Originally Posted by
Cmj
Blueducklane, lakes like Nimrod, Dardanelle, and many others that you hear about people dropping structures in are primarily devoid of any natural wood structure for the fish to relate to, or bait fish to take shelter in, etc. Fish, especially Crappie, are structure oriented. Meaning that they are drawn to any type of distinguishing features in, or on, the lake bottom. Old creek or river channels, points that extend out into the lake, humps, holes, bluff walls, rip rap banks, these are all structures that are common in most lakes. These are the areas that people typically target when sinking brush because it creates a sweet spot in an already "fishy" area.
On a lake like Conway, the approach is a little trickier because #1, the general bottom structure of the lake is relatively flat. #2, There is naturally occuring wood structure literally everywhere, so #3 finding those "fishy" areas becomes much more difficult. In other words, it is not as easy as locating a ledge and dropping a stake bed on it because there are literally millions of natural "brush piles" already in the lake that the fish have been using for years. Finding those areas is a slow process that takes more time on the water than most people are willing to spend.
But yes, you can "improve" these key areas once you find them. Small stake buckets on proven trees can sometimes increase your catch, or give the bigger fish something to relate to. Two or three small buckets placed 10 to 15 yards away from that same tree can be another deadly tactic, especially in the Spring when the trees are getting hammered by fishermen, and the females are staging off of the trees a bit.
Once you understand your fishery, you will know how to "improve" it.
