# Crappie structure



## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

I’m 6 deep in on these. My home lake as some of you know is lake Tuscaloosa it is deep and the bigger fish rarely get shallower than 12 to 15 foot. The small ones will stick to thick stuff but decent fish seem to like more open cover I’m thinking spot lock where I want them. Stand 5 or 6 up around the boat and drop’em. There about 12 foot tall red oak 4x4 base and big Bamboo tops. Wanted to ask some opinions before I got to deep in mass production.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

DANG!! That shop is crazy! I like it.

I would imagine Sicfish's shop would like similar.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Boat-Dude said:


> DANG!! That shop is crazy! I like it.


LOL Crazy full of junk! I think I need another just for storage LOL


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## webekillingum (May 25, 2019)

A guy I know drops Christmas trees on cinder blocks in a lake near Ebro in 20 feet of water. And he kills them every time he goes. If he spots someone on his spot he goes oh in the middle of the night hooks it and moves it haha. They like open water structure.


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## Notafishsnob (6 mo ago)

Jeremy where is Tuscaloosa I have side scan. LOL Will that bamboo still grow just curious. I went marking brush piles in Kissimmee today since the water is soooo low.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

webekillingum said:


> A guy I know drops Christmas trees on cinder blocks in a lake near Ebro in 20 feet of water. And he kills them every time he goes. If he spots someone on his spot he goes oh in the middle of the night hooks it and moves it haha. They like open water structure.


Your so right there. Here they LOVE open water like 20 to 50+ foot stuff I chased one down in 90 foot of water last spring cruising at almost 30 foot. Christmas Trees are not really tall enough and just a pain in the butt here to trim up enough where they will hold something other 6 inchers. Then all the crap that falls off them. They do work great in the river here just not this clear deep lake for me.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

I use to put out some simular cane reefs but I made them a little bushier with 10 or twelve canes with the tops still on them.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Notafishsnob said:


> Jeremy where is Tuscaloosa I have side scan. LOL Will that bamboo still grow just curious. I went marking brush piles in Kissimmee today since the water is soooo low.
> Middle Alabama. College Town ya know The Crimson Tide. And No. I live here not a football fan. I'm Burn the f out. LOL. And no once you cut it and send it down it will not grow. But it has air pockets in-between the joints that will make it stand up under water. This lake was built in the 70's it's mostly rock and there is very little structure. I have side scan and live imagery just want some spots where I don't have to fish as hard.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

GROUPERKING said:


> I use to put out some simular cane reefs but I made them a little bushier with 10 or twelve canes with the tops still on them.


 Thanks' Mr. Russ Sort of why I'm building them off oak 4x4's so I can add if I need to. My cane/bamboo supply is 40 to 50 foot tall. I'm fixing to dump a butt ton of time in this and I need all the advise I can get.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Ive made several types (most have failed) and I think those will fall over. I had several 5 galln buckets of concrete/ bamboo fall over with just the current generated by wind. The ones that have worked were cedar trees that i cut and hauled out and and dropped them on each other. Occasionally, ill tie a rope to a tree on the bank, cut it down and just drag it out to deep water with the outboard and let it sink.


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## halo1 (Oct 4, 2007)

well done on that bird skele location! I was like wth is that then oh! Well done


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Try'n Hard said:


> Ive made several types (most have failed) and I think those will fall over. I had several 5 galln buckets of concrete/ bamboo fall over with just the current generated by wind. The ones that have worked were cedar trees that i cut and hauled out and and dropped them on each other. Occasionally, ill tie a rope to a tree on the bank, cut it down and just drag it out to deep water with the outboard and let it sink.


Yes sir. I should have said that rim is just the jig for standing them up for assembly. This lake has very little current in it when it's Way up But has boat traffic like Perdido pass during snapper season. I have made molds for the concreate 2x2 foot square that will be I'm thinking just over 90lbs that will have the angle iron with a T welded to the the bottom in it to lag bolt in the structure. My thought was make the anchors. and structure separate put the anchors where I want them in the boat stand the structures up in them when I get them to where I want them then run lags through the angle and into the base of the 4x4's have them all standing up then go to pitching them where I want them.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

halo1 said:


> well done on that bird skele location! I was like wth is that then oh! Well done


Damn I guess I should have takein the pic's from inside looking out so ya'll would not make fun of all the craziness in there LOL


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Oh now, it's just super busy in that shop. I can tell a lot of road warrior stuff gets built in there. I like that shop, how many muffins you cook in that oven?


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Boat-Dude said:


> Oh now, it's just super busy in that shop. I can tell a lot of road warrior stuff gets built in there. I like that shop, how many muffins you cook in that oven?


Lmao .No use to be but it's slack as hell now days but that's a long draw out story With having a child when your friends are working on taking care of their Grandkids. And No muffin's are not cooked in the oven but there has been a bunch of biscuits and roll's that have been trough it and the stove top has made some excellent roux's among other things to top grilled material. Always was my favorite part was to come back clean what ever game or fish and have a cooking and talk about the adventure.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

I wish I had a shop like that, all I got is a small garage. I got shit piled everywhere.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Boat-Dude said:


> I wish I had a shop like that, all I got is a small garage. I got shit piled everywhere.


I have shit piled every where 3 buildings Plus 6 acers of Sanford and son's here and a butt ton more At my wife's Property I would say her family's but it's just her and her brother's now in West Greene . Way to much junk I'm a pack rat. But that's part of growing up being poor as hell you store or pile up everything and won't sell anything but will give away stuff you think you will not use or if you think your helping someone. Be thankful you don't have that problem. And can concentrate your efforts on what you have and make it right. Like you do. Or it's time to move to the country lol.I bet it would be fun to live close to suricanfish!


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## Deja vu (Jul 9, 2016)

i also think it may fall over but have no real experience but love your heater with the coiled tube on top.....


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## kmerr80 (Oct 28, 2013)

That spring for drying boots out on the furnace? What kind of scooters you got there in the back? We all could care less about the FAD lol


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## KPTN (May 21, 2009)

jwilson1978 said:


> have them all standing up then go to pitching them where I want them.


This sounds easy but is it really? pitching a 90lb block of concrete from a boat is a challenge but doing it with the structure attached will be a whole other issue. Crappie don't need a lot of cover, just enough to hide their eyes so it should work fine, especially in areas that are void of cover now. If you could bore holes in the 4x4 and insert the bambo I think it would be more durable.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

kmerr80 said:


> That spring for drying boots out on the furnace? What kind of scooters you got there in the back? We all could care less about the FAD lol


 Just to hang stuff on to dry or warm up. Not very useful but happen to be laying there one day when I needed to dry some gloves out and it got stuck there. Now that tray welded to the side Has roasted many sacks of peanut's it's supper useful lol. And just a couple of old Hd's


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

I used 5 gal buckets and will hold 40lbs of concrete. I use pvc waterline materials due to when you hook em the hooks slide off instead of hooking it. some peces curve more then others and you can use straight pvc for height and get a good tree!


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

You may want to put a gallon jug on the top as a float to keep it upright. I've done that on trees in a much shallower lake though. (The jug is tight to the top, not showing at the surface.)


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

hjorgan said:


> You may want to put a gallon jug on the top as a float to keep it upright. I've done that on trees in a much shallower lake though. (The jug is tight to the top, not showing at the surface.)


I think I need to do that for sure.


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## etrade92 (Jul 30, 2015)

Yep I have seen the 5 gallon bucket and quikrete method but it will lay over on the bottom. That may not be a bad thing. 

I also have a collection of old abandoned shopping carts.. They're heavy as all get out and will not move.


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## LY-zer (Jan 16, 2019)

Wilson, you can't put up a picture of your toy box and expect no comments. You have some cool stuff. I like the heater too.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

LY-zer said:


> Wilson, you can't put up a picture of your toy box and expect no comments. You have some cool stuff. I like the heater too.


It was Hot and I had my head up my butt as usual. LOL


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

The good thing is I didn't see any mannequins with arrows through it.


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## YELLOWCAT (Oct 25, 2017)

Jeremy all I do is take a five gallon bucket stick 10 or more pieces of bamboo and concrete it in. The air pockets in the bamboo will make it stand straight up. Stuff I put in 4 yrs ago is still upright.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

YELLOWCAT said:


> Jeremy all I do is take a five gallon bucket stick 10 or more pieces of bamboo and concrete it in. The air pockets in the bamboo will make it stand straight up. Stuff I put in 4 yrs ago is still upright.


That's what I wanted to do but they only person I know with any I can get it's all 20 to 40 foot tall. Large dia. stuff and still will when I find another supply


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## YELLOWCAT (Oct 25, 2017)

jwilson1978 said:


> That's what I wanted to do but they only person I know with any I can get it's all 20 to 40 foot tall. Large dia. stuff and still will when I find another supply


You can just cut it down to whatever length you want. Those smooth straight pieces seem to work as well as the thicker pieces. Less hangups also.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Pvc works good and is near impossible to find by others since PVC and water are the same density and it doesnt show on sonar. Make sure you mark it! Again, everything I ever put out fell over. Pretty sure prop was got some of them


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Try'n Hard said:


> Pvc works good and is near impossible to find by others since PVC and water are the same density and it doesnt show on sonar. Make sure you mark it! Again, everything I ever put out fell over. Pretty sure prop was got some of them


Thanks for the input I have several more things I want to try. Think I’m gona take one over to the lake and see exactly how much of a float on it to make it self right before I get to carried away


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## YELLOWCAT (Oct 25, 2017)

Made these this morning out of tomato stakes I pulled up. The ones i make out of bamboo look like these. Gonna make 4 more with what I have left.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Those Look good. I need to find some more supply sources.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

I found pics of mine.... they are in my pond so I made a lanyard with parachord and mounted a duck decoy to each one. I've gotta make a couple more...


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## Bent Double (Nov 14, 2013)

So here's the secret. Two liter bottles, Cinder blocks and 100 foot of the orange construction fence is all I am saying.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Bent Double said:


> So here's the secret. Two liter bottles, Cinder blocks and 100 foot of the orange construction fence is all I am saying.


Ya that would get me arrested for sure here. But. LOL


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