Tennessee crappie guru Bobby Holmes has some definitive ideas about bigger crappies relating to brushpiles. “For general fishing, brushpiles are like shotgun pellets,” Holmes says. “The mo’ brushpiles the mo’ better. But to attract giant crappies, scarce piles are better. The biggest fish will concentrate better in brushpiles where cover is scarce.

“First, giant crappies in clear water use brush at least 12 feet deep in fall. And in clear water, big crappies tend to suspend over the brush more of the time. So if I place a brushpile in 12 feet of water, I want at least 8 feet of open water above for them to hover in.

“In clear water on deeper flats, situate brush in 12 to 20 feet on a flat with no other form of structure, cover, or sharp contours around it—no other attraction to draw crappies. With fewer options to choose from, the biggest fish take command of the best cover available.

“Also in hill-land reservoirs, place brush in 12 to 30 feet of water on the outside bend of any creek or river channel somewhere in the general vicinity of the confluence where the creek channel meets the river. Place one on top of the break, another about midway down, and another flat on the bottom at the base of the break on steeper outside bends. You don’t want a lot of brushpiles. If you’re looking for the biggest slabs in the lake come October-November, too many piles spread them too thin.

“In lowland reservoirs, place brushpiles in 4 to 8 feet of water on shallow flats near small creeks or lateral ditches. The biggest crappies cruise these areas. Again, less is more: Situate no more than three brushpiles at least 50 feet apart across the flat. Another thing about big crappies in lowland reservoirs—in a silted-in bay where contours are no longer sharp, the biggest crappies are right in that old creek bed, if they can find it. That’s the place to drop brush for fall slabs.”