John Sobieski wrote:

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005, Jack Redington wrote:

John Sobieski wrote:


On Thu, 25 Aug 2005, "Bryan" wrote:


I have a couple of man-made lakes nearby. They were natural canyons until
they were dammed. Consequently the lake is filled with submerged trees and
rocks.
I'm wondering how useful a fish-finder would be to visualize below the
surface in order to avoid submerged trees including dropping an anchor into
a tree instead of mud. I'd rather not buy a new anchor and rode everytime I
drop the hook in some quiet water.
Has my imagination created a problem that doesn't exist and tree filled
reservoirs aren't really anchor-thiefs?

Thanks
Bryan


If they are US Army Corp of Engineers flood control projects, they clean
out the trees before they let the reservoir fill. For us fisherman, that is
bad.

I have boated on flood control lakes for over 30 years and never lost an
anchor. Finding the fish was the toughest part. An old saying, 90% of the
fish live in 10% of the lake.

Yes, a fishfinder can find trees, but you only need 1 to hang up on. Pretty
hard to notice that single tree that got washed out in a flood and now sits
water logged at the bottom.

If you are really worried, don't use that nice expensive Fortress. If it
isn't windy cove you anchor in, just tie on a coffee can full of cement or
a concrete block My uncles used those for anchors for years.


Lake Hartwell on the SC/GA border is a Army corps lake, they left trees
in some areas and have then marked with hazzard markers. On maps they
are "Fish attractor" areas.




Hi Capt Jack

Really nice to hear that. The projects I am referring to were dams built
just following WW2 and into the early 60's. I wish they had the foresight
to leave some standing timber. Now, the state is putting in "fish
attractors" and marking them with buoys. I have seen a lot of pictures of
one as the dam was being constructed starting in the mid 50's and filled in
the early 60's. Whole small towns were moved. The pictures show what was
there before and the barren soil left after the relocation. Not a tree left
standing in any photo.

Was Lake Hartwell constructed after the early 60's or were the southern
engineers a bit smarter than their yankee brethren?


Regards,
SOB

I was not sure when it was built,so I checked out the corps web site on
it: http://www.sas.usace.army.mil/lakes/hartwell/intro.htm

Here is a snip from the page:

"Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1955 and 1963 as part
of a flood control, hydropower, and navigation project, authorized
purposes now include recreation, water quality, water supply, and fish
and wildlife management."

So apparently the fish managment part was added later. Interestingly
enought in the cove where our little place is on Gumlog Creek. There is
a area that is about 200 yards X 75 that is all trees. There are three
"Hazzard markers" that go down the center of this area. The folks that
have been there longer tell me when they drop the water down for the
winter so many branches sticking up that it discourges folks from
entering our cove. At the current level only one is visiable.

I have been told it is best to stay within 100 feet or so of the docks
on the south side of the cove because it is much larger that one would
think ? I guess I will see this for mayself this winter if they lower
the lake the traditional four feet for the winter draw down.

Cheers:

Capt Jack R..