Fishing brush piles without spotlock

[Ketchn]

That will keep you locked in place

unless you like losing tackle when the boat sways it is the best way to do it if possible .
not all piles and winds are the same for sure

[cattoon]

I have pretty well decided that without a steady breeze to help, that my spot lock can be more trouble than it’s worth. On a calm day or if the wind is switching directions I get frustrated by the over correcting and end up swinging all over the spot. In a steady wind it is priceless.

[DockShootinJack]

Wind was gusting on me yesterday. I was spotlock'ed in place. I still had a large swing. The wind would push me out of position. The notor would ramp up to move me back to position, the wind would stop and the motor would overshoot. It would turn 180 to move me back the wind would gust and we would over shoot again. I probably had a 20 foot area the trolling motor was operating in. In a good steady breeze or current the thing holds steady as a rock

[DockShootinJack]

unless you like losing tackle when the boat sways it is the best way to do it if possible .
not all piles and winds are the same for sure

I am used to losing tackle because of boat movements. It is the nature of shooting docks. In 3 hours yesterday I was hung up 15 times or so. Broke off twice, and tied on a new jigheads 3 times because I was suspect of the hooks breaking from being bent back into shape so many times

[pescador]

You also might want to add some of these litewire jigs??

Hooks
Home of Litewire Hooks. 478-308-9505. Curtis Hobbs (Litewirehooker on Crappie.com).

Good luck


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[silverside]

People positioned boats with anchors long before there was spotlock. Once the anchors are in place there is no noise to spook fish

That's me described here.
If the brush pile is near standing trees I ties off with Brush Grippers.

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[DockShootinJack]

When I first started shooting docks. I would catch one or two and then they would shut down. Had a fella tell me it was the trolling motor moving water under the dock scaring the fish. His reasoning was big flathead catfish eat crappie. Big flathead catfish disturb the water. My catch rate went up with anchors. I used spotlock now and do not have an anchor on the boat. I really need to put the anchors on there and use them went fishing at certain situations

[Tturk]

I’m going to try the anchors soon. My lake does “pump back” right after each pull and that might make it a little more difficult but I’m sure it’ll work itself out


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[jay the baptist]

You anchor guys, do you use anchor-mates or not?
My elbows hurt after pull up anchors for a while.

[Ranger690]

I don't have spot lock. I do the same. Allow for wind and any current, drop anchor and let out line. I do not get over top the brush. I do use marker bouys. They give a good reference. I like to have one on each side of the brush, but out far enough to not interfere with casting. A pontoon can be a beast when catching wind. If you have current, you can anchor off one corner. and use motor as a rudder to help correct position. Also, since I"m not overtop the brush, I will drop a second (very heavy) anchor off the back to help stop the swaying. My Richtor anchor does well for this. A cinder block does well too. Just get a cheap rubber backed , front door mat to sit cinder block on when it's in the boat.