Adding Brush?

[Jason Essary]

Ok, to the ones that know more than me. What are the Corps rules on adding brushpiles to table rock. I have fished a couple that a friend has showed me and have done wonderful at times. Would like to add a couple, nothing large, but have heard that its not allowed.

[Dutch]

Technically it is government property and you are not supposed to take anything from it or add anything to it without permission but that doesn't seem to stop anyone. There are brush piles on about every point and bank on the lake.

There is one guy on BS who has reportedly put out close to 1000 brush piles over the years.

[Crappie Fisherman]

Ok, to the ones that know more than me. What are the Corps rules on adding brushpiles to table rock. I have fished a couple that a friend has showed me and have done wonderful at times. Would like to add a couple, nothing large, but have heard that its not allowed.

If you like fishing brushpiles, you might want to check out the MDC map at: http://newmdcgis.mdc.mo.gov/tablerock

[Jason Essary]

Thanks, have a couple that MDC has put out that are decent, but none of them are where I would like to have them.

Has anyone ever heard of someone getting ticketed for dropping brush. Bill commented last year about people cutting brush on the bank and taking it straight out and dumping it. Not what I have in mind. Would use dead cedars brought from home and tie to rocks with galvanized wire.

Really wanting to do it in the next couple weeks but want to make sure that I dont get myself in to some kind of trouble.

[Quillback]

Here's a number to call:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Table Rock Project Office

4600 State Highway 165

Branson, Missouri

65616-8980

Phone: (417) 334-4101

Fax: (417) 334-4169

Email:

ceswl-tr@usace.army.mil

[Sam]

In my experience, anytime you ask a government agency IF you can do something you're in for a hassle. They're not gonna tell you that you can put anything in the lake - if they did, people would be dropping junk cars in there. It's always better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

If you can get a bunch of free PVC plastic pipe cut-offs (good luck with that, with no construction going on), they make the best brushpiles. There are all kinds of articles and diagrams on the web about building brushpiles out of those, and there are even bases made for them with sockets to fit the PVC.

PVC lasts a long time where cedar breaks down and soon disappears, within a short time algae grows on PVC attracting minnows (and the minnows attract crappie), it's nearly invisible to a depthfinder so mark the GPS position and it's all yours, and you don't get hung up on it. Cedar brushpiles' mission in life is to reach out and grab crappie jigs.

I've only read about this stuff, you understand. Purely an abstract discussion.

[Quillback]

Doesn't hurt to call, you might get an answer right away, and I would not want to be standing in front of a judge asking for forgiveness. Why take a chance?

[rps]

When the lake was way down 4 or 5 years ago, a very industrious person (not me)placed 15 or 20 of the pvc "brushpiles" on points and channel breaks. I logged them and then lost the map. I only remember 2 but they produce when fish are at the right depth. The problem is they are normally too shallow.

[Sam]

Doesn't hurt to call, you might get an answer right away, and I would not want to be standing in front of a judge asking for forgiveness. Why take a chance?

The Corps is going to reserve the right to give a ticket to anyone abusing the lake by dumping junk in it, so they'll have to tell you not to put anything in the lake. If someone is dumping old washing machines, tires, bedsprings, etc. I think they oughta get a ticket. But when the Corps itself puts barge-loads of cedar trees in there for brushpiles, I wouldn't think they'd cite a fisherman for doing the same thing responsibly and on a small scale. I'm just guessing, though.

[Quillback]

I would not think they would have an issue either, but it's always good to have know the rules. I've done a little research, because I'm now curious myself, and as far as I can tell each Corps lake sets it's own rules as far as adding fish structure, some Corps lakes apparently completely forbid it, I doubt that's the case on TR, but if I was planning on putting some stuff out I would give them a call. Heck I may give them a call myself just to see what they say.