Date: Sep-06-2000

Name: Mark Davis B.A.S.S. Pro

About: B.A.S.S. Professional


By Mark Davis

Growing up in the Ozarks of Arkansas where the lakes are deep and clear, I learned long ago that one of the best tactics is one that actually brings the bass to you. I’m not talking about a special lure; I’m talking about building underwater condominiums for bass to call home.

Brushpiles. I have built and planted hundreds of brushpiles in lakes. And these places have paid off consistently for me over the years.

The reason that brushpiles attract bass in these lakes and others like Bull Shoals and Greer’s Ferry is because there isn’t a lot of cover for them to relate to. The bass are really dependent on these man-made pieces of cover.

Every summer I try to spend some time planting brushpiles. Winter is a great time to do this because it is cool and you don’t have to worry about getting snakebit or attacked by chiggers. But I prefer to build brushpiles in the summer.

For some reason, it is during the really hot periods — when the water is as warm as it gets — that dropping a fresh, green tree into the water makes for exceptionally good fishing. In fact, there have been times when I planted green brush in the morning hours and returned that evening to find bass on it.

Perhaps the greatest thing about brushpiles is that, with a little forethought, they can be your own private hot spots. I build my brushpiles at night or times when there isn’t much traffic on the lake. The whole idea is to keep the location of these condos to myself.

So I try to pick places that are hard to find. Brushpiles in obvious places like major points get fished so hard that they are unproductive. The first criteria I use for planting brush is that it is near deep water, either a major creek or the river channel. I prefer humps, isolated areas or large flats with a good breakline dropping off into deep water.

I always position the brush right on the lip of a breakline. That, I believe, is a key to attracting fish.

In clear lakes like Ouachita, I think the key depth is about 20 feet or so. But that varies with each individual lake.

Although a well-placed brushpile can be productive throughout the year, my favorite time to fish these condos is in the summer, especially the hot months of July and August. Brush is its best when the water is hot.