As the New Year’s parties die down and the holidays come to an end, many people begin the yearly task of taking down the Christmas tree and putting away the decorations for another year.
Thus comes the yearly question of how to properly dispose of natural Christmas trees. Mulching offers an environmentally safe way to dispose of the tree, and there are several options for that method of disposal.
But for fishermen, the old Christmas tree can get a second life in area lakes and reservoirs as submerged fish cover. “We gather recycled trees each year for our reservoirs in the state,” says Mike Fiss, assistant chief of fisheries for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
“Sometimes we even get unused Christmas trees from tree farms for use as fish cover, so it’s a good way to recycle trees that never get purchased.
Submerged trees provide cover and protection for smaller fish such as bluegill that attract larger fish such as bass and crappie.