What is the history of storms that have effected Santreer Cooper fishing?

[cjrich]

Planning Lake Marion/Moultrie first week in November.

Have there been past storms/rain that have had a major impact on Marion/Moultrie bass fishing for any length of time?

[santee bass]

The 2 main hurricanes that I remember were Hazel in 1954 & Hugo in 1989.I was almost 10 when it hit.I had been allowed to take the jon boat out to bream fish when we were at the lake house.The biggest thing I know was that this storm broke off maybe 50% of the standing (all dead) timber in the main lake.There was so much matted timber in the Goat Island area that you could walk on it & you could not see the other side of the lake because of it.This created what was known at the “Log Jam” & there use to be a Landing in Taw Caw Creek called Log Jam Landing.Santee Cooper used steel cables & sunk a lot of this timber on the lake bottom between Goat Island & Nelson’s Cut.Ever now & then,the cables rust through & a log will float to the surface.I never saw the Log Jam because I wasn’t allowed to go into the main lake.

The next storm “Hugo” was much different for me.It took out another 30% (maybe more)of the timber.Santee Cooper brought in 2 big barges.One barge had a chipper on it that would chew up whole trees at a time & then blow the chips on to the 2nd barge. The lake looked sick (orange milkie look) for weeks.with debris everywhere.I was guiding a few days after the storm hit & the fishing sucked for a while after the storm.I went out on the upper end of the lake,by myself,just to look at lake conditions & came up on about a mile long fish kill.I took a lake biologist assistant (Jim Glenn) to see this the next afternoon.He told me that the wind was strong enough to turn the lake over & the fish died from no oxygen.
I think the lakes will be impacted by the wind,heavy rain & flooding that could last for weeks when you consider the amount of water that will come down the river system.Some areas of the lakes want be impacted as bad as other areas,just have wait & see how everything plays out.

[cjrich]

Many thanks Inky. Very interesting history.

[cjrich]

Still planning my trip for 1st week in November.

How has Lake Marion been effected thus far from Hurricae Florence?

[ONECASTAWAY]

Still planning my trip for 1st week in November.

How has Lake Marion been effected thus far from Hurricae Florence?

There has been quite a few floaters. A couple logs the better part of 2.5’ in diameter floated into Blacks since the storm. Someone cut them into sections and drug them into parking lot. I heard there were some more in the canal.

I saw what seemed more then normal amount of trees sticking out of deep water today in the lower lake as well.

Over all nothing crazy just par for the course on Santee.