Staying on the brush pile

[MAB]

Hello everyone. I’m new to the board but have been lurking for a while trying to figure out these crappie. Bought a second hand boat last fall to try my hand at fishing. So far have had poor results trying multiple methods. I’ve been thinking about going out with a guide to learn some techniques but haven’t pulled the trigger on that yet.

My boat came with decent electronics so I should be able to find the fish. I’m still having trouble controlling the boat. How do you stay on top of brush piles? I am all over the place with the trolling motor. I end up churning the water all up and probably scaring away all the fish! This spring I took off the junky Motor Guide trolling motor and replaced it with a new Terrova, which is nice, but still can’t stay on the brush pile and fish at the same time. What is the trick to this?

[jackie53]

No 1 marked your brush pile (marker buoy)( not in the brush pile)( just outside).No 2 point your boat into the wind if possible.No 3 put your trolling motor in the slowest speed that will allow you to move up to the brush pile. No 4 we use ozark 10-11' crappie pole's which allows you to drop your bait (minnow/jig) down into the brush and keep your trolling motor away from the brush pile.Start at the outer edge of the brush pile and work your way into the middle of the brush pile. hope this helps!!

[Locator79]

Like mentioned, I like to drop a buoy, and fish from different angles.

[popper]

[MAB]

Thanks for the reply's! I will try out your suggestions next time I go out and I will purchase a long jigging rod. I have been using 6' rods. I need a better method than what I am doing now, which is just going out to the deep part of the lake and drifting around. I do catch some fish this way, but they are very small!

[Cmj]

Jackie53 pretty much covered it. The buoy marker is a must. As soon as I mark the brush on my depth finder, I throw out a buoy. Then I will troll around and see how the pile lays in relation to my buoy. As Jackie said, start on the outsite and work your way in. I also like to start at the top of the brush and work my way down into it. As for the boat control part, it just comes with practice.

[justinp61]

As others have said use a bouy. It seems that the wind is always blowing when I fish so I toss my bouy on the upwind side of the brush. This way if I blow off I'm blown away from the bouy not over it. An aluminum boat is harder to control in the wind than most glass boats. For vertical fishing I like 12 rods.

Keep after it, you'll get better as time goes on.

[MAB]

As far as TM technique, Is it better to keep the boat pointed into the wind and the motor constant on at whatever speed will maintain a fixed position and try to keep position this way? Or do I keep punching the intermittent on button as I drift off? What method will spook the fish less? Or am I trying too hard?

[bfish]

Two anchors. Set the first off the bow, then swing in close (using wind or trolling motor). Then set your second (usually off the stern).

[MAB]

Interesting idea... So put the anchor out upwind and then drift back to the pile and tie off when you're over it?