Brushpile question...

[big "E"]

I posted this same question on the SC board , but wanted a wide range of responses.Thanks in advance for any reply.It's that time of year and I'm ready to set some brush.But I got a question that has bugged me as of late.I know that you weight the bottom of your brushpile to make it stay down and I know you put a plastic bottle or the like tied to the top to keep it buoyant.My question is this , if your'e setting a big pile say 15' tall or so and it is comprised of a heavy wood say oak , is it neccessary to use more than one bottle to keep it upright?I know a 2 liter pepsi bottle under water is trying really hard to get to the top , but will it support that much weight?I plan to put in some work soon to insure some better fishing in the future but want to make sure I get it right the first time.I have set piles in the past but they have always been the christmas tree variety , and there aint much to that.Thanks for any reply....E.

[Jerry Blake]

Hey Big E:

I've never used any floatation on my brush piles - just pile'em up with plenty of bushes and small trees - pinoak and cedar mixed together - works really well.

We look for bushy trees with long limbs so that even when laying on their sides on the bottom (most will be on top of other trees) there will be limbs sticking up 8 or 10 feet off the bottom.

It will take a lot of floatation to float one end of a good size oak tree once it gets waterlogged. If you get too much floatation then it will float off before it gets water logged.

This year I am making condos out of bamboo that are 12 to 15-feet tall and the bamboo provides enough floatation to keep them standing up. The bamboo is really attracting the crappie well and I'm planning on making a lot more bamboo condos.

[big "E"]

Hey Big E:

I've never used any floatation on my brush piles - just pile'em up with plenty of bushes and small trees - pinoak and cedar mixed together - works really well.

We look for bushy trees with long limbs so that even when laying on their sides on the bottom (most will be on top of other trees) there will be limbs sticking up 8 or 10 feet off the bottom.

It will take a lot of floatation to float one end of a good size oak tree once it gets waterlogged. If you get too much floatation then it will float off before it gets water logged.

This year I am making condos out of bamboo that are 12 to 15-feet tall and the bamboo provides enough floatation to keep them standing up. The bamboo is really attracting the crappie well and I'm planning on making a lot more bamboo condos.

what shape are you shooting for with the condos?Is it a box shaped structure or do you shoot for tree shaped or what?I have a nice huge bamboo forest nearby my house , and might try to make one or two of these to try out.A lot of the brushpiles that become uncovered in drawdowns and such revealed to me that most folks use a pepsi bottle tied to the top to keep it upright.You have a valid point about a waterlogged oak tree....E.

[Jerry Blake]

Hey Big E:

We make a huge, wide bush out of the bamboo. Here's a link to a post I made with instructions on how we've been doing them:

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=3301

I've been fishing a couple of these that some other fellers put in almost two years ago and they are still producing.

[big "E"]

Hey Big E:

We make a huge, wide bush out of the bamboo. Here's a link to a post I made with instructions on how we've been doing them:

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=3301

I've been fishing a couple of these that some other fellers put in almost two years ago and they are still producing.

That was really informative.I must have missed that when it first aired .Those look pretty good from falcon smitties pictures.They are certainly a lot cheaper than the pvc.I will deffinately try a few of these this year , as I already have 16 80lb. bags of concrete in the shop waiting on a purpose.I think I might use some of the many landscaping buckets I have around here.I'll just have to plug the holes in the bottom.I even have some 30 gallonn buckets , this could get interesting .Thanks again for the tip.

[TAE73]

Hey Big E, check with your local construction equipment rental place. Myself and another guy rented a electric cement mixer for 25 bucks a day. You could load 160 lbs of concrete in and it mixed well. It was well worth the 25 bucks on all the less back pain we got. We have been making a few of the pvc trees with the 4" main pipe and 1" limbs on it. And taking scrap 1x1 lumber making up right trees also. We stick about 7 or 8 pieces of lumber in the bucket after we pour the concrete in. Make them 8-12 foot tall been putting in 16-20 foot of water. We have went back and fished a few and caught a few crappie of them. Makes you feel good when "You build they will come" saying works!

[FalconSmitty]

for the shallows maybe use trees and stake beds. But for any water with depth BAMBOO is the only way to go. they are so easy to make and transport. you can make them any lenth and put them at any depth. The fish seem to love them. I have 8 out now and 2 in the backyard going in the morning. I put one down on a tuesday and caught fish on it on thursday. Last friday I sat over another one for 2 hrs and caught near 20 crappie(6 keepers) 2 bass(green carp) and 2 4lb catfish. That condo had only been in the water 2 weeks. Use the bamboo it is the easiest struture on the market the cheapest and IT WORKS>

[duane]

Hey Big E, check with your local construction equipment rental place. Myself and another guy rented a electric cement mixer for 25 bucks a day. You could load 160 lbs of concrete in and it mixed well. It was well worth the 25 bucks on all the less back pain we got. We have been making a few of the pvc trees with the 4" main pipe and 1" limbs on it. And taking scrap 1x1 lumber making up right trees also. We stick about 7 or 8 pieces of lumber in the bucket after we pour the concrete in. Make them 8-12 foot tall been putting in 16-20 foot of water. We have went back and fished a few and caught a few crappie of them. Makes you feel good when "You build they will come" saying works!

Wonder where it find bamboo in MO?

[FalconSmitty]

Wonder where it find bamboo in MO?

I deliver it by the truckload to a neutral site for all in the southeast! I have hauled just about everything that grows. The price of gas is high and I am not rich so yall could get up a fund to get me back home. Maybe get in a little fishing.

[FalconSmitty]

I have an 8'x16' trailer and could run it in bunches of 12 in the bagger to squeeze the limbs and leaves. They would stack as high as I wanted because of the light weight. Whew that's beginning to sound like work. lol
It would take me awhile to locate cut and bundle the stuff. What would be a fair price for 12. This stuff works I tell ya. I might be able to get Russ to shoot Jerry and I an infomercial. You in Jerry. Bamboo condos by Jerry & smitty......