March 5, 2019
Recently, 40 of these ‘Spider’ fish habitat structures were installed in Lake Benalla by the Tatong Anglers Group. It may be the first time they have been used in Australia, or at the very least Victoria.
These artificial structures have been successfully used across North America in similar shallow lakes for their native species. The local cod and golden perch should love the extra protection the artificial habitat provides. Ordinarily, natural wood and snags would be used however in this case there was some concerns around safety so these spider structures made from poly pipe get around those concerns. Over time a biofilm will form on the poly piping which will provide a source of food for the fingerlings that have been stocked into the lake recently. The structures are placed in clusters of five and ten in strategic locations to benefit the local native fish and provide protection from predators such as cormorants and other fish species like redfin.
It is fantastic to see the members of Tatong Anglers Group taking an innovative approach and doing their bit to make fishing better for everyone.
