Building Crappie Condos

We been working building more condos . We use plastic vegetable trays , Hardwood Stakes drove in , some stake buckets and trees mostly these days . Today was a good cool day with clouds and a little wind . If everyone built a few there would be plenty for all the fish and fishermen . Some lakes are nearly devoid of natural cover . Afraid with all the high end electronics too many will stop building cover and just freeload off the few that do . It will be bad once what is out rots away. Go to youtube and watch the videos some posting driving stake beds in open water with PVC stake driver if interested .

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At least he has a cooler? Good work.

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Originally Posted by coolerfull

At least he has a cooler? Good work.

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When you have 3 old guys working on the water this time of year , better have lots of cold water and drinks .:biggrin Don't want to get over heated or dehydrated. :twocents

Great thread topic! When we take the time and effort to provide fish attracting structure, we all benefit. The stake beds are proven winners. There is a guide on YouTube that has a video on building what he calls a “crappie hotel”, where he uses sandbags, willow branches, and wire ties to build them. I believe his system has merit, mainly because he is using some natural products. For the long term it would seem prudent to use burlap bags in lieu of plastic and hemp twine instead of plastic wire ties to secure the willow branches. Construction of this manner would not leave more foreign debris in our lakes long after the original structure has ceased to be a good cover to attract fish. With all these materials being plant based, they will decompose over time where as the plastic products are just another form of litter left for someone else to deal with. We've had success taking hay bales, securing 2 sand filled burlap bags with small diameter hemp rope one on each end, along with attached tree limbs (we used orange tree limbs). The willows used in the video would be even easier.

I like it! I haven't made any yet, but I'm going to make stake beds. I just can't make myself put trees, or pallets, or other big stuff in my boat. Until I build a dumptoon, stake beds are going to be my structure of choice to build.

Couple of questions...

Do you ever use pine? I have ample access to it but I'm not sure it would last long enough to justify the effort.

Do you have a sawmill cut your stakes for you, or do you use sawmill scraps? If so, what's a rough idea of the cost?

I've got 3 tablesaws, but buying even green, rough lumber to saw up would be cost preventative.

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Originally Posted by FurFlyin

I like it! I haven't made any yet, but I'm going to make stake beds. I just can't make myself put trees, or pallets, or other big stuff in my boat. Until I build a dumptoon, stake beds are going to be my structure of choice to build.

Couple of questions...

Do you ever use pine? I have ample access to it but I'm not sure it would last long enough to justify the effort.

Do you have a sawmill cut your stakes for you, or do you use sawmill scraps? If so, what's a rough idea of the cost?

I've got 3 tablesaws, but buying even green, rough lumber to saw up would be cost preventative.

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We get mill scraps . Sometimes too big and we cut down to fit PVC driver . Helps to get to know owner and workers at small mills that cut Cedar or Hardwood . Share your catch or even take them fishing . I don't like Pine . Hardwoods and Red Cedar stakes last .

We take old rugs or moving blankets to protect the boat when we remember .

:ThumbsUp:ThumbsUp

Great work keep it up


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

It pays off

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I have al the materials gathered up to build some more bucket beds. I have a big stack of cedar stakes and buckets

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Originally Posted by Billbob

Great work keep it up


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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You should know , you have fished some of our stuff when you fish we me buddy .:highfive

I found a source for cedar slabs. He said he'd give me all I ever wanted. He has them bundled up. All I've got to do is drive 3 hours to get them. Pretty long trip for some free wood, but did I mention that it was FREE? LOL If I'm driving that far, I'm going to get a 24 foot trailer loaded as full as I can get it.

I'll have to rip the slabs into strips, but I've got 3 table saws so that should be no issue.