brush piles

Our fishing club just sunk a bunch of brush piles at our marina today. We used Christmas trees, which I know aren't ideal. But it's all we had. My question is this: How long before Christmas trees will attract fish? Do the needles have to fall off first? We've had luck with willows in the past. What other hardwoods make good brush piles? Thanks for any help.

Oaks, black locust, boise d'arc, hickory walnuts.

Do not use Walnut trees!! There is something toxic to fish in Walnut. Had a friend tell me about a brush pile that used Walnut trees where they have never caught a fish. He then talked to an old timer who told him that they use to use crushed walnuts in creeks and rivers to kill fish. Hedge is about the longest lasting. Once it dries out...hard as rock. Difficult to handle because of thorns. Cedar trees are used a lot out here. They grow wild in pastures and ranchers cut them down and leave em lay.
Mix a few Willows in which will attract the fish sooner.

Should burn off the needles first if you can. PVC has far more advantages.Check this out......floating islands

cedar and willows...nice combo

We prefer to put out cedar trees when possible.

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glad to see that pic yep hedge one ceder 2 think if you don't mind hedge cuttin and slashin a little bit birddog 1 gave me some bambo but with the time of mixin the concrete and lettin it set up think i will keep tieing blocks to wood little quicker

Hey Brent!!! Nice ta see ya on:welcome here! I have said before that cedars take a while:dono to work. After seeing some 'new' cedars(3mo. old) at Glen Elder that Scott Waters put in with the HDS SideScan,,, Ima changingbangheadbanghead my thots. There were fish :yikesaround them. Not in them as the foilage prevented that. I was surprised to say the least. Now add several yards of mono:bash:bash line plus a few jigs,,, and ya got a good pile!!! <*)}}}><

prolly no osage orange round at his lake????

It’s been documented by several fisheries bio’s in the southern states that crappie will start using cedar tree reefs within a few days of placing them. I’ve noted usage within a few months, specifically on shallow reefs, in NE reservoirs. After a late fall placement these reefs were used during all phases of the following spawn. A recruitment study revealed usage. Honestly, I would image as soon as any tree reefs are placed, fish will begin using them or evaluating them.