B.A.S.S. and Alabama Power have been partners for many years. Recently, Alabama Power hosted an event that allowed B.A.S.S. Nation High School clubs to assist in building artificial fish attractors as a part of the company's Habitat Enhancement Program.
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To build over 200 FAD's (fish attracting devices), you must have the proper material. Two crucial components are quick concrete as well as pipe.
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Members of Gardendale High School, Huk One Bass Club, and Alabama Power employees braved a cold morning to build over 200 FAD's.
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Alabama Power set up a table with face covers to protect the High School anglers as well as towels the anglers could take home.
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After the buckets and bags of quick concrete were in place, piping material was spread out as well.
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After the quick concrete was poured into the bucket, the pipe was placed into the bucket. The goal is to get the pipe buried down into the concreted before the water is poured into the bucket.
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The pipe would come too long to start with, so anglers would break it in half or fold it to make it fit in the buckets.
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An example of what a FAD would look like before the water was poured into the bucket to finalize the process.
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Building artificial fish attractors has multiple advantages over sinking a traditional brush pile. Traditional brush piles will degrade over time as where this style of FAD will last for much longer.
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The anglers may not have considered it yet, but they are building a resource that could help them catch fish for years to come.
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After the FAD's are built, Alabama Power will place them in lakes on the Coosa River chain including Logan Martin and Lay Lake.
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Once the FAD's are placed in the lake, Alabama Power posts the GPS coordinates to their website for all anglers to enjoy.
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Artificial fish attractors are great for the environment because they last much longer than traditional brush piles and provide a clean piece of cover for fish to congregate to.
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Bass among other species tend to congregate around cover. It makes them feel protected and also serves as a great area to ambush bait.
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After the pipe was buried into the quick concrete, another layer of concrete was added on top of the existing concrete.
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All parties involved practiced proper social distancing and wore face coverings.
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Despite the cold conditions, the High School anglers had a great time building these FAD's.
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The final step of the process is to fill the buckets with with water and let the quick concrete settle.
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Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation High School director Darrel High provided all anglers who volunteered with a goody bag full of baits.
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