Max Brush Pile Depth

[INTIMIDATOR]

Hey everyone. I've been fishing crappie for a long time but it's always been in shallow lakes and bayous and never needed any brush to attract crappie. Now that I am fishing a larger and deeper lake it seems brush piles are the way to go. I just started putting out brush piles a few weeks ago in 20 to 30 ft of water using sweet gum and willow. My question is, what would be the maximum depth to put the brush piles and still be able to catch crappie, winter or summer? Thanks

If you go to the Louisiana State forum, you will see a post by Andrews...(Josh) and his group are doing some fine things down there.

First, especially in the South, Crappie are looking for deep cooler water or shade...until the thermocline sets up which moves them higher in the water column.
Most brush and smaller limbed shrubs, 'boo, willow, etc, has to be Super dense to provide shad for Crappie after the leaves fall off. Then you are left with cover that just holds smaller fish that are trying to hide and feed in it.
Big Crappie, like ambush points, and cover they can back up on to rest, or for protection....think of a stump, post, dock supports, planks, etc.

We covered an entire lake, perfectly, for a sustainable fishery....pallets, milk crates, Christmas trees, cedar, and brush blocks, in the shallows, for minnows, fry, and baitfish!
Smaller limbs and up to 2 inch PVC in buckets and trays, 'boo, tree tops, etc, at mid-depth locations, for smaller fish.
Big shade, resting, or ambush, stuff like Plastic fence, stacks of plastic pallets, stacks of milk crates, big limbs, big PVC (6-10 inch), 2x6's and 2x8's, and "Freshwater Reefs" made of piles of Cement rubble, Concrete Blocks, and bricks, were all put in depths from 12 feet, up to 20 feet for the BIG SLABS!

In winter here, when the Ice is on, the warmest and most heavily populated place in the lake is on the bottom in 30-45 feet of water, even thought the surface is frozen, temps on the bottom may be 38-39 degrees....so we also put cover there for ice fishing!

[scrat]

Welcome to the site from South Central Mississippi. I have had the best results with mine placed at 12-13 foot deep. Fish habitat "Just build it and they will come".

[Granite]

I live on Toledo Bend and have 32 way points that are brush piles. Two of us have placed these in areas that most people don't check very often. The shallowest is 20 feet and the deepest is 35. The biggest Crappie come of the deepest in the summer and winter. We put them on the lips of drains off of the river channels and intersecting creek channels. I have these on the boat gps and on a hand held as back up. If you go to the Navionics web site you can bring up Toledo Bend and study the map and see what you are looking for. It is very time consuming but worth it.

[rbriscoe]

Thanks Granite, I am starting to get a good idea of what I need to do. With all the help from replies, it have been realy good info. And yes a little time consuming, and it will be well worth it.

[Granite]

Rbiscoe, in the winter time when you hear they are catching at the chicken coop, check the map and look at Bayle's bluff by Cypress bend golf course. You will see where the river swings in very close to the bluffs,the same as the chicken coop. HINT! Look at the 35 t0 45 feet of water in that area , you might find two large brush piles!!

[rbriscoe]

Rbiscoe, in the winter time when you hear they are catching at the chicken coop, check the map and look at Bayle's bluff by Cypress bend golf course. You will see where the river swings in very close to the bluffs,the same as the chicken coop. HINT! Look at the 35 t0 45 feet of water in that area , you might find two large brush piles!!

Yes I have heard about the chicken coop area but I have never fished there for crappie. I have notice how the river channel swings close to Bayle's buff. Thanks for the info I know that there are lots of brush pile all over TB. I will check out that area this winter. Thanks for sharing. I have a few brush piles started around pirates cove area that I dropped last week