Hunting season is coming to an end and the fishing, except for an occasional sauger, white bass or striper has not really gotten started. This makes for an ideal time to prepare for the up coming crappie or bass season.
The best way to accomplish this is by putting out structure. Building stack beds or sinking brush piles are a few methods that are used by my fishing partners and me.
Tobacco stacks are easily to obtain from farmers that use to raise the tobacco, but know they are happy to trade them for a fresh mess of fresh crappie.
The stake beds are placed next to a drop off or creek channels when the water is at its lowest level. The stakes are driven in to the ground about 12 inches and about 6 inches from each other to form a rectangle which contains about fifty to seventy-five stakes. The tops of the stakes are just even to the water level. A post driver does not work well for this as you get soaked. A sledge hammer seems to work the best even though it is hard work to drive from a boat or while wearing waders.
Brush piles work equal as well but acquire several of you lures during a season. Most hard woods work well and seem to last longer than pines. One or two tree tops are tied together with copper wire and a cinder block or two is wired on for weight. Placing them along creeks or drop off seems to be good locations for these structures as well.
A new way that my brother Larry and his fishing partner Allen are trying is taking a 12