Nebraskaland Magazine
I want to show you a few pictures of some fish attractor structures that were placed at Willow Creek Reservoir this fall. There is no need for me to describe them because the pictures show you.
I will always tell you that brushpiles, stumps and a variety of other structures added to fishing waters serve mostly as fish attractors–they are cover objects that will attract fish and hold them in areas where anglers can more easily find and catch them. That line of huge stumps placed at Willow Creek Reservoir will certainly attract and hold a variety of fish, especially crappies, bluegills, largemouth bass and at times channel catfish. Those stumps should also provide some real habitat enhancement benefits as they should break up the wind and wave action providing some protection to shorelines and shallow water areas. There are a variety of ways to protect shorelines and shallow water areas, but I do not recall that I have seen a bunch of huge tree stumps used in that manner. Our fisheries biologists are always looking for new ways to make aquatic habitat and fishing better for the cheapest bottom line!
I am hoping those stumps are successful in protecting a shoreline and an area of shallow water. If that happens then cleaner water and hopefully some growth of aquatic vegetation will result and that will provide even more aquatic habitat!
If you fish Willow Creek Reservoir, you will want to take note of those stumps. Having the water level low this past fall was the perfect time to accomplish that work; it is a lot easier to do that on a dry lake bottom. When water levels rebound those stumps should be sitting in about 5 feet of water and they should hold fish.
