are 30 year old tree stumps productive for you?  if so what type of conditions

Yes, yes, yes. Old tree stumps are great. They usually have exposed roots that give bass and other fish plenty of places to hide. The conditions just depend on several things. Depth, proximity to deep water, fish activity. Fish could be on stumps any time of the year. I have this one stump that I have caught several fish on. I caught fish in the Spring, Summer, Fall and I caught one on Monday.

Regardless of its age, if the stump is still there, it's still bass cover.

Conditions to fish those stumps would depend on the depth of the stumps,

their nearness to weeds or brush, and their nearness to a drop-off.

were you counting the rings on the stump  just wondering?

Old gnarled stumps+mud flat=bass heaven  

Pitch a jig or tube to 'em and throw shallow square-bill cb's in the spring, in the summer try a buzzbait or jig around 'em, and in the fall try burning a lipless cb and throwing topwater stick baits like sammy's.

were you counting the rings on the stump just wondering?

 

sorry that didnt come out right.  i meant a resivior that is 30 years old and the stumps have lost its appeal

I don't think you "stumped" any body with that question.  I love washed out root systems on those stumps, old ones too.

Wood takes longer to decay when it is underwater. Sometimes you can find the stump and look around and find the tree top close by. Sometimes when you find a treetop blown over and the roots are visible there is a pit or depression that bass will call home. Old stumps that water has washed the dirt out from under the roots give a place that is hard to get to and can hold a good bass. Many stumps if they are placed right will hold bass year after year. The key stumps will always be the ones closest to a drop or creek channel. If your fishing a large group of stumps fish the ones on the outside edge or cherry pick the big stumps they usually hold a bigger fish.

On top of what everyone else said........pay attention to the bottom composition around the stump.......for example......in the spring bass frequently make their beds next to stumps......so in spring look for those stumps in the backs of cuts, bays and so in and look for them with a hard bottom with little silt or mud.          

I fish a lake that has tons of old stumps all along one side.  Whenever I see wood I usually reach for a jig and pitch it as close to the stump as I can, but I've caught tons of fish off those stumps with a buzzbait when the topwater bite is on.  Some of my favourite stumps are surrounded by lily pads or slop.  These things are absolute fish magnets.  For them I like to throw a scum frog and twitch it slowly (make sure you have a follow up bait ie. tube or jig or worm etc for missed strikes) or a spinnerbait if the weeds aren't too thick.  Jigs work well for me on those stumps too.

Hope this helps

were you counting the rings on the stump just wondering?

sorry that didnt come out right. i meant a resivior that is 30 years old and the stumps have lost its appeal

I WAS JUST PULLING YOUR LEG  

Yes!I catch most of my good bass on a stump littered,grassy flat.You can cast in any direction and you'll most likely come in contact with an OLD,submerged stump.The reason I say OLD is this lake was made by German prisoners during WWII.We have a large military base about a mile from where I live.

reason i ask is the In Fisherman book states that stumps that have lost its branches do not attract bass anymore

Yes, yes, yes. Old tree stumps are great. They usually have exposed roots that give bass and other fish plenty of places to hide. The conditions just depend on several things. Depth, proximity to deep water, fish activity. Fish could be on stumps any time of the year. I have this one stump that I have caught several fish on. I caught fish in the Spring, Summer, Fall and I caught one on Monday.

I agree,  if you catch fish at a particular stump chances are you will catch fish there most of the time.

Stumps are definitely your go to target.  Shallow, deep, in the water, stickng out of the water.  In the spring there is nothing like pitching a jig or trickworm next to a stunp and have a big moma inhale it!

In the dead of summer I fish break lines lined with stumps and find them VERY productive.  The stumps are your friend!!  But keep your motor out of them.

Deep water stumps sticking up like poles won't hold suspended bass like those with their limbs/braches.  However, shallow water stumps left by the loggers and puplwooders or the trees left that were too small for them to mess with when they removed the the timber before they flooded the area never loose their appeal.  Clarks hill was backed up in the 50's and many of my best honey holes are places covered with one foot high stumps in 5 - 15 ft of water.  They still produce some great fishing.   You will loose a lot of worms/lures, but it's well worth it.  

reason i ask is the In Fisherman book states that stumps that have lost its branches do not attract bass anymore

What they are trying to tell you is that a stump that has lost it's branches will not hold bass as much as a stump 10 ft away with irregularities to it. Irregular features in general no matter if its the location or just something different maybe a different kind of stump or position will always draw more fish then something plain. If it is the only stump on a point they will still use it regardless. Your taking a general statement and applying it as a fact for every situation which isn't true. Your trying to read into it to much.  :

The bass in my AVATAR came from a stump, a really big stump in 2ft of water October of 2005, weighed 6lbs 11oz and caught on a spinnerbait.  The lake is over 30yrs old.  This particular fish was up on a flat along with several others feeding in the morning.  These stumps give great ambush points.

ive caught quite a few fish around stums or just plain fallen timber. bass hang out around there all the time

Shoot yeah stumps are good. I try to fish cover on structure so if the stumps (cover) is on a drop or bend in a creek channel (structure) then you should be in the big mammas. I would cast to the sunny side this time of year, and I would see if there were a current or at least a prevaling wind as both of those things will wash out under it leaving a hole. The sweet sows will be sitting in the hole chilling. Good luck.

8-)