FAQs About Fishiding Habitat
Yes, these products have been safety approved and accepted for many years in aquatic applications
Fish will find structure in hours or a few days when placed in in desired locations. The more units grouped together will attract more fish. Algae grows on units quickly.
Structure should be installed in clusters of three or more units together for best results. Your goals will dictate what numbers and types of habitat is needed. Feel free to contact us for help with your specific needs. These fish cribs excel in periphyton growth.
Nothing. No tools or hardware used. Just bend open by hand and toss in lake.
Absolutely. All fish need cover/habitat. Provide cover in shallow and deeper water.
It takes less than 5 minutes ea. to bend open all models and toss in pond. The more time spent shaping the unit, the more intricate the cover.
You bet, more units added later will only increase numbers of fish around the area. In most cases, shallow fry/ spawning cover will hold forage fish first. Once food is available, set up deeper cover to hold mature fish waiting to feed.
These pvc units will last longer than anyone is sure. Stable and inert, the product is unaffected by water. Cement is safely being used throughout our nation’s waterways as well for over 100 years.
To have a balanced ecosystem in your pond or lake, all sizes of fish must be present in balanced numbers. Cover for smallest fry and baitfish provides the start needed to allow fish to get big. If they don’t have food, they can’t grow big. Lots of cover to keep healthy numbers of forage available reaching the preferred size before being consumed by adult fish. Cradle models in groups work best 2-4 feet of water. (see Blog On “why do I need Habitat”)
Installing a group of three or more units close together will give you a target spot to cast to. The bigger the grouping, more fish can fit and use it. Keepers and Safehouse work great here.
The best thing you can offer the fish is variety. Depending on depth, use a mixture of models to excite the surrounding area, holding a few for the pan.
Yes, but ertainly not as well as three or more in a grouping. One unit will act simply as an attractor, possibly holding one or two fish at a time. Animals and fish prefer intricate cover to hunt and hide in. More is better here, with up to 40% cover being the rule.
Please do! We feel the best fish habitat is a variety of shapes, sizes, textures and types. After a while, you can begin to see which units hold more fish, adding more of this type later, catering to their desires. Habitat should be as intricate as Nature with no two plants/habitat being identical.
A good place to start for full size cribs over 48" tall is 8-12 feet of water in most cases. Pay attention to adjacent shallow cover to hold forage species of fish/fry. The Bunker is perfect to transition the fish from shallow spawning grounds out to explore.
Not at all. Depending on available lake depths, structure is often placed 30 feet deep or more, sometimes in large groups to hold suspending fish, especially crappie. Water temperature also plays an important role in determining what depth fish prefer on any given day. The HighRise models are perfect for deep water applications.
It is true that points and fingers of land protruding into the water are good fishing spots. There is a reason for this. Fish will travel the contour depths of the lake, choosing what depth they like best on a given day. A point gives the angler a target to follow. Placing structure in these areas will tend to hold fish that are traveling by to rest and eat.
If your water is of smaller size, concentrate your habitat in one spot. “Home” is the obvious spot for the fish to use. Make sure shallow cover and baitfish are right next door.
Although our products are used in both saltwater and freshwater, most state and federally owned waters require permission before placing anything in the public/State waters. This includes trees, rocks, artificial fish habitat, piers, docks etc. All US states allow the use of our products in private waters without prior permission.
Watersports are not at all affected by habitat. The rule is to make sure units are a minimum of 5 feet below surface where skiiers and pdf’s run to ensure safety. Common sense applies in shallower areas where shoreline habitat is protected. Fishiding habitat limbs flex and bend without resistance, making them safe and lifelike.
We recommend using odd numbers of units to create points and angles. The shape of bowling pins gives fish numerous ways to navigate the maze of units.
Yes, there is no wrong time of the season to add more fish structure. The only exception is the outside temperature. The vinyl limbs bend best above 50 degrees F. A solution to this is simply standing units indoors to warm before unfolding.
Artificial fish habitat can be imagined/installed like a forest. Some parts of the forest are big trees with open spaces and some areas are much too dense to penetrate, like briar. Different species of animals/fish use these different types of cover, as well as different times of the season/day.
One great feature of fishiding is the compact size and built in weight. At 8”-10” in diameter and 42”-48” long, dozens can be stacked in your small boat. Pay attention to the weight, as the units can weigh up to 40 pounds and more, each.
The fish attractors come with dozens or more individual limbs of vinyl. They have the feel of a thin piece of cardboard. Unlike cardboard once bent, they stay in that shape for good. As each limb is bent at desired spot, simply pinch the material at the bend to set it for good. All ages can help create needed fish habitat.
A partner is not needed. Once opened, clip on a Structrespot marker if you have one, and toss or drop off the side of boat. The units will always sink vertical standing up. The heavy base swings to sink first, no matter how unit is dropped or thrown. (Can’t mess this part up.)
Any boat or raft will work fine to carry and install fishiding. Some cases allow the units to be tossed in from a pier or dock. The shallow water units like the cradle can be installed by wading as well.
The structurespot markers are designed to clip on each unit being dropped in. The marker rises directly above the crib unit, showing you where to put the next one. This is the most accurate way to install, putting habitat exactly in the shape to best serve their needs.
As a rule of thumb, a 5% or less grade/slope works best. Silt, rock, rubble, sand etc. don’t effect the base as it settles on the bottom. If installed over 5% slope, units may fall on side and rest on open limbs. Although this is not recommended, habitat unit will still hold fish the same way a fallen tree works.
Start at the outside layers of limbs, bending each one down near the base. These limbs will give you the maximum spread of the unit. Crease the limbs to point the desired direction on misc. angles. As you work your way around the unit, bend the limbs to fill open spots, creating a shape like a healthy bush or small tree. As you get closer to the center limbs, begin to bend them higher as you work your way around. Leave a limb or two standing straight up for the maximum height of the unit. Once you have the general shape, put additional bends on any/all to add more texture and crevices. Experiment with different shapes/designs and see what your fish prefer. Mix it up and you can’t go wrong!
Yes. This can be done in late winter but take caution to prevent ice mass from drifting away from desired drop site.