Thread: How do you find brush piles?

What lake are you fishing, funbun ?? If it's a reasonably large lake, there's likely some good contour maps available for it at your local tackle stores or Wally World. If it's a small lake ... there still may be one for it. Just Google the name of the lake and add the words "contour map" ... and that will tell you if any are available.

Entry level depthfinders are fine, and they will find the brushpiles for you ... you'll just have to get close to them, in order for the DF to "see" them. (as per my explanation about cone angles)

I've used "entry level" DF's since the 1970's ... and I've got 3 or 4 dead ones in my closet to prove it Rofl But, I also have an old flasher unit that still works (& is on a friends boat) as well as two regular b/w depthfinders on my current boat. I'm in the process of upgrading the bow unit to a Lowrance Elite 5DSI Depthfinder/Chartplotter. (just a fancy name for a color DF & GPS mapping system)

Before there were any such things as depthfinders, the "old school" way of finding a brushpile was dragging your jigs or minner rigs just off the bottom, as you drifted or paddled your way around Doh Rofl ... and you were guaranteed to find one !! And the more lines you had out, or the more expensive the baits you were using ... the greater the % of the guarantee Hands Clapping

... cp

It's William Oliver Lake in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Well, funbun .... it took a little doing, but I did find this : Map Sales and Service and your "lake" is listed. But, I think I'd contact them, first ... to see if they will tell you exactly what the map will show, before spending $11 +s/h.

Considering what your "lake" really is ... a 1000 acre section of a river ... I'm pretty sure the contours will probably be in 10ft increments, or greater. I'm not sure, but there is a possibility that "fish attractors" may be marked ... but, those would likely only be the ones the state has put out, unless the public "brushpiles" have to be documented/permitted. Even so, that information would have to have been shared with/submitted to the mapping company.

Overall, I really doubt the map would be worth the cost. You would probably be just as well off, if not better off, to just get a topographical printout of the lake ... and just troll around & mark your brushpile spots, as you come in contact with them (either by running over them with the depthfinder, or into them with your bait).

Google Earth or Google Maps can be used to give you an overhead view of the length of the lake ... and you can "print screen" several sections of the zoomed in image ... and mark the spots you find. You could also make notes, on the map itself or back of the page, indicating depth the brush is in & any permanent landmarks that can be used to line up with/between, in order to fine tune the locations.


That's about the best I can offer. Have you looked around your local tackle businesses & Wal-Marts, to see if any maps are available ? If there are none, and your DNR or F&W Dept. doesn't offer any kind of 2D topo map ... making your own is your next best option.

... luck2ya

... cp

go longlining, on a 1000 acre lake, you can cover it in a few trips, you'll find more structure than you prefer (after getting hung up numerous times) and having to re-rig. An entry level FF (<$100) will show structure/fish/bait fish balls, and if you have a HH gps, you're set. If you don't have a HH gps, try and use reference points on opposite banks (trees, cell phone towers, rocks, anything) to mark it, especially if you catch some fish. $250 should get you a decent FF/gps combo if you prefer that route.

Try checking with the local County Engineer`s Office to see if they have topo maps before the impoundment was built. If it`s a COE or TVA impoundment, check with their offices.

Thanks, all. I think I will go the FF/GPS route, and just do a lot of studying on the water. I figure that will be time well spent. There are five bridges that cross that river section and several streams that enter it, so that's plenty to start with.

My iPhone is my best tool for the money. Navionics has an app that is fantastic for under $10, I love the fact that I have a lake map with 1 foot Isobaths in my pocket at all times. I downloaded a free gps app. Any cheap ff will do the trick. Idle around depth you want to find brush using your navionics app, watch your ff for brush and then mark it on your gps.

Originally Posted by funbun

Thanks, all. I think I will go the FF/GPS route, and just do a lot of studying on the water. I figure that will be time well spent. There are five bridges that cross that river section and several streams that enter it, so that's plenty to start with.

GET TO THOSE BRIDGES Thumbs Up and try this : Vertical Casting | Older Articles

I've never known a river Crappie that didn't like to hang around concrete bridge pillings (shady part, downstream end, under the crossmembers, or around any logjam that's hung up against them)

... cp