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 Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees? 
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Post Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
I have acquired ten Christmas trees and will be mixing up some quickcrete to put in buckets and weight the trunks.

I am going to drop them all in a wad in the White River near Goshen, Arkansas. I am debating myself on the depth of water I should drop them in. I can put them as deep as 40, and also have places where it is real shallow. I am hoping to get them in an area that already holds fish, but want to keep it out of view so other folks are not as apt to find them.

I would like to have them near a decent size stump/tree where I can hang a lantern and night fish.

I am thinking that water around 12 foot would be ideal. Any thoughts?

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Do it up here with cinder blocks
Works great


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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Here we like to put our trees in about 20 feet of water so we can fish the tops of the trees (Less hang ups) Our Crappie go deep in winter, like to your trees. I also like to put mine around a hump or a creek bed that has a drop off they like to hang around drop offs. (at least around here) I often use sand bags keep in mind Christmas trees do not tend to last long they rot faster than say hard wood. So the less money you spend the better. Oh if you have deep water docks or piers that is a great place to sink your trees as well.


Mon Jan 15, 2018 6:07 am
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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Good advice.

Talked to some locals. They said stay away from the main channel because the hard rains will bring current that will wash them away. I am going with buckets and concrete to get it a little heavier.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
I did this a few years back. The cinder block did not sink the Christmas tree... I was disappointed :lol:

I would sink using sand bags or concrete.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Think about the weight of water vs the concrete. You lose give or take 65lbs of concrete weight once it goes under (I don't remember the number, saltwater is 64 something, fresh is a little heavier I think). So it has to weigh at least that, plus the buoyancy of the tree. Add current and you need even more weight. Cinder blocks aren't very dense (air gets trapped in them during their creation), and don't weigh 65lbs to start with.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Quick crete and a 5 gal buck work! BTW one or two of those trees need a sack(cloth type) of range cubes attached that will make the big fish like them more! 20-30 ft deep.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
I use sand bags for weight, Sand free. I usually sink 50 to 60 trees. 5 gallon buckets of cement would be awesome but expensive. Plus remember Christmas trees do not tend to last a long time. at least that's been my experience.


Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:53 am
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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Concerning depth - presently, Beaver Lake is about seven feet low. It is the lowest I have seen in six years.

That being the case, I will look to drop these around 12 foot deep to account for the water rising.

I found a stack of old sand bags. Some of the banks have a crap ton of downed trees and deadfall. I believe I will take a axe and bow saw and bind up some into brush piles and sink them also.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?


Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:36 am
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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
The entire Beaver Lake is now froze over.

If it gets much thicker, I can just walk out and pre-place all of my structure. When the ice melts, it will drop right were I want it.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?


Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:32 am
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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Got six of them in concrete today. I used 2.5 gallon buckets with about two gallons of concrete per tree. I will add one sand bag per tree and I am going to tie all of them together at the trunks with nylon cord and anchor off to a large dead tree in the water.

Tomorrow is supposed to be rain and high wind. I figure it a good day to be clandestine in my drop. It wont keep the depth finder boys from finding them, but perhaps it will prevent anyone from seeing me run down the river with a boat load of trees.


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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
I looked it up - two gallons of concrete (depending on type) weigh between 34 to 40 lbs.

A concrete cinder block weights between 28 to 38 lbs.

I believe the 2.5 gallon buckets will work by themselves.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Got six of them sunk today in the rain.


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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
The mouth of the creek was eat up with fish.


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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?


Mon Jan 22, 2018 4:59 am
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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
100 trees will make a slew of structure.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Today was day three of sinking trees and brush piles.

One day I will be the freaking Johnny Apple Seed of the underwater tree world.

Today I used sand bags for weight. I took a saw and was clamoring up the ruck ledge cutting hard wood brush and then filling the sandbags with rocks. I lost my footing and went backwards down the rocks headfirst towards the drink. The sandbag went into the water but somehow I managed to stop. Sure am glad there was not a boat nearby to witness such a thing.


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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?


Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:28 am
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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?


Wed Jan 24, 2018 6:58 am
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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
Ranger did the 2.5GA of concrete make them sink quick?

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
the 2.5 gallons did work on the small (4 to 5 foot trees). On the big trees I had to add some sandbags with rocks to sink them solid to the bottom.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
If any MMT members live in my area, PM me and I will give you the exact location of my brush piles.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
You can build ya some of these when you can't get your hands on trees, or add them to your existing brush. They don't rot ;) sand the PVC exposed to rough it up and wipe them down with water from your dogs bowl before you take them to the water, this will promote algae growth. You'll be catching fish off them in short order... its harder for the kids to get their hooks in them too.


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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
After the hard rains I tried to do some bass fishing and decided to go run over my brush piles with the depth finder on to see how much fish were stacked up.

The current from the flood must have been more than my buckets with concrete could handle because the brush piles were gone.

I am sure fish are stacked up on them somewhere down stream.

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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
sorry to hear that. Can you look for them and find them? May not be to far off?


Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:34 am
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Post Re: Baiting Crappie with Christmas Trees?
I went fishing this past weekend. I had placed several hotels (pvc) in some areas about 2 years ago. I caught my first Crappie off them so it was rewarding. The bite was slow Saturday apparently it was on the weekend prior. The cold front really slowed the bite up north near Tyler, TX.

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