The other brushpile post got me to thinking about this. On certain lakes there is grey area on whether brush can be planted legally. Some lakes even require a permit to do so. Now I have never heard of anyone actually getting a permit and yet a lot of brush gets sunk so I ask the question if you were to plant the brush without the permit or against lake regulations and fished them in a tournament and did well should you not be DQ'd for breaking that law/regulation? Just one of those thoughts that make you say Hmmmmmm?

The question is did you break the regulation during tournament hours.

I have taken seven polygraphs and never been ask about fishing brushpiles. If it's not ask you can fail it. They even go over the questions before the test. If there is a question that you don't like the way it is worded they will change it. You have to give them the reason why you want it changed.

I would think when they ask you if you broke any laws or game laws it would include this especially if tose actions benefitted you in a tournament. Just random thinking it seems to be a grey area.

I agree with Mark on this one, it would definately fall under that specific question. As long as I have fished, everyone has sank brush for tournaments and fished them during tournaments.

The only thing I would venture to say is that if an angler puts forth the effort to sink brush and he beat me off that brushpile in a tournament, I wouldn't protest it, I believe it helps fish habitat... especially on older lakes... and I think most of the game wardens would feel the same way.

And further, what if you are fishing a brushpile you didn't sink... but still knew it wasn't a natural feature of the lake but a brushpile another angler had sank without a permit... would that be an infraction as well?

LOL... Now everyone that reads this thread that has sunk a brushpile is going to get nervous on that question during a polygraph. I don't really think this is an issue though.

Once again... just random thoughts...

I would never protest as well if a guy was fishing a pile. I have no issue with anyone putting in the work to get them sunk. I've sunk a few myself.

once again you can not be disqualified for breaking a law if you didnt break the law during the tournament. If that was so then everyone would be disqualified cause we have all broken the law sometime in our life. If you sank a brush pile on a lake 3 months before the tournament then more power to you it helps the fishery, but thats just my opinion.

I always catch better fish off other people's brush that I find rather than the one's I sank. I wonder if the people that find mine have the same results? and if they do, I wonder if there is a definable pattern to that? LMAO

I actually asked a tournament director once if there were any laws against sinking them that he knew of.

He said that you are supposed to gain permission from the lake authority, then give them the location yada yada yada. Then went on to say that he nor anyone else did that, and that anytime he has asked a GW about it that it is a none issue.

So having said that, yes I have sank brushpiles, no I have not won a tournament on them. Yes I have passed polygraphs from the lake that I have sunk piles in.

As stated, brush sinking is only an issue at the time you do it ...if it is illegal.

Also, there is no way anyone will ever be able to PROVE that you caught your fish due to a brush pile. What is considered catching a fish off a brush pile? ...under a limb, beside a limb, 6 inches away, a foot, 10 feet, 30 feet .....??????

Maybe the fish was holding on a stick that was there before you planted the brush pile.

I'd hope not... as much weight as I tie onto those things he'd look like a flouder before it was all said and done.

Dont you think that you should actually fish instead of planting 15 brushpiles around the lake then hoping from brushpile to brushpile. THATS NOT SPORT!! Sometimes people act like the local tounaments are bigger than Elite Series. If its a tournament you dont have to qualify for it shouldnt be taken so seriously that you feel you have to basicly bait a hole to beat the other guy.
Tournament competion on this level is for fun and to improve your skills, for the next level. if your doin that (planting brushpiles) your cheating yourself from being a threat at the next teir of competion. I know this and im 14!! ( im not trying to be disrespectful just tryin to point ut something)

Well if you plan on being competitive in the future and even now you better have some brushpiles or know where some are. You would be surprised to know how many pros fish brushpiles and even hire guides to get information.

So if I find 10 boat houses with brush piles with fish on them before the tourney I am cheating myself if i just run to those 10 boathouses instead of fishing for hours in between them where there is no brush on the boat houses? It does not have to be boathouses, it could be points or ledges with brush. I know I am fishing where the fish are and not wasting my time on patterns that I have not established to improve my skills in a tournament. Sport is finding and catching fish whether they be on brush that was put out or grass in specific areas.

No i said if you do it yourself!