Shallow habitat is the key to a balanced Eco-system. Fish move to shallow water to build beds, nests and spawning areas. Here the fry are hatched, beginning imediately to find cover or get eaten. Tight dense habitat provides fry with small areas to get into and grow. Here they find larve and insects feeding on the algae. Like any infant, they need protection from the elements and danger.

Growing forage in your lake or pond is your own stocking program. You can feed and grow more big fish if you provide enough food. The size of the food dictates how big the fish can grow. Ample shallow habitat allows fish to survive longer, growing larger before heading out to deep water. Once fish reach the three to five inch size, they become a good meal for a bass or other predator fish. Large enough to survive to maturity, or make a great meal.

Replace the fine, woody habitat along your shoreline that has rotted away with artificial habitat that lasts forever. Clusters of fine, flexible and dense cover like the Cradle model grow algae fast to feed the baby fry. Set shallow cover adjacent to known spawing areas or to replace weeds and vegetation that have been removed. Protect your fry by allowing the habitat to break the waters surface in some areas. This keeps any fish from swimming above a feeding on your fry.