I have been researching artificial brush piles and have seen many of these made out of PVC and 5 gallon buckets quartered up. These look like they would work great but I would feel like I was polluting the lake if I where to use them. I am new to crappie fishing so I would like to get some insight from you experienced fishermen on weather or not this is ethical.

Darn Hardhead,
Hey , Welcome to TFF! We're not all nuts in here, but we do our vacations at the Nutz Carlton
By "plastic," do you mean PVC? If so,there has been a good deal of conversation/discussion on this topic in the past. You could do a search for this subject and see what you think.
Personally, I have a couple condos in the works.

If you think about it, all our drinking water runs through PVC so piling it up in a lake should not be a problem. I know that some folks use what ever they can to attract fish including treated wood which is not a good idea. I would be more concerned with the trash, gas, oil, and exhaust that boats leave behind on our lakes. Welcome to the TFF.

Thanks for the info guys, I will do a search on Condos to see what I have missed.

Darn,

Some people consider anything placed in the water as polution.

When you build artificial reefs in the ocean out of old car bodies, in lakes out of old tires, etc. it isn't polution if done properly. Using plastic just makes them last longer and is more beneficial to the fish.

Just be sure to place them deep so they won't ever be a hazzard to navigation and overweight them so they won't move or float up.

I'm pretty sure that PVC would be one of the better habitats that you could put in our lakes. As it was mentioned before, our drinking water runs through it. It is very chemically stable, and won't leach any toxins into the water, something that can't be said for wood that may have been pressure treated.

One of my other hobbies has been aquariums, and we always use pvc for plumbing the pumps and filtration systems. If it doesn't affect those very sensitive fish in an enclosed water system, I can't see how it would affect our hardy fish in an open water system.

The sacrete used to weight it down might affect the PH of the water very slighly (raising it) but again, in an open system I don't think it would matter all that much, and it would only be for a short while until it fully cured.

All in all, i think a PVC pastic bucket condo is a very environmentally friendly way to go

IMO, If it contaminates the water, changes the water chemistry, overruns the natural habitat or causes harm to nature, then it's pollution.

Metals may initially change the chemistry, but quickly get covered in mud and a coating of muck that keeps them from causing more harm.

I wouldn't use buckets used for storing poisons or pesticides in the construction of fish habitat....you might kill all of the wildlife.

Just my $.02.

R

what tha

Yeah... I cetainly don't think anyone was suggesting the use of containers that may have held poisons or pesticides. At least I hope not.