Crappie Condo question

[dblevens]

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but two years ago, we sank three of the condos with bamboo in a bucket of concrete. we've fished them a dozen times or so over the last two years, and catch fish everytime we get there, but its always like 2 or 3 if we're lucky. Is this normal, or do you other folks normally catch more than this around yours. Should we have put them in a different spot, or should I just get out about 20 of em and catch 2 around em all?

[gabowman]

Alot of brush fishermen only stick around long enough to catch those 2 or 3 aggressive fish and then theyre off to the next brushpile for those 2 or 3 and then gone again. From what I've read from successful brush fishermen theyre either locating brush and marking it all the time or dropping their own. The work never stops but those are the successful guys that can fish 20 or 30 piles a day and bring home a few limits almost every trip out. I've anchored and night fished very near some of my bamboo and did quite well...'course that was over a period of a few hours and the lights drawing the fish to my location.

[slabin]

i set out alot of bamboo myself and the best i ever done was 9 fish then i had to move come back later and catch 2 or 3 more

[Creamlevel Kennels]

I have been keeping records of this very thing for a little over 1 1/2 years. So, I'll give my opinion which is like BUTTS, usually everyones STINK.

My record are taken using 3 different lake. 2 of these lakes have plenty of cover, timber, brush, etc. The other is lake with None of thee things, and great crappie fishing lake, but more of a water skiing, jet skiing, tubing lake. In the 2 lakes with plenty of natural cover, we are running into the same thing as you. We spent the winter putting down MORE than 25 Bamboo Buckets, and PVE Tree's and Horizonal PVC Structures. May pull up to a condo, and MIGHT get 1-2 crappie. Natural Cover on these 2 lake produce many more fish than Boo or PVC, by far. The other lake will produce MUCH better results with Boo and PVC. we can catch as many as 10-15 crappie of of these structures.

So, it is BECOMING my belief that Different or unusual cover (BamBoo/PVC) does not produce many fish in a like that has it's own natural cover. Where a lake that has little or No cover, the crappie will hold to what ever is available, do to having NOTHING else. Now, we are taking Natural Cover (Cedar Tree's, Limbs trimmed from tree's) out to the lake with a lot of cover, and the are beginning to produce more and bigger numbers. And catching crappie off of about every Brush Pile we have dropped. We have only been able to drop 4 of these natural Brush Piles, but already showing decent numbers, and have not been in the water 2 weeks.

I like Boo and PVC best, due to the ease of the work it takes versus nateral cover. To to catch fish, you haft to give them what they want. If this pattern continues to prove itself, thsi winter we will be putting ALL Natural cover in the 2 lakes, and Boo and PVC in the other lake.

Just my opinion.


keith

[Spawn]

My record, once only! Was 22 and it was post spawn and we tore them up but it was a pretty big structure! For buckets 2-3 sounds about right

[dblevens]

Theres lots of tops around the slough where we put the buckets. We just wanted some stuff in the middle for when the water drops out. All three of them will produce a couple fish, but come to think of it, most of the tops only produce one or two, if any , as well. Maybe once the water drops out, they'll use em more.

[Countryboy N.C.]

We catch anywhere from 5 to 50 per pile, condition has a lot to do with it, one day you might catch 25 then the next day 1 or 2 from the same pile, weather has a lot to do with it, you got to pick your day, study the weather. Some days they are more active than others, some days they will be right on top of brush and other day they will be right on the bottom or out to the side of it on bottom. Some days they want it real slow and some days it dont matter how you work your jig.I"ve got hundreds of piles out, placement has a lot to do with it also, spring time they will be on the piles on the north side of lake , protected from the cold winds, but in the late summer and fall they be on the piles near the west or south bank for shade. Lot of factors play a part to whether fish are there, sometime they are placed in the wrong place no matter what.

[jcd]

We catch anywhere from 5 to 50 per pile, condition has a lot to do with it, one day you might catch 25 then the next day 1 or 2 from the same pile, weather has a lot to do with it, you got to pick your day, study the weather. Some days they are more active than others, some days they will be right on top of brush and other day they will be right on the bottom or out to the side of it on bottom. Some days they want it real slow and some days it dont matter how you work your jig.I"ve got hundreds of piles out, placement has a lot to do with it also, spring time they will be on the piles on the north side of lake , protected from the cold winds, but in the late summer and fall they be on the piles near the west or south bank for shade. Lot of factors play a part to whether fish are there, sometime they are placed in the wrong place no matter what.

Hi,

Just to add to your post....Also, the fish can get spooked if you get to close to the cover or stir the water up with the trolling motor....Mark your spot and back off it for a while...Let the fish come back etc..

Jeremy

[NIMROD]

Here is my take on the subject. I have over 400 stumps, pallet beds, stakebeds, brushpiles and bamboo condos on my favorite lake on gps. This is lots of work and they are in different depths and types of bottom.The catch varies greatly and I seldom catch a limit off one spot. My plan is do what I call a milk run. That is fish as many as I can in one trip. When I figure out depth or area ,then target those. If I don't catch any within 5 minutes or catch several undersized fish I move on. the way I build them is in rows about 100' apart so the need to fire up outboard not needed often. Catch the aggressive fish and move on, not unusual for us to fish 30 or 40 spots a morning. If you like to ask questions feel free to contact me or one of the guys that have fished in my boat. RCC , SS2004 , Skitrip ,and Xring just to name a few.