Building Brushpiles

[raise the motor]

How did you manage to wrap the wire around the rocks without the rocks slipping off?

I built a funnel shaped cage of sorts using limbs and wire. Brush was wired to the cage and rocks added until is would sink. I used my pontoon to tow the mass to the desired site then added rock from shore.

At one location I used a dead sycamore tree (6 inch at stump) to which I tied a cage, then added rock.

The problem at Bull Shoals is that all of the larger dead trees are well above the waterline and therefore difficult to manually move to the water. If there were a way to get a large tree to the water it could be sunken.

I build the mass on a trailer, then backed it into the water to be towed.

Joe

[basscatfan]

I've sank over 100 brush piles some years. And it is hard work. I pour concrete In A 5 gallon bucket with a piece or romex wire doubled up and stuck down in the concrete with a loop sticking out to tie onto. After the concrete sets up I turn the bucket upside down and drop it and the concrete pops right out as long as it's not filled up to the top. If it's about 3" from the top it weighs 90 lbs and will sink any tree that can be moved by hand and won't roll under water even if they are running current. I prefer live oaks and hickory trees because they last the longest under water. Don't worry too much about what your using to tie the weight and tree together with because by the time that rots away more than likely the brush will be rotted away also. I have best results by sinking brush in an area that is void of structure.

[countryred]

I used to make my own back in my tournament days. I would use two methods. The first one is taking a 5 gallon bucket and putting about a dozen 4 to 6 foot hickory or oak limbs in it and flare them out all different directions. Then pour the bucket 1/2 full of sackrete. These were very transportable and easier on bass boat carpet. The second was using a 2 hole concrete block, laying it holes up and adding those same limbs and adding sacrete. Both worked well.

The weight of them helped hold them in current. I would place them on flat bare points ,mostly on the main lake. The key depth would be 15 to 25 foot deep,at normal pool...Most stood about 5 foot tall. I didnt fish them them much until late June through September. Most of them I would set out in line with something on the bank. Hold the boat deeper than they were and throw towards the line up. Deep crankbaits that would just touch the tops were my first choice. Second would be a 10 inch worm.

It was nice having a few holes to myself to starting hitting about 10 am each tournament day. Some turned out to be duds although they looked great. Some others really paid off. One year I weighed in 44 keeper fish off of just one of them. The most I caught off it in one day was 8. It was good for 3 or 4 most times. I did notice it would have either several 2 to 3 pound fish on it or 1 lone 4 plus.

Others were inconsistent, maybe 1 or 2 , maybe none. Others turned out to be crappie or white bass holes.

[Old plug]

My primary choicd is the tops of big oaks when I can get them. You know how up high you can see those garly limbs. That what I like.

There is a big oak a couple houses down from me that has to be taken down because of borers. I know the tree man and he tells me because it is so close to a big house they are going to cut it in pieces and remove it in stages. He said he will try to cut the garly libs of for me. I plan to haul them out into the lake and drop them in 30 ft of water one after the other on top and beside. If everything goes I hope to have winter time crappie bed. I bet this bed be no less than 20 ft long. There are allready beds from it moving up towards a spwasing area. Crpie being a crazy species they do bot a.ways follow it but the bass are on that trail all summer long.

Someone mentioned that you cannot brush a COE lake. Clearwater issuch a place and where i learned to brush at the hands. of master over 40 yrs ago. Ingot a. otion there is brish pile in all those lakes that were not COE authorized. On LOZ just about everyone brushes.

[countryred]

I was able to get a permit from the COE to put out brush on my home lake. They wanted a map of where it was put out, not sure how accurate I made it. Not sure if they still give out permits.

[Old plug]

Countryred------ I think you know exactly how to brush. so many people do not and just create a mess. Just recently a fella here obtained a whole big stack of 2 in flexible plastic pipe from of the untilities in the area free. He Secured them in a 55 gal trash can. The pipe was bent over and made the whole bed look like the top of a umbrella 12 or 14 ft wide. I was looking at it and mentioned to him he might want to drill some hole at the top of the beds to bled air. NO he said it was not need anything like thaf. He also was to plant this monster next to his dock. The bottum there drops fast. I suggested he cable the thing to the dock. NO again it would stay there. Last I heard it was a 40 ft and leaving town. I think i still a picture of it. I will post if I do.

[Old plug]

Thos is the bed I was talking about before he sunk it

[rFisherk]

I guided on KY Lake for a decade, and all we guides sunk brush piles in strategic locations during the winter. I have considerable experience with this and can tell you the best to sink and fish around are ones you make yourself from PVC. Pretty simple, and doesn't cost much, especially if you can find some scrap PVC. I found it to be less work than gathering trees and all that stuff.

You take a 5-gallon plastic bucket and fill it with concrete. Then you push a 4- or 5-foot section of 2- or 3-inch PVC into the middle of it. After the concrete sets up, drill holes at various locations and run 1-inch PVC pipes through them so they stick out 2 or 3 feet on both sides. The more the better. I usually put about 12 1-inch pipes in a 5-foot trunk.

These will last forever, and hook points don't snag in them.

A few years ago, Ray Scott (founder of BASS), told me he makes PVC kits for sale, and he sent me some to test. Good product. But I'm not sure he is still making them. Google it.

[Old plug]

Fisherk----- I know someone owns a small plumbing Co in St louis. I have had one pretty gig onecdown in a well for about 8or 9 years

[Ham]

How did you manage to wrap the wire around the rocks without the rocks slipping off?

It's actually really easy.