitat. Obviously a good rule. If the lake is a private pond I'm pretty sure you can do what you want...this may also hold true for a pond in a subdivision. Again, ask your district fish head the more specific questions related to this.



http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/fish/fishing/fishbiol.htm

[typer181]

Hey guys,
Do you know what type of structures are legal to put in waters in Indiana? I live in a neighborhood with a newly built lake, and the bottom is completely flat. I plan on stocking the lake with flatheads, channels, and blues. There is already a huge population of blue gill, a few large mouth, and rainbow trout thanks to my neighbors. I am concerned with the moral of the cats, if there are know structures in which they can hide, I worried they may die.

[LilRyjoe04]

Thanks for that info Fishgeek! Oh man, I thought for a minute that I could be going to jail. I'll give Rhett a call immediately. Do they do house calls? Will they come out to my house? How does that work?

[centralcalcat]

Hey guys,
Do you know what type of structures are legal to put in waters in Indiana? I live in a neighborhood with a newly built lake, and the bottom is completely flat. I plan on stocking the lake with flatheads, channels, and blues. There is already a huge population of blue gill, a few large mouth, and rainbow trout thanks to my neighbors. I am concerned with the moral of the cats, if there are know structures in which they can hide, I worried they may die.


With out even looking at the reg i can promise you anything natural, aka stumps, xmas trees, rocks, etc. Basiccly anything that comes from nature. Things you will have to look into will be anything metal aka drums, colvert, milkcans, tires, or anythign else man-made or man-altered (treated lumber)

[Fishgeek]

Eric,

As I mentioned above, I think in that situation you can do what you want b/c the state has no jurisdiction (sp?) over it. OK, I just checked. I was correct, for a private owned pond/lake, and a subdivision lake is considered private, you can do whatever you want. Might not be a bad idea to get OK from the homeowners association if there is one. I would think they would be receptive to your efforts.

[Fishgeek]

Ryan,

No, they're not allowed to make house calls but he'll give you advice & answer your questions over the phone.

[LilRyjoe04]

Thanks for the info buddy! I'll make sure to get the okay from the neighbors. I always thought it would be a good idea to make structure for the cats! I can't wait to fish them! Take it easy guys!:)

[Fatkat]

xmas trees which are put down for crappie beds,
might not be set out specific for catfish but it sure is where you can find
them in :)
I don't get around well enough to put out structure while the local state lake level is down, so i drove around the lake today taking pics of the existing structure that mother nature and crappie fishermen had put out. That way I'll remeber where its at in the spring when the water level is back up.;)

[blackwaterkatz]

That's an excellent way to do it! :)

[gargoil77]

Good idea Fatcat. I think I'll do that this weekend.

[jtrew]

Ignorant politicians may pass laws against using tires to create fish structure because it sounds like they're being 'environmentally conscious', but I can tell you from experience that tires make very good fish structure. It's not worth breaking the law over, but don't hesitate to use them where it's legal, and don't feel that you're helping the environment by diving and pulling them out of the lake...unless they're laying half out of the water on the shoreline, of course. But that wouldn't require diving, would it? While I've always sunk tires in water at least 15'-20' deep, I've seen tires laying in 2' of water that had fish on them.

[zappaf19]

Thats a great I idea! I think next year there are going to lower the lakes again! You guys will need to come fish the ponds that are left when the water goes down. You would be amazed.
Bill