Creating cover for bass

[kansasfisherman]

Larry,

I have a small 12 acre sand pitt with very little shallow water cover .. I have sunk a few large tree branches .. do you have any other methods/and or advice on creating cover for bass? Sinking a large log is not as easy as it sounds :)

Thanks,

Jeff

BTW, .. I have been watching fishing shows for many years .. The shows that you produce for VS. are some of the best on television .. the shooting/editing/production value is outstanding .. great job.

[dahlberg]

Have you tried planting any aquatic vegetation? Pads, reeds, cattails etc? I've seen everything from old tires and refrigerators to dozens of bamboo poles pounded vertically into the bottom used for fish cover but personally like organic stuff like weeds rocks and wood.
I live on top of a hill on a basalt dome, but just for the heck of it I made a small pond, maybe 50' across max and diverted my rain gutters to fill it. I planted a couple of cattails in it and now its got a nice rim of them around the circumference. Also a breeding population of fat heads, shiners, crayfish, and frogs. Without any aeration I had bass survive 5 minnesota winters in it!
When you think of cover, I'd suggest you not think of it for the bass, but rather for the smaller forage. The bass don't really "need" it if there are no larger predators in the pond, but they do need it to insure they have a place for their food supply to thrive.
If you have patience your wood will eventually sink! It is amazing how many cement blocks it takes to hold down a log.
best,
L

[kansasfisherman]

Thank you so very much! .. I'm going to start planting .. the pond does have natural cattails and reeds, but I never thought of planting pads ... and thanks for the quick response..

Jeff Herndon
Wichita, KS