Standing timber vs brush piles for big fish?

[jwilson48]

Which do you prefer for size? Numbers? Just curious how everyone else feels. Seems to me the majority of our big fish is standing timber but numbers come from brush. Large limb brush piles can sometimes have both.

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[Snubby]

Depends on the waters you fish.. I prefer standing timber on new lakes.. I can visualize the fish from there. Folks that have marked brush piles (submerged) can be deadly... just my two cents. I catch my bigger fish on the visual timber in the months they happen to be there... course I haven't graduated to the big time just yet... :-)

[jackie53]

"Trees" standing timber"Our home lakes are full of deep timber.Oaks and pine mostly.This time of year we like standing trees with large long extending limb's in 20' of water or more.The fish or crappie are not on every tree.They the crappie use these trees as ambush points to catch their prey "shad",schools of Bream".When you find them can load the boat

" Brush piles"Again like the ones in 20 ft of water at least and like the brush piles out on creek channels with nothing else around.The edge of a flat right next to the creek channel have been the best.Same as the standing trees the crappie get in around these piles to ambush their prey "Schools of shad",schools of bream"not on every brush pile when you find the right pile."Can load the boat"

We prefer the tree or brush pile loaded with a school of 2 lb crappie.Catch a limit.LOL

[CrappiePappy]

Actually, I prefer blowdowns/laydowns/deadfalls or whatever you call a tree that's lying on it's side ... from the shoreline down into at least 15' of water. I can usually depend on getting a few off of it, even if standing timber is close by.

[jwilson48]

I agree pappy. That is the best there is, problem is, those are few and far between. Anytime I see one I fish it regardless of what else I'm fishing that day

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[PIGINTHEPIGPEN]

Brush piles for both quantity and size for me. I have caught a lot of nice fish off of standing timber no doubt. If I had to pick one or the other, it's brush piles every time.

[Ketchn]

Some of my larger fish have come from timber , some others have come on drop offs ,and my best to date was on a sunken canoe ,also I have taken a few large fish off bridges as well , a few have been open water fish as well ,even docks on few as well .
Brush has typically given me numbers but has yielded a few over 2 as well . I am considering fish over 2 as a barometer on this question and my answer to it .....
It's a tough thing for me to answer because I hit so many different kinds of waters for them locally and each place seems a lot different than the others

[SgtCrabby]

I'll let yaknow, if I ever get it figured out on my lakes.

[INTIMIDATOR]

BIG Fish in our lake are on BIG cover (Big Rocks, Stumps, Pilings, Posts) or structure....Medium and Smaller fish are in brush-piles, laydowns, and smaller cover.

[jackie53]

Actually, I prefer blowdowns/laydowns/deadfalls or whatever you call a tree that's lying on it's side ... from the shoreline down into at least 15' of water. I can usually depend on getting a few off of it, even if standing timber is close by.

.Agree to every thing said.Love fishing laydown's. With that being said on our deep clear waters of Mo and Ark the only time fish get up into these lay down's "our experience" not Pro's or experts. Is only during the spring spawn/fall shad migration and only last a week to 2 weeks depending on lake level. I see and take folks fishing on our lakes they try fishing these laydown's this time of year and come up empty.In the spring these laydown's you can see is fished by at least 20-25 boats from day lite to dark. This time of year these fish "crappie" have backed out into 20-25 ft of water depending on thermocline and shad/bream they are feeding on.

Took some folks fishing on our home lake had rained lake came up 4 ft.Unheard of in "august"They had fished a week had caught a few small bream and white bass schooling. Took them out to the standing timber and brush piles in 20-25' ft of water were not big but crappie These fish were caught"you can tell they came from deep water the colors on them like spring" in no less than 20 ft of water and some were as deep as 35-40 ft.on our clear deep water lake to catch fish we have to" get off the banks".The buck brush and laydown's look's like fishy but the shad are not their nor the bream. The only other way of catching fish this time of year " August" is trolling bandit crankbaits out over the deep creek channel's"20-50 ft of water"."Creekslick"Type fishing.Sorry for the long post.Thanks enjoy crappie.Com always learning.when we stop learning and enjoying "Fun" fishing it's time to quite

Get a chance come fish with us and we will Show you "Show me State.LOL Great thread and post have enjoyed reading and learning.Sorry CrappiePappy enjoy your post and tutalge.