Have any of u put out structure that did not produce crappie.
By the way, Hello to all, im new to the forum and crappie.:cool: ;)
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Have any of u put out structure that did not produce crappie.
By the way, Hello to all, im new to the forum and crappie.:cool: ;)
I've put it out and not had it produce the first year. And I have heard of folks using treated lumber and having problems ( I think because of the chemicals used to treat it prohibiting algea growth).
Smokepole,Quote:
Originally Posted by smokepole
Most everyone that has put out cover has run into this. Many reasons. Could be materials that it is made of. Sometimes on a particular lake, the crappie may not like pvc or some other material. Most places, pvc is fine. Then you might not have used enough weight and the pile was moved by current. I've had that happen. Some people put out brush in a spot that the fish just don't use or they fish it the wrong time of year. The main thing is to do your homework on a spot before you put anything there. Make sure the spot does not have any other cover, natural or man made, and try to put it on some sort of lake structure like points, mouth of a creek channel. Put them in the channels for hot weather and cold weather periods. Put them in shallower water for spring and fall. the mid depths will produce most of the year but you may not get the numbers. Learn the seasonal patterns of the fish on your waters. keep a journal on there depths vs time of year. If you here someone say that they caught a bunch on your lake or river just ask how deep they were over what water depth. Most guys I talk to will lock up if you ask what bait they use or where exactly they caught the fish but if you ask them just the depth of the water and the depth they were fishing over that water depth, then they will tell you pretty quick. That will be the depths that I would put brush for that time of year. If you have a hard time founding out seasonal pattern of crappie, do like I did and go with a chainsaw and a bunch of cinder blocks and wire and cut and make a bunch of piles one day. Take a day and make 20. Put 5 in the back of a creek spread out about 100 yards or better from each other, then put some on a main lake point starting from deep water and drop them spread out up to shallow water. Drop them in channels and anywhere where deeper water comes close to the bank. Try using different materials but I would stick with a hardwood and something kinda bushy. Bamboo or just a bushy top for the majority but mix in some pvc and other materials for testing. Hope this helps. CF
I put out these condos and have not caught a fish off of them...
Dont know if it is me or what... needless to say I dont make anymore of these....
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/108_0843.jpg
I am making this kind now.... more natural type of brush and they are hardwood so they should last for several years....
That is my 2 cents......
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c..._Condos001.jpg
Like the earlier posters ,I too have put some in that never produced. I always do best with natural materials like wood on Channel drops . The depth depends on several factors such as average lake depth, season, and water clarity. Good luck and hope you find what works on your lake.:cool:
Any type of oak or persimmon tree that I have put in always seems to do better the second season on out. I feel that the brush has to go through a "souring" period before it actually grows algae and starts producing fish.
On the other hand we have put in bamboo structures and caught nice slabs within 24 hours. I remember the first crappie I caught on one bamboo condo weighed 1lb 14oz. Talking about a confidence builder!!
I have pulled algae covered brush loose in real shallow water and relocated them in 10 foot water closer to a river channel. These seem to draw fish farely fast...probably due to the algae and the food chain already being started.
Bamboo is definately the easiest to work with but we sure catch some monster slabs on our bigger pieces of brush with persimmon trees being our top choice. Pretty open limb structure and very dense wood. Takes very little weight to sink it.
I remember the first persimmon tree that I sank. We used about 100 of concrete to sink it. Probably could have got away with half that. If I would have known how many "Bighead" Jigs I was soon to leave hanging on it I might would have taken the weight of them into the calculation!!:o
If I would have known how many "Bighead" Jigs I was soon to leave hanging on it I might would have taken the weight of them into the calculation!!
HEHE me two... A good tip that I learned here on this site, Take a bic(type )lighter & heat the jig hook at the bend just till it start changeing color. The hook will bend when you pull on it & not brake your line as often. I've tried it & it's saved me alot of jigs.