Outdoorsman Thread

[garddogg56]

Was working on the timber-line today DEEP in the wood and I came across the old cellar-hole that my Grandpa's crew use to bunk at before WW2.I haven't seen this spot since the 70's..I'm marking her for the winter cut first time since the 1930's

[big monk]

The wife and I went over to watch, the Lake Russell Dam, Flood Gate Test, this morning***** ___This is the first time since 2007,that they had enough water in the lakes to test the gates !!!!!___They ran test on the Hartwell Lake Dam,yesterday ( it's above Lake Russell) and they are going to test the Clarkshill Hill Dam (below Lake Russell) this afternoon !!!!________I have fished them all,but never took time to watch one of these test was pretty awesome,to see that much water rolling out at one time !!!( and they only open the gates about two(2) feet***)___they said, there were already ""4.5 Billion Gallons"" planned to be released today ( 24 hours) and with the added gate test,an extra 800 million gallons were released pushing the total over ""5 Billion Gallons"" today,in the 24 hour period ___all that water and the ""Lake Level"" dropped only ""3 inches"" ??? WOW!!!!____most of our lakes are 3-5 feet over full pool now__but have been down 10-18 feet for several years !!!!____

lots of adjusting to do,for property owners ****____Above the Dam on the lake, boat ramps and fishing piers,under water!!___pine trees--under water!!_____more rain coming,but it sure is nice to see the lakes full again !!!!!!!

Wanted to share, some photos of what we saw !!!! they open the gates, one at a time,at about 15 minute intervals ,till they are all open**__________Monk & Mrs. Monk

[Cutty]

Looks awesome Monk. Saw Hartwell on the news yesterday. If the rain will hold off tomorrow i'm gonna go wet a line at Allatoona. It's really high as well.

[jerryd6818]

I'll bet it was absolutely thunderous when they turned all those gates loose.

[big monk]

Good Luck,Cutty !!!_________saw some large fish breaking / chasing bait,just before the started opening the flood gates !!!!!

Jerry ,you are so right !!!!!___ it was "" WOWZER"" to see all that water,turned loose at one time !!!!!!! ( let's you know,just how powerful that flow can be !!!!!!)

[TripleF]

Isn't Hartwell the lake the was down like 15 feet not too long ago? Docks were resting out of the water all over the lake?

[jerryd6818]

Good Luck,Cutty !!!_________saw some large fish breaking / chasing bait,just before the started opening the flood gates !!!!!

Jerry ,you are so right !!!!!___ it was "" WOWZER"" to see all that water,turned loose at one time !!!!!!! ( let's you know,just how powerful that flow can be !!!!!!)

At 8-1/2 pounds to the gallon, the water from just one of those gates would be like getting hit by a freight train.

[big monk]

Isn't Hartwell the lake the was down like 15 feet not too long ago? Docks were resting out of the water all over the lake?

This past Christmas (Dec.25,2012) Lake Hartwell & Clarkshill Lake,were 15ft. ""BELOW Full Pool ""__ Lake Russell, ( the middle lake) was the last lake damed on the Savannah River and has ""Pump-Back"" turbines (meaning they can pump water back into the lake,during slack usage time, and use it again during "peak use" hours )__they do not flutuate the lake level on Russell over 5ft, up or down (this was in a contract) when the lake was built (1985)_____________both Hartwell & Clarkshill ,as well as Russell are "" 5 ft. ABOVE Full Pool"" today,with more rain in the forecast !!!!! ____a few photos then & now ____check out the LINK below,for a look at todays levels !!!!

http://www.foxcarolina.com/video?clipId ... start=true

[TripleF]

I traveled 85 ( I think) heading to South Carolina, then to North Carolina out of Atlanta, and I remember those scenes of docks with no water Monk. Glad to see things are back where they should be......means good __________BASS fishing!

[treefarmer]

Great fish bait, always picked 'em off the tree and went directly to the pond. Always heard about folks putting 'em in the fridge in corn meal, and some putting 'em in the freezer and months later thawed out, the Catawba/catalpa worm comes back to life. Any one got suggestions about saving the worms till the little grandsons escape from the big city?
Treefarmer

[jlw257]

Great fish bait, always picked 'em off the tree and went directly to the pond. Always heard about folks putting 'em in the fridge in corn meal, and some putting 'em in the freezer and months later thawed out, the Catawba/catalpa worm comes back to life. Any one got suggestions about saving the worms till the little grandsons escape from the big city?
Treefarmer

They will keep in the fridge for a little while, and using corn meal works great. Haven't had much luck putting them in freezer, they turn to mush. Best is to go ahead and catch the fish and freeze them.

Larry

[big monk]

Put em' in the ""Fridge"" in a "brown paper sack" (not the freeze !!!!)___a little corn meal wouldn't hurt ??? ____we have kept them in the brown paper sack for a few weeks,without corn meal !!!

[Cutty]

Just hold 'em in yer mouth like nightcrawlers. Or the fridge and cornmeal works too.

[TripleF]

My great niece and nephew posed for a pic with me moments before I taught them the fine art of stick breaking against their knee - they loved that!
The grill is ready with fire preperations immediately behind us...

[Cutty]

That's awesome Scott. Looks like there ready for anything with those pointy sticks aka spears, gigs, hotdog and marsh mellow roasters.

[Quick Steel]

Your great niece and nephew look like beautiful, sweet kids. They are very fortunate to have a granduncle to introduce them to nature and the outdoors.

[carrmillus]

Great fish bait, always picked 'em off the tree and went directly to the pond. Always heard about folks putting 'em in the fridge in corn meal, and some putting 'em in the freezer and months later thawed out, the Catawba/catalpa worm comes back to life. Any one got suggestions about saving the worms till the little grandsons escape from the big city?
Treefarmer

....I have a tree in my yard I planted in the late '60's, it's about 35 ft. tall now. in the late '70's, I was giving away worms, now, I haven't seen a worm on it in the last 10 yrs., anyone have an explanation for this???...tree is still very healthy and has beautiful blooms every spring!!.......... .................

[Cutty]

Pesticides seem to be the culprit in most cases

[TripleF]

Thanks Brian and Quick Steel!

[313 Mike]

My great niece and nephew posed for a pic with me moments before I taught them the fine art of stick breaking against their knee - they loved that!
The grill is ready with fire preperations immediately behind us...

Great lookin' crew there Scott, way to bring them into the outdoor circle, you are helping to make memories that will shape the type of people they grow into, important stuff!!

By the way, when I sharpen down a slightly smaller stick like that for my daughter she uses it to write in the sand or dirt, so she calls it a "dirt pencil"....everytime we're camping, or at a beach or around a fire she asks me to make her a dirt pencil so she can doodle and draw in the dirt!

[jerryd6818]

Great lookin' crew there Scott, way to bring them into the outdoor circle, you are helping to make memories that will shape the type of people they grow into, important stuff!!

+1

[jmh58]

Great lookin' crew there Scott, way to bring them into the outdoor circle, you are helping to make memories that will shape the type of people they grow into, important stuff!!

+1

Yep!! Very nice!! John

[garddogg56]

that's the way to get em into it Scott my Granddaughter beat my Grandsons to camp I couldn't get her baited fast enough

[big monk]

Changing of the "'Guards"" this morning !!!!!_____________Moon leaving, as the Sun comes up ____the most peaceful time of the day on tha' Lake,this time of year _____we caught 4 Bass, and were back home by 9:30 am. !!!!!

[garddogg56]

Beautiful Monk that's my coffee time while I drowned a crawler.Grand sons catch.