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Thread: 5 Questions about condos

  1. #1
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    Default 5 Questions about condos


    [1] Best time to put them out?
    [2] Best time to fish them?
    [3] How long do they have to be out before you start catching fish?
    [4] Can they be placed anywhere and still be effective?
    [5] Do you have to have something on the bottom to keep them form falling over?

  2. #2
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    [1] - Any time
    [2] - Crappie will hold on condos all year long depending on food source, depth, water temp. Condos are most productive I think in summer and fall.
    [3] - Depending on location, you can place condos and catch fish off of them the same day. Most of the time it takes a couple of weeks or more before they are really productive.
    [4] - Most places are okay. Some are better than others. We generally place them close to drop offs or depth changes or on long flats. Just don't add a tree to the forrest.
    [5] - We use 5 gallon buckets as the base. If you lower them using a rope, they should stand straight. Most of the time we just chunk them over and hope for the best though.
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    Way to go Jeff. Just retired and determined to learn crappie fishing with the help of good folks like you and this board. [Love this board]
    Thanks again for the quick reply and help

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    Default Jeff if that’s grapevine Texas

    Jeff if that’s grapevine Texas I live about 100miles north and would be interested in a guided tour for sure just to learn crappie fishing. I have bass fished Ray Roberts without much luck. In fact I have not got into fishing like a lot of people and don’t do very good at any of them. But determined to learn crappie fishing and get better at bass fishing.

  5. #5
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    Yep, it's Grapevine Texas. Right now we're in a winter pattern doing a bunch of spider rigging. There is a lot to learn right now, but the absolute best time to learn is probably in late spring, early summer. We get to fish a lot of different cover with varying techniques.

    I'd be happy to take you out. Just give me a shout when you're ready.
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  6. #6
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    I'm answering all these questions under the assumption that your crappie condos are being made from bamboo. Bamboo seems to attract fish faster and keeps them longer whereas hardwoods might sour and take longer to stabilize and start growing the necessary algae.

    [1] Best time to put them out?
    Year-round!!! Deep stuff in during the Fall for Winter and the next Summer; Shallow stuff in during Winter for the Spring; Mid-range stuff in during Summer for the Fall.
    [2] Best time to fish them?
    Not trying to make a wise crack or anything, but when the fish are on them. The crappie will change the depth at which they are holding or staging depending on water temp, oxygen content and barametric pressure. The general rule of thumb is shallow in Spring and Fall and deep during Winter and Summer. Of course, there are the transition periods between the seasons when the crappie will be holding in the mid-ranges. For example, Jerry and I have more than 300 spots on Lake Greeson now, but can only fish a fraction of them at a given time due to the migrational movement of the fish. Remember, the above is only a general guideline. The fish will fool you everytime and be somewhere you might not think they are. So, if they're not deep, check shallow; if not shallow check the mid-ranges. Find'em, Fish'em, Fry'em.
    [3] How long do they have to be out before you start catching fish?
    We have caught crappie off our bamboo condos as early as the next day. However, it's my opinion that after the leaves fall off and the algae starts to grow on them, the fish are more abundant.
    [4] Can they be placed anywhere and still be effective?
    My experience on that is "No." Of course, you might put a condo in just anywhere and attract some fish, but they might not be the crappie that you're looking for. Crappie use primary and secondary creek channels as highways. If you place your condo in, on and near these channels, they will be productive for crappie. And, even better when you do this on the inside bend of a channel. You end up creating a natural stopping point for the crappie to stack up on. Another good place to put condo are on points. Three will do the trick: one shallow on top, one down the point in a mid-range for a staging bed and the another down deep. And, if these points are near channels that's all the better.
    [5] Do you have to have something on the bottom to keep them form falling over?
    No. We use a five-gallon bucket filled with 60+ pounds of Quikrete stuffed with 15-20 pieces of bamboo that are 10-15' long. When we take them out to sink them we usually drop the top in first and then the bottom. She rights herself and drops like a parachute perfectly. Some we have even dropped on steep 45-degree slopes and they are standing straight up. The bamboo wants to float and that much weight on the bottom works great.

    I sincerely hope this helps you out and answers your questions. Jerry article about condos in the articles section of crappie.com is a good one and it has pictures of the building process as well as the finished product. They are really easy to build to be so big and they are lasting a long time in the water. Well worth the time in my opinion.
    Quit Wish'in and Let's Go Fish'in
    Darryl Morris

    FAMILY FISHING TRIPS GUIDE SERVICE
    501-844-5418 --- [email protected]

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    Quote
    I'm answering all these questions under the assumption that your crappie condos are being made from bamboo. Bamboo seems to attract fish faster and keeps them longer whereas hardwoods might sour and take longer to stabilize and start growing the necessary algae.



    Just wondering if anyone knows if it's true that hardwood trees go through a souring stage? I've built a few brushpiles over the last 3 years and it does seem that you may catch fish as early as a couple of weeks and then the pile goes bad for a couple of months before picking back up again. At any rate, I like hickory and oak because they last a long time and don't have so many small limbs which makes them easier to fish. Thanks.
    Mark

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    bobberdown is offline Slabmaster II * Crappie.com Supporter * Member Sponsor
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    This is an Idea for building a Condo

    I place them in the summer when the crappie are deep and they will be settled when they come in in the fall.
    I do bait them with commercial fish food when I set them and don't ever put any bait on them after they are set.
    I set them in 10 to 15' on secondary points.
    If you know some one in the building trade you can get the supplies to build them very cheap of free.
    and with a little work you can move them if they don't draw crappie in the first location.

  9. #9
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    Default Very interesting

    Interesting concept for a condo.

    If you don't mind me asking a couple of questions:
    How are they as far as getting hung up? Looks like with everything vertical it should be pretty well snag free.

    How would you go about moving one after you dropped it?

    Nice work and I bet it's a crappie magnet.
    <--Click for Website

  10. #10
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    Also, since it is so tightly packed, do you only fish around the outside edges or do you find fish inside?
    Quit Wish'in and Let's Go Fish'in
    Darryl Morris

    FAMILY FISHING TRIPS GUIDE SERVICE
    501-844-5418 --- [email protected]

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