Can you use cedar trees for brush piles?
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Can you use cedar trees for brush piles?
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Yes (short answer). Many F&W Dept's collect Christmas trees and drop them in piles. Many people like to let them dry out & then knock or burn off the needles and small branches. They don't always last more than a few years if they stay submerged, less if they end up on dry land during drawdowns.
Thanks! I was wondering about Eastern Red Cedars that grow wild in the woods here in SC. Also, do you have to wait for them to dry out? Will fish avoid them green?
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I've heard that they will avoid green ones, then I've caught fish from some that still had green ... so :donoQuote:
Originally Posted by Ranger John
I do know that if you just drop them and on their sides, they will collapse & not really provide much in the way of good cover. I've even heard that some people (on the larger trees) will cut out some branches so as to make a "pocket" in the tree for fish to easily enter & hide ... but, those are the ones they drop with weight at the trunk so the tree will stand up.
I've never done it, so I'm just going on what I've heard/read. I do know that a 5gal bucket half full of rocks/sand makes a good "stump" ... my former roommate (1970's) did just that and went back several times and caught Crappie off them. :ThumbsUp
I saw the Fish & Wildlife dropping something that looked like a type of spruce with concrete blocks tied to the bottom in Cedar Creek Lake about a month ago.
I use cedars. I let it dry and burn such as CP mentioned. Cedar usually lasts 4-5years. I put limbs thru heavy cinder blocks and tie it to the block with electric dense wire. I drop several on top of one another and make a big pile.
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What other trees are good for building brush piles and how long does it take for fish to move in on the brush?
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The best trees in my part of the country is Bois 'd arc (horse apple). They are very hard and will last a lifetime. Old time farmers use them to make fence post.
Any hardwood would make a good, long lasting pile. Terry Oldham of Oldham's Jigs (Texas) once told me that Weeping Willow trees made good cover, but the Crappie always seemed to hang out "above" the tree, rather than down in the branches.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ranger John
There used to be a big Sycamore tree that got caught on a cliff wall at one of my local lakes. That's where I first learned "Vertical Casting" (as I call it). Caught some Crappie off that tree that were bigger than any I'd ever caught there, and I'd been fishing for Crappie at that lake for 20 some years before then.
As long as the branches are vertical, horizontal, & angled, but not closely packed, the pile will draw fish .... but I've always heard to not place piles close to other heavy cover spots or an area thick with standing timber, but place them a ways away from those spots & the larger fish will take them over, leaving the other area to the schools of smaller fish. You would, of course, want to place your piles along a known route the fish take when entering or leaving a creek, providing them with a rest stop, hiding place, buffet bar, ambush point, or a staging spot for the females to hang around during the spawn.
Mimosa makes a good brush pile. They naturally have a splayed out shape. Once anchored it last a longtime too.
Preferred tree here is sweet gum 8 to 10 ft and anchored with cement blocks and held vertically with jugs. Don't use milk jugs, to thin and won't last.
Bamboo in concrete blocks is the go to brush here in Central Texas. Lasts a long time, forgiving when a jig is hung, and crappie will go to it immediately if they like the location at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ranger John
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I used some christmas trees one time. Some piles didnt produce, some piles are my favorite. SK can attest to that!! i now make it easy by cutting green youpon on the way to the boat ramp. no concrete needed. A few zip ties to hold it all together.
When the neighbors start trimming trees, those are the best ones. Pull branches about as big as your wrist thru the holes of a conCrete block, wrap it with wire, and sink it. Some last longer than others. The ones that produce you sweeten over the years and the others just rot away. I won my first tourney on some buckets of bamboo that someone had placed. Big stringer and big fish, by a wide margin. That spot still bears my name with my old club. It’s isn’t hard but it does take work and a good GPS helps. Sometimes two branches in the right place is all it takes. Start somewhere and somehow, read all you can find, and refine what you started with. You’ll be catching fish in no time.
I was just given access to as much Bois D’Arc and logs, with all the houses being built it’s almost impossible to find it like before. Well I’m my area West of FTWQuote:
Originally Posted by Grainraiser
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Bois D'Arc, Osage orange, is a very dense wood. Should last a long time. Long straight pieces are also sought after for self bow staves. Might be a money maker!
We have used almost every kind of tree in East Texas except Pine. Of course , hardwoods last longer than soft woods.
I have a big cedar next to my driveway , need to be trimmed up , the limbs will be going to beef up some spots
that are getting thin,
Mo
Persimmons are a good choice in our area. They are very heavy and sink with very little extra weight added. The limbs are not all that close together and make a good place for crappie to move in and around the structure.
I probably have as much experience sinking brush and other cover as anyone in my area . To me Christmas Trees are a waste of time and weights as they tend to moss over and with needles too thick for fish to utilize for a long time . Don't last but a short time after that .Quote:
Originally Posted by Ranger John
Red Cedar is a good choice as it lasts but to speed up the process I. would open it up by removing pats of limbs atleast smaller than a pencil. Let it dry enough to knock off the needles. We drag them behind a truck to removed dried needles .
Some of the best are hardwoods with limited numbers of limbs like Oak , Sweet Gum , or even Bodark . If it has tooo many small limbs it helps to remove a few .
I like tops open enough to allow fish room to swim through it . One biologist used to say the best was to have open enough to pass a 10'' ball through the top . Who wants a top so thick they can't fish without staying hung up ?
My favorite tree was a Persimmon and fish seem to love it . Some farmers hate them around hay fields as the sports always trying to take over but hunters love them for their fruit in the fall . It usually takes 2 to 4 tied in a bundle as they have few limbs .
A good brushpile placed on a good spot can have fish in a few hours but then seen some did not hold many for close to a year . We use mesh bags of rocks or old concrete blocks from old houses being torn down . For holding the weights on I have used old electrical wire , rope ( not good as hook hangs ) and zipties . My favorite and easiest to use has to be zipties we buy at Harbor Freight or at time got them off shipping crates for free . Once brush becomes waterlogged have had no trouble with anything moving. Dry wood takes more weight but Green Persimmon will sink without weight but use any how to keep in place .
Feel free to ask any questions. Last few years we sank stuff , we used driven in hardwood or Cedar stakes that last many years and are the easiest if you have access to sawmill scrap . There are youtube videos on building driven stakebeds and how to build a driver of PVC.
Loved to see new neighbors topping huge Crape Myrtles some bigger in diameter than coke cans . Smooth bark does not hang alot . We took it down to 5 to 6' and put in 5 gallon buckets of rock and quickcrete .Quote:
Originally Posted by skeetbum
Big Red Cedar lasts many many years here but we use whole trees, some 6 to 12'' at the butt with small limbs removed . Small stuff growing is about like Pine but older wood (heart wood is red ) will not rot . Bet many of our Cedar tops will be here for years after we are gone .Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole