Running a boat on santee by captain darryl

[catfishrus]

I have operated a guide service on Santee since 2000. Been fishing here since the 80's. I am no expert by no means. But what I can tell you about running a boat here is, BE CAREFUL! get you a Hot Spot map and study it. Better yet get a GOOD GPS and put a Topo map in it if it does not have one. That will help more than anything. You will see were the hills are shallow water are, and deep waters is. My Lowrance GPS is the second most important piece of equipment on my boat. It is only second to my Yamaha Motor!
On the upper lake (lake marion) is there is no absolute safe place to run no matter what you think you know. The Safe Channels is the only places i run. Then there is trees washing into it after almost every storm. The Army Corp. of Eng. keeps the safe channels open. When we get storms here I have pictures of waves over 17 feet high on the upper lake. Now you got to think, the upper lake was never logged out. Hurricane Hugo broke most of the trees off just under the surface. So once i come out of the Safe Channels I shut down and idle speeds no matter how bad the storms are that is baring down on me. So once you come out of the Safe Channels be careful.
The lower lake (Lake Moultrie) is more forgiving. It has trees as well but was mostly logged out. So as long as you are in 15+ feet you are generally OK to run, but I have hit trees in 30 feet there too.The GPS is a blessing on this lake.
I make my living fishing. We Drift Fish most of the year. My Lowrance GPS tells me were to drift. I can tell by wind direction were I need to be and then I run over it with my Depth Finder and make sure the fish are there and fish. The key is to have a GOOOOOD unit and have a little faith in what you see. Study the book that comes with it and it will simplify what you are looking at. I run cutting edge technology myself. My GPS and DEPTH finder is my business computer. I work with it everyday. My Lawrance tells me everything I need to know.
When it if so Foggy you cannot see 50 feet I can still go out. I can go right to where I want to. Now when you run in the fog Be SMART. Never run faster than you can see. I mean if it takes your boat 150 feet to stop at 20 mph and you cannot see but 50 feet you are running over 3 times too fast. You want visibility to be 3-4 times the distance that takes you to stop in.
So be CAREFUL OUT THERE. But don't let it scare you either! Just be safe!

[catfishrus]

Posted by captain darryl
On the upper lake I go thru about 5 props a year because I run a lot of days on the water, but I also gos into places most want go. That is why on the upper lake you want to run a aluminum prop instead of stainless. that way you do not tear up lower units, or powerheads. On the lower lake I have not tore one up yet. I have spun hubs, but with these new type props you will do that from time to time. If you are running these new props with the plastic centers, you need to keep a spare in your truck.

[Capt. Darryl Smith]

Well, running at Santee is at its most dangerous time now. We are very close to full pond. This will put the stumps just back under the water. It will start to look like it’s clear open water. I promise you it’s NOT! When the water is at this point is when I watch people really tear stuff up. When it’s down a little you see a lot of stumps so you slow down. When it’s almost high it hides the stumps just under the surface fooling people to think it’s open water. They pick up to run and it’s bad. Once the water does reach full pond then it’s a lot safer. So till we gain another foot of water be CAREFUL!

[TROPHYBUCKS]

its no joke, i have been on the upper lake and seen people skiing near the I-95 bridge! Couldnt believe it they went all the way down the bridge and up the north side wide open.....didnt look like they ever hit anything but it blew me away that anyone was that ignorant of that lake.

[Capt. Darryl Smith]

I have said it for year, God watches out for those who don't know better! I have seen the same. I watch people running thru the stump fields knowing they have no idea what is just under them. All I know since I know better, if I tried it I would never make it.
2 years ago there was a parasailing outfitter came in there and was pulling people on a parachute at I-95 for about 2 weeks. I heard he learned his lesson.

[TROPHYBUCKS]

OUCH....

[Doug158]

Thats just nuts

[jpmurphy]

Question: what does "logged out" mean ?

[Capt. Darryl Smith]

When you hear us in the south say "logged out" It means clear-cut harvest of the trees. Logging trees here in SC in Big Time business. When the two lakes here where built only one was mostly logged out. The other they did not have to time to clear-cut the trees out of the area fro the lake so they just flooded the timber. It used to stand above the water level. Hurricane Hugo came thru and broke most of the trees off just under the waters surface at full pond. So if the lake is down a little bit, it's dangerous. Coast Guard told me these two lakes are the most dangerous waters in the southeast.

[jpmurphy]

Wow. I had no idea.Be carefull out there, eh.

Thanks for explaining that to me. I'm originally from upstate NY and had no idea what you were talking about.

[Capt. Darryl Smith]

nice picture of that tooth catfish you got there. What is the brand name of that cat

[jpmurphy]

Originally Posted by Capt. Darryl Smith

nice picture of that tooth catfish you got there. What is the brand name of that cat

That's an extremly rare species. Not many sportsmen know about it. Very few have ever seen one, much less caught one.

My memory is a little foggy, I'm sure you'll understand, but I think I hooked that one at the Death Valley municipal fishing lake late in the day on August 32nd a few years back.........

[beastmaster704]

thanks for all the info guys i think that if i ever go to santee i will get a guide .

[Capt. Darryl Smith]

There is no need to fear Santee, just use common since while you here and you will be ok. It's just like any other new lake you go to. Take it easy until you feel comfortable about running. Watch the weather, have a VHF Radio on your boat, Cell Phone, Flairs, first aid kit, and Life jackets and have fun. But respeat these lakes. They take an average of 11 people a year.

[Capt. Darryl Smith]

Santee was kicking butt and taking names today. I fish on Moultrie with a strong NE winds 10-20 mph. I believe at times it had to be over 20 mph. To give you a idea about what I say about Watch the weather< We started out on 2 foot chop and before I finished my first drift my depth finder said we where rising and falling with the waves 6+ feet. And that is with a 30 foot tri-toon pontoon boat that is HEAVY! I ran back across the lake in heavy waves and started my second drift. Half way thru it I thought we may need to give this up. It was hard to stand up in the boat. It finally settled down to 2-4 foot chop and that felt flat after the beating we received for the morning. I will feel this tomorrow!

[Capt. Darryl Smith]

I wanted to tell all of you what I heard and seen this past weekend at Santee. The boat landing I worked out of the Bass trail Fishers of Men had a big tournament of 63+ boats out of Saturday. Once I go in I walked down to the weight-in just to see and talk to some of the fishermen. I talked with several, and listened more than I talked. It amazing what you can learn just by listing. One the main things I heard was “I am not coming back here! Too many trees!” I heard of numbers of them hitting stumps tearing up boats and motors. Now I watched them as I was fishing. They go no were unless they run wide open. Santee is not the place if all you know is wide open and stop. I watch them run wide open across places I will no even idle across. And they wonder why the hit something.
I know running wide open less boat and motor is in the water. But when they try to run thru somewhere that is only 6 inches deep? Come on that don’t work. I watched one boat just about flip over after launching threw the air about 50+ feet after hitting a tree. It takes about 100 yards to get a boat under control once you hit something going fast. I know I had 3 bass boat given to me years ago. When you hit something going fast that don’t stop you on a dime, you hit or run over who ever is in front of you. I really believe most lakes need speed limits. Boat insurance is high enough, stop the fast boats in tournaments from tearing up boats and lower units and insurance rates will go down. When I got my new Crest II HP Pontoon I had a hard time getting insurance because the insurance companies said they where going to quit insuring fast boats. They can prove Speed kills, and Tears Up!

[katsandsuds]

I hear you Darryl. Had a friend just bought a bass boat early winter, has jumped wakes going so fast, scared his friend so bad he won't get back in the boat. Also ran thru a flock of birds on the water, hit one with the wind screen and busted it to pieces. If it wasn't for the screen, would have taken his head off at 60 MPH. All to often guys don't use common sense, and for some reason, so many people think boating is completely safe they don't see the dangers all around.

Funny thing about common sense, it is not so common for so many people.

[Doug158]

Aint that the truth KandS

[Stonewall]

A few years ago one of my good friends bought a brand new bass boat and had never driven a boat before so he asked me to show him how. Of course I jumpped on the oppertunity to run it down the lake. Just after dusk we headed back to the ramp, I nailed the throttle and came out the hole like a bat out of hell. We got up to about 50mph fast and just as I was trimming the moter to get more speed out of it 2 ducks took off out of the water just off the bow. We both ducked (no pun intended) and the 2 ducks just did clear the wind screens. I have scared myself a few other times going too fast in a bass boat so i'm not in to running 60+ in a baot that is so close to the water anymore.... it took those few times and some growing up but lesson learned!!! Water or boats aren't anything to play with but, if you respect them and don't do stupid thing it all works out for the best!

[rivercatsc]

Darryl I know wat you mean I watched a bass boat last week coming out of the east side of the Hatchery. He was running along pretty fast and bam hit a stump motor shut off and I told the guys with me man I wouldnt even idle up through there much less run wide open. Then he gets it started and off again about another 100yards bam another stump.LOL This happened about 3 times before he got out deep enough for him to run 60+mph accross the lake. I will poke arund some this time of year to get to a few places that i like to fish but that is excactlly how I go SLOWLY. I never will understand why bass fisherman are in such a hurry to catch something so small.