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Thread: Crappie Beds

  1. #1
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    My father in law lives on a small lake that is being drawn down and he wants me to make some crappie beds for him.I've got lots of Christmas trees.Is there anything special to making these (IE.tie together,weights,stacking,depth, etc) ??

  2. #2
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    at least put them where you will remember EXACTLY where they are. fishing ten feet from them isn't good enough most of the time.

    we used to slide the tree into two cinder blocks (one top and one bottom of tree) and tie with cord that wouldn't rot.
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  3. #3
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    Christmas trees are traditional, better than nothing, but rot faster than you think.

    There is a lot of info out there about using PVC or other pipe, but my favorite new thing that I am going to try is BAMBOO....

    Check this site out...

    Bamboo Crappie Condos
    "Only accurate rifles are interesting " - Col. Townsend Whelen

  4. #4
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    Another old idea, get several hardwood pallets(some of these are made of very good rawcut wood in other country's, such as teak or mahoghany). Nail them together in cubes and triangles, load em in the jon boat behind the bass boat, drag them to said locations, use 1/4" cable, the better the cable the longer they will last, secure multiple environmentally friendly 8" x 16" block(s) to the pallets with the cable, drop down carefully.

    Be careful, I have been chunked out of the boat more than once doing this.

    My dad and I put out piles on murray, greenwood, and the hill. 9 out of 10 of them are still within 20-30 ft of their original location, and hold crappie, bass, and tons of bait all year long.

    Put them in some deep water(10-30ft), in key locations (river bends, primary & secondary points, humps)locations that already hold fish, the piles are mainly for the baitfish, the target fish have to be in the area.


    Don't tell all your friends about them if you wanna catch fish.

  5. #5
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    From hard experience...

    Use AT LEAST 2 cinder blocks per tree if going that route. You would think that a cinder block would hold down a freaking little ole tree but it won't. 2 won't for bigger trees...

  6. #6
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    i built some of those triangles out of some pallets some stupid fock dropped off at my club...and let me tell you--strap the conder block to the pallets BEFORE loading on the boat. cutem and i had one helluva time getting the cinder blocks to stay on the pallets. they kept sliding off onto the bottom of the pond. we now have one solidly in place and another that floats across the pond on a daily basis.

    check out www.pondboss.com . they have some neat examples and ideas on there.
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  7. #7
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    You know that was operator error. Prolly looked like 2 monkeys fuckin a football.

    Are you sure there was not another force at work?

    pondboss has some good shit.

  8. #8
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    you have what some would call a nomadic brushpile.

  9. #9
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    a lot of beer was involved...but we perservered.
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  10. #10
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    no doubt, as the dynamic duos always do.

  11. #11
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    Mergie Master is offline Dedicated Tamiecide Practitioner
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    2th,
    Did y'all put them in the pond for crappies or for bass structure?

    Reason I asks is I have heard that crappies are the worst fish you could have in a pond. And that since they run in schools will eat up all your baitfish and your fingerling bass and bream. Eventually cleaning the pond out of bait and other gamefish.

    Anyone else ever heard this?

    I know several really large ponds that have good crappie numbers/fishing, so maybe the size of the pond is important.
    The Elites don't fear the tall nails, government possesses both the will and the means to crush those folks. What the Elites do fear (or should fear) are the quiet men and women, with low profiles, hard hearts, long memories, and detailed target folders for action as they choose.

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  12. #12
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    My grandpa had some in his pond back in the day and the crappie took over the whole sumbitch.
    RIP Kelsey "Bigdawg" Cromer
    12-26-98 12-1-13

    If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.

    Missing you my great friend.


  13. #13
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    Thanks Lab. That's pretty much what I've heard.
    The Elites don't fear the tall nails, government possesses both the will and the means to crush those folks. What the Elites do fear (or should fear) are the quiet men and women, with low profiles, hard hearts, long memories, and detailed target folders for action as they choose.

    "I here repeat, & would willingly proclaim, my unmitigated hatred to Yankee rule—to all political, social and business connections with Yankees, & to the perfidious, malignant, & vile Yankee race."

  14. #14
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    Take different size pcv pipe and different lengths of it and stab it into the ground. The pipe will grow algae and attract bait. I always heard Crappie like verticle structure as well.
    She was long and lean every young mans dream

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    I'll see if I can find a picture or link, but I was told a while back about a PVC structure that can be built at home. Supposedly this particular one won't show up on a depth finder, so you don't do somebody else's work for them. They are also easy to transport/deploy.

    Don't know if it's realistic to believe it or not...
    I don't need my name in the marquee lights....

  16. #16
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    Trees rot, you will have to replace them. go ahead and build you some pve frames and sink them. It will be well worth it.
    Be proactive about improving public waterfowl habitat in South Carolina. It's not going to happen by itself, and our help is needed. We have the potential to winter thousands of waterfowl on public grounds if we fight for it.

  17. #17
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    I like to drop 'em on steep dropping points, especially if a creek channel is nearby.

    I'm gonna try some PVC structures this year, and some bamboo condos. I'll put my shallowest ones in about 8 feet of water (low profile) and run others out in 30+ feet (tall ones - condos)

    Murray is coming up good - water level is over 356 now - so it's a good time. I turned my dock light on two weeks ago, so maybe I'll start getting some crappie and stripers returning to the dock.
    "Only accurate rifles are interesting " - Col. Townsend Whelen

  18. #18
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    I know of a few PVC trees deployed on Lake Greenwood. PM me and I can tell you the best way I heard of to build and set your own. Keep in mind, dropping manmade structure into a public body of water is called littering.

    This is what I refer to as black-ops, gentlemen.

  19. #19
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    It's harder to sink a hook into PVC also...
    I don't need my name in the marquee lights....

  20. #20
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    Good point SM.

    When I fish brushpiles for crappie I usually use heavier line and the gold "wire" crappie hooks due to hanging up so much. That way when the hook sticks a limb I can bear down and straighten it. Bring it in, re-bend it and start over.

    But I'd rather crappie fish with an ultra light if possible. The PVC structures make that easier.
    The Elites don't fear the tall nails, government possesses both the will and the means to crush those folks. What the Elites do fear (or should fear) are the quiet men and women, with low profiles, hard hearts, long memories, and detailed target folders for action as they choose.

    "I here repeat, & would willingly proclaim, my unmitigated hatred to Yankee rule—to all political, social and business connections with Yankees, & to the perfidious, malignant, & vile Yankee race."

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