#1 Bamboo is good... but there is a lot of stuff that's better try to make your brush piles out of hardwood type trimmings (they will last long and attract more fish, its perfect to sink em with the leaves still on)

#2 crappie wont necessarily come to a brush pile just because you put it there.. you need to find a spot that's already holding some fish.... and then add brush piles there to create better habitat. creek edges near dropoff in 12-20ft of water are good places to look.

#3 try and set out brushpiles in a variety of depths and locations. If you put all your eggs in one basket......well you know the rest of the story.

#4 when your out fishing your brushpiles dont fish one for a long time unless you are steady catching fish. Even with brush piles locations often only hold 2-3 fish that are "willing" to bite. your better off to keep moving to other brushpiles and picking up the 2-3 that want to eat, and then running into the brushpile that they are all hungry at.

#5 Try and build your brush piles so that they will stand up straight (it help to put an empty soda bottle tied to the branches in there) remember all lakes have some current. so use some of the bigger bamboo stakes to make an X at the bottom of the pot so it can stand up straight.

#6 dont be stingy with your brushpiles. if you found a likely looking spot that is currently holding some fish get at least 4-5 pots down there. (i know it's a boatload of work but it will pay off for you bigtime)