So here's the story:

 

Few weeks ago I was mowing my lawn, including the backyard right by the canal. I took a weed whacker all the way to the edge of the canal and a lot of clippings fell into the water. Those clippings stopped on a patch of weeds and created few feet of nice cover in an otherwise bare canal. That evening LMGambler came over with his fishing rod, threw a zoom speed worm past the grass and pulled out a nice bass on the very first cast! I guess we were both surprised, since the canal around me holds mostly snakeheads and other small fish, but not much bass. He said to me: "You should throw some palm leaves in there to create some cover." Well I didn't think much of it at first, but eventually my engineering mind kicked into high gear and I started to formulate a plan... Create a massive cover along the canal to attract fish! So, while doing landscaping two days ago, I collected A LOT of palm tree leaves, I've bundled them together with some rope and started to make my own "artificial" cover (my neighbors probably think I'm skipping on my medication by now). I have about 20-25 yards of canal accessible from my back yard (and I can walk for 1/2 mile at least along it) and I plan on creating more cover to cover the area in my back yard. The function test will come soon when I try to throw some lures around the cover I've made to see if I can pull some nice bass and/or snakeheads.

 

Sooooo what do you guys think? Waste of time, or decent strategy to improve fishing in my part of the canal? I know that if I walk the canal toward more cover and vegetation, the fishing definitely picks up. Below are pics of what I did today... your thoughts?

 

 

 

To add: I tied the bundles to stakes in the ground as well as to some roots sticking out the edge of the canal, so they don't float off in high wind or current...

Looks like it would work to me but, what do I know?

Should be interesting that's for sure.

Since your canal is devoid of cover, this will help. The water control dudes will probably rake it out at some point

Bass relate to cover period. Anything that allows them the opportunity to ambush dinner will work..

People sink Christmas trees all the time so what you are doing is no different.  It will most likely attract some fish and i would venture a guess that the bass are always there because it isn't like you put them in and they heard it a few miles away and swam over to check it out

I think you need to lay off the sauce.

Looks like a good idea, nice execusion, I think you will catch something.

Is it considered a canal if you can almost jump over it? I was expecting something much bigger but, maybe the pictures are deceiving.

Ive got Christmas tree piles on 3 lakes in Lakeland from my HS days... 

People sink Christmas trees all the time so what you are doing is no different.  It will most likely attract some fish and i would venture a guess that the bass are always there because it isn't like you put them in and they heard it a few miles away and swam over to check it out

In the canal behind my home, which is wider, debris and palm leaves accumulate quite often, especially after a storm.  I see no difference in catch, the bass are resident and always there.

If you build it...they will come

If you build it...they will come

 

the canal of dreams

Yep. If you build it they will come.

 

Great idea.

 

Remember, bass like a cover over their heads and you are providing it for them.

a friend of my dad's lives in keylargo n has a deep water canal (20ft deep) with brakish water behind his house,i dove in that canal and there wasnt even bait fish(dead waters).he started drumping old bikes,rocks,washing machine,55gal.drums, anything that would create a reef.about 1 year later,the section of canal behind his house was full of bait fish,we would catch good eating snappers right on his dock.we even saw 2 jew fish come in once..so i dont about fresh water but creating a cover/reef works well in salt water.