My colleagues know me as a self-professed weather geek. That said I checked the “real feel” temperature. The National Weather Service office in Anderson, S.C., shows a current temperature on Lake Hartwell of 25 degrees with a wind chill of 18 degrees.
What about the wind chill value when running a boat at 60 mph? (Not that anyone today will hammer down on the throttle.) With the current temperature that makes it “feel like” 3 degrees.
Things change for the worse on Friday. Temperature at the 7 a.m. launch is forecast for 11 degrees with a wind chill of 1 degree. For anyone bold enough to push the throttle to 60 mph that will make it feel like -17 degrees.
This could create an interesting set of circumstances for fishing strategies. For the sake of personal safety (frostbite) and comfort (mental focus) it’s yet to be seen how this temperature scenario will pan out for anglers initially planning to make long runs. Some might push it, while others might opt for slower speeds and shorter runs closer to the ramp.