09-27-2011, 07:24 AM
Not really a report but and HOW TO!
If you really want to get serious about setting out brush piles prepare
yourself for some hard work, but it can pay off big later. Bass will use brush
piles throughout the year but the heat of summer and winter are the prime times
to fill your live well with brush pile bass or turn that 14 pound limit into a
20 pound sack with a big brush pile kicker. I'm not advocating breaking any laws
but the ol chain saw and pruning shears method is hard to beat. About the best
way to legally get and sink trees is asking someone clearing a lot off for
construction for the ones they cut. They had rather give them to you than have
to deal with them themselves almost every time. Another way for me at Lake
Mitchell was after a tornado had gone through; there were prime hardwoods of all
sizes along the bank blown over. A lot of my brush piles are large trees I've
found floating down the river. If I'm just out fishing for fun I usually have a
few concrete blocks in the floor of my boat just in case. You'll probably be
surprised how much you can find to sink if you get in the habit of looking for
it while on the lake.
A lot has been said about Christmas trees good and bad. Personally I use
them, but they only make up about 20% or less of my pile. A bass isn't going to
sit around starring at a Christmas tree all day. They need some bulk, something
they can get under for shade or cruise around in looking for food. Just like the
bass the bait fish need something they can hide and move around in if they are
going to hang around. A couple of Christmas trees or a bush placed beside the
main pile gives bait fish somewhere to gather. Think of these as the bass'
dinning room. I can put up having to vacuum my boat afterwards if it means more
fish in the boat. I've tried the pvc pipes sticking out of a bucket with
concrete in them. I don't see these as good brush piles but an addition to the
main pile.
What to use for the main pile? To me nothing works better than a real tree,
preferably any hardwood, but I want turn my back on a big pine if I catch one
floating along. Before sinking a tree think about getting hung up in it. Trim
all the twigs and smaller limbs. The more forks it has the better. Point the
treetop towards where you'll be fishing from. Jut before I untie and let it sink
I tie a concrete block to the under side of the trunk to keep it up off the
bottom. A tree trunk lying flat has little to offer a bass. Construction sites
are great for finding brush pile material. There's a gold mine in those
dumpsters, and it's free. You may get some strange looks but I've never had
anyone object to me getting something they have to pay someone to haul off. One
thing I like to do is liquid nail a few pieces of 4" black drain pipe into a
large landscape bucket, let it sit a few days, fill the pipe about half way up
with concrete, then while wet flip it all over so the concrete falls to the
bottom of the pipes. What you wind up with is a stump sitting a foot or so off
the bottom with 4" roots around it and it will all last forever.
See what you can find and let your imagination go to work, just keep in mind
shade, security, and ambush. Speaking of lasting forever I use only copper wire
scrapes for tying my blocks to brush. Nylon rope and treble hooks are not a good
match. One of the few things I never use is palettes, too many pinch points to
get hung in. My most productive brush pile has a good size tree, a 10 foot
fiberglass column with blocks on each end to keep it off the bottom a bit, a
couple of Christmas trees, and five landscape buckets with a three foot pvc pipe
sticking up from the center. I cut slits in the pipe and glued small real-estate
signs into them. Like I said be prepared for some work, and use your
imagination. Also prepare yourself to fail. I've place brush piles in some
really good looking places that have never produced a fish. If fish aren't using
an area don't expect them to use your brush pile.
As for size and location I want my pile to be about the size of my boat.
Large enough to hold multiple fish but I can fish it in 15 minutes or so. As far
as location there are the obvious creek channel intersections, and bends, but my
favorite is to place one in 8 to 10 feet leading into a shallow pocket that has
little natural cover, especially light on vegetation. Think about whether or not
it will be seen, or cause a hazard when your lake is at its absolute lowest
level. Location could be an article by itself. As for when to plant brush winter
is no doubt the best time, fewer eyes, and all the leaves have fell. Good Luck
and hope to see you on the lake, especially if you dragging a brush pile.
If you really want to get serious about setting out brush piles prepare
yourself for some hard work, but it can pay off big later. Bass will use brush
piles throughout the year but the heat of summer and winter are the prime times
to fill your live well with brush pile bass or turn that 14 pound limit into a
20 pound sack with a big brush pile kicker. I'm not advocating breaking any laws
but the ol chain saw and pruning shears method is hard to beat. About the best
way to legally get and sink trees is asking someone clearing a lot off for
construction for the ones they cut. They had rather give them to you than have
to deal with them themselves almost every time. Another way for me at Lake
Mitchell was after a tornado had gone through; there were prime hardwoods of all
sizes along the bank blown over. A lot of my brush piles are large trees I've
found floating down the river. If I'm just out fishing for fun I usually have a
few concrete blocks in the floor of my boat just in case. You'll probably be
surprised how much you can find to sink if you get in the habit of looking for
it while on the lake.
A lot has been said about Christmas trees good and bad. Personally I use
them, but they only make up about 20% or less of my pile. A bass isn't going to
sit around starring at a Christmas tree all day. They need some bulk, something
they can get under for shade or cruise around in looking for food. Just like the
bass the bait fish need something they can hide and move around in if they are
going to hang around. A couple of Christmas trees or a bush placed beside the
main pile gives bait fish somewhere to gather. Think of these as the bass'
dinning room. I can put up having to vacuum my boat afterwards if it means more
fish in the boat. I've tried the pvc pipes sticking out of a bucket with
concrete in them. I don't see these as good brush piles but an addition to the
main pile.
What to use for the main pile? To me nothing works better than a real tree,
preferably any hardwood, but I want turn my back on a big pine if I catch one
floating along. Before sinking a tree think about getting hung up in it. Trim
all the twigs and smaller limbs. The more forks it has the better. Point the
treetop towards where you'll be fishing from. Jut before I untie and let it sink
I tie a concrete block to the under side of the trunk to keep it up off the
bottom. A tree trunk lying flat has little to offer a bass. Construction sites
are great for finding brush pile material. There's a gold mine in those
dumpsters, and it's free. You may get some strange looks but I've never had
anyone object to me getting something they have to pay someone to haul off. One
thing I like to do is liquid nail a few pieces of 4" black drain pipe into a
large landscape bucket, let it sit a few days, fill the pipe about half way up
with concrete, then while wet flip it all over so the concrete falls to the
bottom of the pipes. What you wind up with is a stump sitting a foot or so off
the bottom with 4" roots around it and it will all last forever.
See what you can find and let your imagination go to work, just keep in mind
shade, security, and ambush. Speaking of lasting forever I use only copper wire
scrapes for tying my blocks to brush. Nylon rope and treble hooks are not a good
match. One of the few things I never use is palettes, too many pinch points to
get hung in. My most productive brush pile has a good size tree, a 10 foot
fiberglass column with blocks on each end to keep it off the bottom a bit, a
couple of Christmas trees, and five landscape buckets with a three foot pvc pipe
sticking up from the center. I cut slits in the pipe and glued small real-estate
signs into them. Like I said be prepared for some work, and use your
imagination. Also prepare yourself to fail. I've place brush piles in some
really good looking places that have never produced a fish. If fish aren't using
an area don't expect them to use your brush pile.
As for size and location I want my pile to be about the size of my boat.
Large enough to hold multiple fish but I can fish it in 15 minutes or so. As far
as location there are the obvious creek channel intersections, and bends, but my
favorite is to place one in 8 to 10 feet leading into a shallow pocket that has
little natural cover, especially light on vegetation. Think about whether or not
it will be seen, or cause a hazard when your lake is at its absolute lowest
level. Location could be an article by itself. As for when to plant brush winter
is no doubt the best time, fewer eyes, and all the leaves have fell. Good Luck
and hope to see you on the lake, especially if you dragging a brush pile.