Topo help and adding structure to my dock

[ctfortner]

Need some help from the smart people So we bought a place this spring on Pickwick Lake, on the Alabama end. I have yet to get my bass tracker down there for several reasons, but it will be soon. Anyway, I have two things I would like help with.

1) I want to add structure of some kind around my dock. My son fishes the dock 24x7 when we are there, literally, running yoyo's all night if not pole fishing. We catch nice shellcracker, gills, cats, etc already, but I would like to add some structure to it an make it better. It would be great to attract some crappie too.

Anyway, the dock end is around 8-9' of water at summer pool, and not far out from there is a deep channel. I have read all through the different structure posts, so i have a good idea of things to use. My main concern is we swim at the dock as well as drive ski boat, bass boat, jet ski etc. So I can plant stake beds or pallet condos or anything that could remotely hurt someone. Maybe I should focus on adding things under the dock and walkway where we wont be jumping or swimming. Or should I move away from the dock and add things there, but still in casting range.

Some pics here show what it looks like now. you can tell where there water will end up at by the water stains on the posts.

2) I would love someone who understands reading topo's to take a look at the topo pics I attached here and help identify good places to start, if any. If i need to zoom in on a area and post it, I can. I have had some (neighbor) locals that fish a lot tell me there is no good crappie fishing near us, have to hit bear creek which is about a 12 mile boat ride. Of course that could mean "stay away from my crappie" for all i know lol. I dont think/know if there is much underwater structure around. I do have a new Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 93SV mounted to the tracker that I am anxious to learn to use and see if I can find some.

[broharrell]

Put some oak limbs under the walkway. Stakes would be easier to fish though.

[scrat]

Would be easy to make some stake beds now. Be sure to put them far enough from the piers so that someone diving into the water would not hit them and hurt there selves.