Mack, we also tried it at Lewisville with no such luck

Using the right type of brush and setting it in the right locations is the key to having a sucessful brush pile.

Willow is mostly all I use for brush piles it has proved to be the most productive. It is better to set it out while it has leaves on it.

Setting the brush along a ridge or drop off will also improve the productivity of the pile. Crappie travel down these ridges and you will find that you will get new fish on the piles more frequently. Sure you can just set out any type of brush out in any area and it may produce a few crappie but if you do it right you will have a long lasting productie brush pile.

Depths to set it out in are differant on some lakes but if you set it in 15 to 20 ft of water it should work for you.

True that crappie do not just come to brush piles to feed. But on the same hand they do feed on them. This is one of the main reasons that willow piles produce more fish. The leaves on the willows stay green for a few months and the leaves will bring in the bait fish which will help hold the crappie on the piles. They don't have to travel off the pile to feed.

I don't and will not set out any type of mill product. That will bring in the carp and cats. I will disagree with Ernest and Guy both on the use of alfalfa hay blocks. Is it necessary to use alfalfa hay? No. Can it help hold more crappie? Yes. Being raised on a dairy farm we always had alfalfa hay in the barn and through many years we set some out on brush piles for crappie. We never had any problems with carp or catfish on those piles. Alfalfa hay is a great draw for minnows.

If you think about it, it makes sense. Fish will hold more on areas that the food is available. This is why if you just set out brush with just limbs or condos the fish hold to more once it has time to collect algae. The fish don't feed on the algae they feed of the bait that the algae produces.

Each has his own opinion on this and this is mine.

some time ago i had an old timer tell me of the days when bait out crappie holes in the timber with range cubes, go back the next day and sack em up.. though i had heard of people doing such before i acted as though he were senile.. but guess who had to go put the theory to test at his tree'd out boat slip..ya that would be me... wish i had the $10 back i spent on cubes.

I was going to mention this as I too have that issue of F&S but I figured everyone would think I was crazy posting that up hehe

It's good that we don't all agree. Probably most of us are correct at times. Whatever you have confidence in and that works for you is right. More idea's the better.

Here ya go Crappie_hook

Just brush, they will come.

i was being very sarcastic in case you didnt notice the obvious..lol Just wanting to hear all the bs people would say...

willow tree