Which one takes more effort; building and sinking brush piles or roaming the lake looking for them?

If you build it and sink it, you know exactly where it is and what it is. Low material cost and minimal electronics required to see it next visit after dropping it. No need to run around the lake looking for brush piles. Sweat equity is the biggest part of it.

If you scan for brush you get to enjoy a pleasant ride around the lake and don't need to build anything. High end electronics makes it easier. Patience, fuel and time on the water are the biggest part of it.

This is NOT another potlicking thread. Please let's not let it devolve to that level again. Just thinking that either method requires a willingness to put forth some effort. Unless of course your buddies take you out and show you where to fish in which case you can look like a big time fishing expert without exerting any effort at all. I know a guy like that.

I like the idea of using either method in the winter when fewer people are out on the water and the temperatures make it more comfortable. After reading a couple of two or three recent posts about sinking trees and loading pickups with bamboo or brush it got me thinking. I asked the controlling authority for a DFW lake about sinking brush and contacted TPWD in the past. Both had the same positive response. Just use common sense with regard to safety (think pleasure boaters and swimmers) and let them (authorities) know what you are up to. Some water body authorities don't encourage it while others don't mind at all.

I do BOTH.
Here's the thing. It's much more practical for me to put brush or condos in lakes closer to me geographically, so that's what I do. If I fish a lake far away that I might only fish a couple times a year, I'm going to scan it and as they say "pot lick".
I figure if someone comes to one of my home lakes and fishes the spots I built, so be it. tit-for-tat I suppose. I think that if we all do that, we all come out ahead.

I like Dropping my own Bp's because there is nothing like like being rewarded for a little hard work. Especially on my home lake. When I have fished other lakes, I have dropped bp's on them too when permitted. Even a couple of weeks before a Crappie tourney I have dropped BP's on a lake I was going to fish.

Now, I will always find other Bp's when I fish no matter what lake I fish. Seems like every time I go out I find at least one or 2 BP's.

all of the above

I stopped dropping brush piles a long time ago. I got tired of the covert operations of it from the law and others. These days, I prefer fishing standing timber. To me, better fish come off of timber. if I fish a brush pile, it's one I've some stumbled across or someone has shown me. We need a pot licking icon. LOL. I rarely look for them anymore.

I plan to put some out here so that I have places to fish that are close to me and will require less fuel & time to get to them. I just want the ability to idle out and be able to catch a few

I'm learning the Bp putting out thing .
If it turns out like making jigs and
Catching on your own jigs like I think
It will .. I'm gonna have a lot piles
Out there ..like once said .. Nothing like
Making or putting out your self and catching .

Take your pick:

I like them just drop the trolling motor and your there spots myself
requires lots less fuel for sure
KABOOM

For years back home my dad, gpa and myself would drive around on new years day....we would for "free" remove folks' Christmass trees and load them up on a flatbed car trailer.....my dad would take off a monday/tuedsay and we would all go and load up the ole' pontoon boat with trees and put in some work....

We would reap the rewards all year long and then do it all again the following winter. I'm from Phoenix so it was a chore to do this because lakes weren't close....however....I wouldn't trade those memories for anything. 3 generations of my family working together to enable good times all year.

If you do it like this...it's worth it. If you fish to eat, it's worth it. If you fish for recreation and practice catch and release...scan and go. I think the biggest thing is when folks "potlick" and keep everything that is a 1/4in over the line!!

Bobby,

I said icon, but I guess I meant smiley. It should be kinda easy for those who made the smilies. A smiley profile sticking it's tongue out licking a pot.

Potlickin is a new term for me, but I assume it is not good?

Thing about putting out brush in a lot of lakes, its the only cover around. So you are actually helping instead of just taking... But yea, I look around also!

I enjoy putting together BP's and improving the habitat of a local lake. I have friends that do the same and we share pile for pile with certain rules like don't share or don't share with others who don't put in the effort. I do have some that no one else knows about but by doing this, I have twice as many piles I can fish. And yes I have seen others fishing piles I have built but am sure I fish a few of theirs as well so it is all good. I just feel better about myself because I have put in the work to enjoy the sport while improving the habitat.

I build my own brush piles. I don't have side imaging & for me it is just easier.

Usually 3 bamboo tops 10' tall, in a triangle about 15' apart. When I drop them I gps each one separately. Once I go to a couple of locations, I'll have a good idea of how the fish will be staging/setup on the structure as the day progresses.

Different days they will be on the windy side, calm side, shady side. But this way they are easy for me to pattern. I only need to figure out the depth for the day.

It also contributes something to a lake that doesn't have much natural cover in it.