Has anyone ever used mesquite trees for crappie structure? Seems like they would last a long time since they are so hard. I am about to be clearing a bunch, and am thinking about sinking it. Trying to decide which would be better: smoking some meat on it or using it to attract some crappie. I am leaning towards crappie.

Sounds like a win win to me.

Smoking with it...mesquite is actually a soft wood...it deteriorates fairly quickly...use cedar or bois�d arc...one has close branches and the other one lasts forever....mix in some bamboo in The bois d arc to enhance the security issue...

The mesquite I cut up in north Texas is just as tough as bois'd arc. Caught crappie out of brush piles for years and saw the brush still in good piles when we had the drought. I have tied weight to them to keep them down. I have had people say the mesquite will sink on it's own.
If it were me I would have groups of limbs tied and sunk and have trunks and big pieces saved for cooking.

Not many horse apple trees where mesquite is thick.
Cedar or xmas trees suck. Willow trees are all we ever used

Bois darc the best

I catch crappie out of mesquite trees at choke canyon. They have been there since the lake was impounded in 1984. I used to build furniture out of it. It is definitely a hardwood

I would have to respectfully dissagree with your statement "....mesquite is actually a soft wood.."

Yeah, what are you smoking anyways Crapicat?

Good cigars! Go look at the wood hardness scale (I would look it up and post it but don�t know how)...mesquite, as I recall from my last review of the hardness scale, is considered a soft wood...please, check it out and correct me, if I am wrong...as a young man, I cut wood for years, to sell, and to dispose of as unwanted trees...mesquite is soft relative to hardwoods...just saying, it may be hard to y�all, but my saw goes through it like a knife through hot butter...it sure ain�t bois d arc, or cherry, or oak or hickory, or hackberry...but hey, I�m no expert and don�t claim to be...but I have well over 5000 cords of wood on my back over the years...and mesquite is soft wood to my saw...

http://www.workshoppages.com/ws/misc/wood-hardness-chart.pdf

Mesquite is 2345
Red oak is 1260

So almost twice as hard as red oak. I am pretty sure it would be considered a hard wood. Not many woods on that chart that are harder.

According to the Janka scale, Osage orange has a rating of 2400, mesquite rating is 2345.
Pecan and hickory were both 1820

Ok, thanks for looking, I stand corrected guys...hmmm, now I�m conflicted...wonder why I have don�t have any gunstocks or duck calls made from mesquite...what�s worse, now my saw is lying to me...so, if any of y�all want to sink some mesquite or bois d arc, send me a PM...I will loan you my saw...I got gobs of both that need to be cut...and hackberry, and honey locust too...just let me know...

So what you smoking now?

Well it is good to smoke with as well as building brush piles.