Texas Transplant
Well-Known Member
This account (unedited content) was taken from a subscription service that I belong to. From someone who fished this past Saturday at the Santee Cooper BFL.
I fished the 2nd event of the BFL on Saturday at Santee Cooper and it is one that I will be telling my grandkids about! The weather man had called for heavy thunderstorms on Friday and severe wind on Saturday. Well he missed the thunderstorms, it didn't rain much and he also missed the wind. They said the wind was going to blow 20 mph, but take it from an eye witness, it was up to 40 mph!
The worst thing was that lots of guys were really catching the fish in the lower lake in practice with the tournament blasting off from the upper lake at John C. Land. The fish that I was on was also in the lower lake and I had to make a decision about risking it to get down there.
I have a Triton TR-186 with a Mercury 150, not a huge boat as far as bass boats go. I weighed all the odds and decided that I had to cross over and get to the canal. I figured I could catch a good bag there, and then hurry back before the wind got too bad. I blasted off #2 and was very surprised because the wind wasn't really bad first thing in the morning.
I crossed the lake in the markers, ran behind Sixteen island, through Cherry Grove, and into the canal to Black's Camp (in the lower lake). I fished a spawning pocket that I had caught bedding fish in the week before and had no bites. I backed out and fished trees and caught 2 fish that weighed 9 pounds and 3 ounces.
It was now about 8:30 and the wind had picked up so much that I had to run my 69 lb thrust trolling motor on 5 to even fish the trees. I left Black's to try one more spot in the canal and couldn't get a bite. By this time the wind made the lake, even though I was in protected areas, almost impossible to fish. I knew that I better try to head back.
The water in the canal was rushing so fast that you could not idle past Hill's landing. I made the left turn into the cut that goes to Cherry grove and could not believe the waves.
The time was now about 10:15, I was driving west, dead into the wind but still in protected water. The waves were at least five footers and 5 minutes into it, the head of my trolling motor got snapped off. A minute later, my net got thrown out.
We ran all the way through the islands, past sixteen, past the last couple of islands and turned out to go toward the channel markers.
What I saw is something that I hope to never see again! You couldn't call it waves, it was more like walls of water, and I'll put my hand on the Bible and say that they were 10 to 12 foot high! I turned the boat around and decided that it just wasn't worth it. My co-angler was just as scared as I was and said that he would rather walk home than try to cross.
We called the tournament director to see if there was any way that we could drive the fish over from Rocks Pond, due to the dangerous conditions. To my surprise he said that the only way to weigh those fish was to get across that lake, either by my boat, or another BFL boat!
About 30 minutes later, I saw a big Champion boat come driving down Sixteen Island. By the run he made, I knew that he new Santee well. I waved him over and it was a guy who had already helped me earlier in the day. I wish I knew his name, but I don't. He said that he lived there all his life and that he had 3 fish and he was going to cross the lake!
I said, "look at this boat and you tell me, can I cross that lake!". To my surprise, he said, "Yes". He told me not the drive the boat, but to idle out to the markers.
It was now 12:00 and I had to be in by 2:00. I got in behind him and began to idle out. About the 3rd big wave, the nose of the boat went under and filled the inside up with water, up to the seats. It was also like someone had a fire hose and was spraying me in the face with it. Luckily, I<
I fished the 2nd event of the BFL on Saturday at Santee Cooper and it is one that I will be telling my grandkids about! The weather man had called for heavy thunderstorms on Friday and severe wind on Saturday. Well he missed the thunderstorms, it didn't rain much and he also missed the wind. They said the wind was going to blow 20 mph, but take it from an eye witness, it was up to 40 mph!
The worst thing was that lots of guys were really catching the fish in the lower lake in practice with the tournament blasting off from the upper lake at John C. Land. The fish that I was on was also in the lower lake and I had to make a decision about risking it to get down there.
I have a Triton TR-186 with a Mercury 150, not a huge boat as far as bass boats go. I weighed all the odds and decided that I had to cross over and get to the canal. I figured I could catch a good bag there, and then hurry back before the wind got too bad. I blasted off #2 and was very surprised because the wind wasn't really bad first thing in the morning.
I crossed the lake in the markers, ran behind Sixteen island, through Cherry Grove, and into the canal to Black's Camp (in the lower lake). I fished a spawning pocket that I had caught bedding fish in the week before and had no bites. I backed out and fished trees and caught 2 fish that weighed 9 pounds and 3 ounces.
It was now about 8:30 and the wind had picked up so much that I had to run my 69 lb thrust trolling motor on 5 to even fish the trees. I left Black's to try one more spot in the canal and couldn't get a bite. By this time the wind made the lake, even though I was in protected areas, almost impossible to fish. I knew that I better try to head back.
The water in the canal was rushing so fast that you could not idle past Hill's landing. I made the left turn into the cut that goes to Cherry grove and could not believe the waves.
The time was now about 10:15, I was driving west, dead into the wind but still in protected water. The waves were at least five footers and 5 minutes into it, the head of my trolling motor got snapped off. A minute later, my net got thrown out.
We ran all the way through the islands, past sixteen, past the last couple of islands and turned out to go toward the channel markers.
What I saw is something that I hope to never see again! You couldn't call it waves, it was more like walls of water, and I'll put my hand on the Bible and say that they were 10 to 12 foot high! I turned the boat around and decided that it just wasn't worth it. My co-angler was just as scared as I was and said that he would rather walk home than try to cross.
We called the tournament director to see if there was any way that we could drive the fish over from Rocks Pond, due to the dangerous conditions. To my surprise he said that the only way to weigh those fish was to get across that lake, either by my boat, or another BFL boat!
About 30 minutes later, I saw a big Champion boat come driving down Sixteen Island. By the run he made, I knew that he new Santee well. I waved him over and it was a guy who had already helped me earlier in the day. I wish I knew his name, but I don't. He said that he lived there all his life and that he had 3 fish and he was going to cross the lake!
I said, "look at this boat and you tell me, can I cross that lake!". To my surprise, he said, "Yes". He told me not the drive the boat, but to idle out to the markers.
It was now 12:00 and I had to be in by 2:00. I got in behind him and began to idle out. About the 3rd big wave, the nose of the boat went under and filled the inside up with water, up to the seats. It was also like someone had a fire hose and was spraying me in the face with it. Luckily, I<
