Days of Old

[BOGSTER]

I remember these tournaments and the huge crowds they brought here. Man times have changed around Santee.

I'd sure love to have some of those old sunglasses

[TheVisorGuy]

Used to love watching some TNN

[Griffin]

A sad testament to he grossly negligent management of our resources by DNR and the SC politicians. Just sad

[Coastal Woodie]

I'm to young to know what Santee used to be like with all the hydrilla so I'm curious if any of you guys still wish it was there or if you like Santee better without hydrilla?

A lot of the older guys I fish with say they catch less numbers of fish now but catch more quality fish.

[jevans]

CW, You could almost walk across Potato Creek on hydrilla best I can remember. I was probably 12-13 I'm thinking when it was at its worst. I can promise you the fishing in nothing compared to what I remember it being especially in the Potato Creek/ Wyboo area. Santee Cooper destroys every opportunity that those lakes have to become what they used to be as far as the fishing/hunting is concerned.

[CreekGeek]

Bassmaster.com ranked the Santee cooper lakes #2 in the nation this year. They said at the FLW event the winner had 79.15 and was missing a fish on day two. The top bag one day was 32 + pounds. There were 16 other guys with over 25 lbs. said it took 32 lbs to win the fishers of men event in May too.

To me the proof is in the pudding. The return events are all I need to see to let me know what lakes are hot.

[Coastal Woodie]

CW, You could almost walk across Potato Creek on hydrilla best I can remember. I was probably 12-13 I'm thinking when it was at its worst. I can promise you the fishing in nothing compared to what I remember it being especially in the Potato Creek/ Wyboo area. Santee Cooper destroys every opportunity that those lakes have to become what they used to be as far as the fishing/hunting is concerned.

That's what my dad said it was like when they first bought a house in potato creek, I was only 2 years old then. They said you couldn't hardly see the water for the hydrilla and there was thousands of ducks pouring into the preserve in the evenings. All of that was over with by the time I was old enough to hunt and fish. But I can't complain about the amount of big fish I've pulled out of potato creek the last 10 or so years. Wish I was around to see the duck hunting at santee during its prime though.

[fuzzy]

I remember the days before hydrilla. A bang-o-lure around the grass points at the crack of day was heart stopping. Sadly though, i haven't fish the lakes in years.

[Coastal Woodie]

I remember the days before hydrilla. A bang-o-lure around the grass points at the crack of day was heart stopping. Sadly though, i haven't fish the lakes in years.

Caught a lot of 5+ pounders off grassy points this year on topwater. It still works late spring and early summer.

[dixiedeerslaya]

bass fishing has been really good this year, just look at all the 30+lb bags that have been brought to the scales.

The crested Floating heart is partly responsible for this upswing. i think it will remain good until santee cooper finds something that will kill it for good.

[jwilliams]

Bass fishing was great this year. Compared to the days with hydrilla it is no comparison. Those days were much better.

[reeltight]

I use to lay in bed on Sunday nights and watch B.A.S.S Masters till I fell asleep.

[dixiedeerslaya]

did anyone notice they had the names of the lakes flip flopped at about the 2:07 mark?

[dixiedeerslaya]

o hell, an at the 3:07 mark they said there will be 10-15 foot waves on the lower lake.

[jws]

There wasn't 4,000 pleasure boaters on the lake every weekend back then

[Silentweapon338]

Thank God that demon grass is gone!

It was gross. You could not go or do anything without being tangled in matts of it. While it was great for fishing it was a nightmare for anyone wanting to enjoy the lake for any sort of recreational use.

God himself gave us this wonderful chemical to fight the demon weed!

[BOGSTER]

There wasn't 4,000 pleasure boaters on the lake every weekend back then

I can't say about the lower lake but pontoon cruisers have always been a part of Marion. Taw Caw, Potato, and Wyboo have always been high traffic ski/wakeboard areas. Rocks Pond, Red Bank, Mill Creek, and State Park were buzzing all summer long.

I will say that since the Condos were built, the number of Murray style ski boats and center consoles have exploded. I assume those folks aren't all that familiar with the lake. I haven't seen one get seriously damaged, but I have seen numerous folks blowing through the dead forest - felt like I was about to see a car wreck everytime.

[Coastal Woodie]

I can't say about the lower lake but pontoon cruisers have always been a part of Marion. Taw Caw, Potato, and Wyboo have always been high traffic ski/wakeboard areas. Rocks Pond, Red Bank, Mill Creek, and State Park were buzzing all summer long.

I will say that since the Condos were built, the number of Murray style ski boats and center consoles have exploded. I assume those folks aren't all that familiar with the lake. I haven't seen one get seriously damaged, but I have seen numerous folks blowing through the dead forest - felt like I was about to see a car wreck everytime.

I like watching them blow through the stump field in front of nelsons cut on the potato creek side. Seen one loose a motor before. During the drought I found a ton of old props in there.

[Arrowman]

The biggest difference I saw was how they played the fish while reeling it in instead of just horsing them to the boat.

[dixiedeerslaya]

noticed how many of them used the short handled rods, and held them below the reel? now days if i see someone holding a bait casting rod under the reel, i assume they dont know what they are doing.