sneaking in your condos

[crappiepants]

Do you worry about people seeing where you put your crappie condos? Some of the lakes i fish are very busy.

[jmack]

I've put some out this summer, the first i put out about 8.00am, there were several boats out, but only one seemed interested, real interested, he came over to within about 50 yards and seemed to be "just fishing around", but as soon as i moved off the site, he came straight over in a b-line fashion and hunted around and around, i don't know if he found it or not. after that, i started putting them out at night, or very early before dawn. I did show two guys i met on the lake where one of them was, they were fishing very close to it, so i let them know, (they may have already known) turned out they were the famous Crappie.com "percher and oneon". small world isn't it.

[EDDY CREEK BANDIT]

Yes I worry about it, but once I put them out they no longer belong to me. I use PVC a lot, that doesn't show up very well for a year or so. I do try to put them out on lesser boating traffic days, or at odd hours. I do not go to the effort I saw last summer. A guy had his boat full and his truck full at about
2 AM launch at KY. Dam Marina this summer. He would not make eye contact with me.
THE BANDIT

[NIMROD]

We try to put them out unseen if possiable. We have so many fishing and lots of folks don't put out any. Those guys usually just try to find everyone others put out. Sad when you work hard to put them out and get crowded off them by folks too lazy to help. Have seen the same boat anchor over one we put in for several days in a row. They will tie a jug or float to mark them ,which we don't ever do. Why does folks like to mark them when they did nothing to help ? Nothing you can do but try to put them out unseen. I will sometimes not fish a hotspot with lots of folks close by. Don't mind sharing with those willing to help build.
We even fed Catfish on holes to fish and were crowded out. Have resorted to open water fishing and GPS to mark our fishing holes. Sad but true, so called sportsmen often don't consider the work others go to have a good fishing spot. They just want to reap the rewards of your labors without having to do it themselves. Not bad thing if they luck on to one. Pretty sorry when some locals just watch and hunt your spots.
Some folks think this is OK . Nothing you can do except not put them out on crowded days. We have several that share spots with us , but work with us to build and put out condos. We welcome those who help and even share other spots with them .

[Knappy]

we try to put ours in very indescretly as well--even thought the lake we put them in is so large--folks still seem to be able to find them---those babies do work and in some cases they are great to have---Knappy

[barn dog]

I put some out last night and I was the only one on the water. 20-25 mph winds keep a lot of people off.

[mduncan62]

The way the electronics are getting, you can forget it. Put em out at midnight if you want. Anyone with side imaging could sweep through, mark everything. Heck, they could sell GPS coords to people if they wanted.

The days of thinking your structure belongs to you are gone. Reality finally might set in for the "structure owners"

[sac-a-lait]

Whatever Mducan62...Those $1,500-$2,000 fishfinders arn't all over my lake. Anyone down here crazy enough to buy one and then find my condos---well HE EARNED IT!!!

I don't build mine thinking no one will find it...I just want the fish to find it. If I build 100 beds then no matter what I will always have some to fish that are "private"...10% of the people catch 90% of the fish.

[mduncan62]

I agree, and I put my own stuff out too. I was making reference to the people who put it out and then think they own it, and try to force people off and/or threaten them with harm. Like the idiots that will put a sprinkler system on their dock to keep people away from it.

[crappiepants]

thats one of the funniest things i ever heard of. I never knew people would put sprinklers up to keep people away from their dock. Now all they needs is a hidden camera too and they can really make a good show.