Making the Fish Attractors

Start by drilling a 3/8 inch hole in the center of the lid. I get the lids at Wal Mart Bakeries and use the larger lids for single attractors and the smaller for stacked attractors.

If painting, sand the entire top of the lid to roughen. This takes very little time and effort as the plastics involved roughen easily even when sanded by hand.

Turn the lid over and sand 4 equally spaced areas which will receive the siliconed styrofoam floatation blocks.

The blocks I used are 2x2x3/4 inch squares. Silicone each area and glue on the blocks with clear silicone caulk.

Using pvc electrical conduit, cut pieces 10 and a half inches long. Save any scrap left over to be used as knot rollers......to be explained later.

Make some washers out of cut lid material approximately 1.5x1.5 inches with a hole drilled in the middle (again, 3/8 inch) so the bottom knot won't slip through the brick.

If painting the lid, spray the top of the lid and edges only. Be careful not to overspray the foam blocks as the paint will eat the styrofoam. I don't bother painting gray or green lids, but the white lids let quite a bit of light through.

When ready for assembly......cut a piece of 1/4 inch braided poly rope and slip one end through the hole in the lid.....on top, tie a figure eight knot and leave about an inch tag end. Apply pressure on the underside of the lid to keep the knot snug and light the tag end.....letting it melt down toward the knot. When it gets close, take the scrap of pvc conduit and roll the melting end into the knot, thus sealing the knot from slippage and extinguishing the flame. Hold for a few seconds to cool.

Cutting the rope is easiest using scissors.

Slip on the electrical conduit as a rope hook guard, the holy brick and finally the washer.....tie another figure 8, light and mash. If the rope shows 3 or 4 inches under the lid when assembled, it will do no harm as nothing will get up and under the lid close enough to hook the rope.

When planting the attractors from shore, grab the top knot for tossing......that way you won't accidentally knock off a floatation block when throwing. If planting in a boat, you can hold the attractor by the conduit and tip the lid outward on it's edge as it enters the water....again protecting the floatation blocks.

Using smaller lids and smaller floatation pieces I make stacked "trees" using a couple lids and a couple pvc conduit pieces. Cut the floatation blocks in half diagonally and use 4 each lid. The bakeries at groceries and Wal Marts often supply the lids for free if you tell them you are involved with an ecology project making Fish Attractor/Spawning stations.

As my bricks were donated and the lids were free, I think I have about 50 cents in each.

The fish biologist at the National Forest planted mine in clusters of 5 and 10, but I also think clusters of 3 to 5 would work well also. The ideal heighth range can vary from 12 to 18 inches, mine mostly run about 16.

Let me know if you have any questions.....Good Fishing, Mac