Crappie Condos are actually artificial brush piles used to attract Crappie to the area in which they are placed in. Crappie flourish in areas in which the most cover is available. Providing artificial cover should aid you in locating Crappie. Crappie condos can be built out of several materials, and are often sunk in the water using concrete.
However, before building and sinking your own Crappie condos, be sure to check with your local parks and wildlife office, as some areas and states have outlawed them. You can visit the physical office, call them, or even visit their website to obtain this information. Build your own Crappie Condo To build this specific Crappie condo, you will need the following items: Old Plastic Buckets - You may have these laying around. If you cannot find any, you can buy new buckets from any local outdoors store, painting store, or department store. If you know anyone in the painting or drywall industry, try asking if that have any old buckets available.
Bamboo - Find bamboo stalks of varying lengths. You can typically find these stalks at your local outdoors store, building supply store, or plant nursery. If you are lucky enough to be near a patch of bamboo, you can consider using those stalks, with permission from the land owner. Concrete or Sack Crete.
A 50 pound bag will typically cost around $3.00 at your local hardware or building supply store. Hint: you may want to consider making your Crappie condos on your boat, or near the place where you launch your boat. Depending on the size of your Crappie condo, you may find it difficult to transport the condos to the area you are sinking them. Begin by placing about 3 inches of water in the bottom of your bucket. Mix in your concrete, but leave it a little soupy.
Make sure you mix the concrete all the way through. Cut your stalks in various lengths. Make sure to cut the stalks below a knuckle, as it will give you added support within the concrete. Place the first stalks angled out.
If you are having trouble keeping the stalks in place, set your bucket between trees or even between your porch rails. Use rope or bungee cord to connect the stalks to these supports. This will allow you to hold these in place while placing more stalks around them. The next stalks should be placed in various lengths and angles. The more bushy your Crappie condo is the more cover it will provide, and since Crappie love a lot of cover, there will be potentially more Crappie near your condo.
You may also want to place a bungee cord or rope around the brush to hold it in place while the concrete dries. Allow the concrete to dry overnight if the weather is warm, or two nights if the weather is cold.
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is commited to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on crappie condos here: http://www.askcrappiefishing.com
