Structure placement

Its about time to start dropping structure in again at our ranch, got a few questions. I've had what I will call spectacular success so far dropping piles somewhat randomly, or dropping it on existing structure to enhance it/make it bigger. This time I'd like to target better locations. So here is my situation. Three 10 surface acre lakes, maximum depth being 15-20 FOW. Earth dams that run along one edge on each. Here is the kicker, I don't use electronics out there typically so I put the structure where I can find it again based off landmarks on the bank. This also keeps me from knowing how the middle of the lakes look at the current moment, so no dumping randomly otherwise I won't find them and may just be putting them out on a flat. I've put limited structure along the dams so far and both have produced crappie but I dropped them on the slope and not at the bottom. I'm thinking of doing this again as I know there is a drop off of about 12-15 feet along most of the dams. Do y'all think this is a sound idea to try and drop the structure at the base of the dam?

Thanks in advance, Rex

Sounds like what your doing is working. Crappie relate to covered drops most of the year. Some places real deep water can be oxygen depleted in hot weather also.

Correct Nimrod. Generally, unless there are oxygenated springs present, most fish will not go below the summer thermocline. Winter is a different story...

We have natural springs underwater that pump year round, I'm not sure of their placement though. Years back we attempted to drain one of the lakes and it looked like geysers coming out of the ground there was so much pressure. I may just do a combo of what I've done before. Some on open flats and some along the drop off at the dam

The advantage of the rows shallow to deep is that it becomes a "route". And that regardless of sudden fronts rolling thru, at almost any time of the year, very probably SOMEWHERE on that "route" there will be fish, whether crappie, gills, bass, perch, cat, ect. During the winter when the plankton food chain collapses up North have watched schools of shad swim into the "C" trees to eat the algae growing on them, striping them bare, putting their scent and waste and scales into a very small area, drawing in fish that eat them. Once the "C" trees are striped bare of algae the shad are faced with a choice...

Makes sense, my difficulty is being able to find the piles again but I'm thinking of doing rows like suggested

If necessary mark them physically along the shore with stakes or use GPS...as far as the rows, what`s the "worst" that can happen ? They don`t `work` ? NOT a chance...(Very EVIL laughter sound effect here...)

Rex
The worst that can happen if you just sprinkle cover around your 3 lakes is that you may not create "honey holes" but you actually increase the fish holding capability of the lakes and their health.
We are doing this on a much larger scale, but it works the same....once you have cover in it starts to decay, grows algae, or both...your cover will attract zooplankton and other organisms, which will attract baitfish, craws, or fry....according to type, the cover may be dense enough to allow baitfish, minnows or fry, to grow and prosper....then you add medium cover for juvenile fish to hide and grow...they will move to small cover to get a easy meal and return to hide or ambush from their cover....larger cover allows fish to mature until they can free swim following baitfish etc and be safe once they reach full size and are not a easy meal for other fish....once all of this is going you have increased the numbers of both prey and predators and the lake reaches a balance that can handle most extremes that Man or Mother Nature can throw at it...with a healthy lake like this you don't have the wild swings from year to year and your catch rates will remain stable...instead of just building small areas that hold fish, you have built an entire lake ecosystem that holds fish that continually spreads and replenishes itself, and the areas you fish.

I understand what you are saying. We had BP's in each lake before I started dropping my own. My main goal was to put new BP's in areas that didn't have any and also to enhance existing piles. I am working now more on adding new piles or groups of piles to fill in the rest of the areas that can be fished.

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Originally Posted by rexmitchell

I understand what you are saying. We had BP's in each lake before I started dropping my own. My main goal was to put new BP's in areas that didn't have any and also to enhance existing piles. I am working now more on adding new piles or groups of piles to fill in the rest of the areas that can be fished.

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When I retire, I'm just gonna travel around fishing and visit all you guys that are creating "works of Art"!:)

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Originally Posted by INTIMIDATOR

When I retire, I'm just gonna travel around fishing and visit all you guys that are creating "works of Art"!:)

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Traveling fisherman, sounds like a fun!

And you think he`s JOKING...

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Originally Posted by Lowellhturner

And you think he`s JOKING...

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Hope they have a spare room too....if the fishing is good, I might have to stay longer than planned!:)

I won't be a traveling fisherman, I plan on retiring on my family's ranch. I'm about to the point now where I'm going to sell my bass boat. No point in wasting time on public water when I can drive a few hours to our ranch and do better any day.