Lake Murray, OK - June 27, 2012 - Playing with the Carp

[Cyprian]

Duplicate post from the Dive Conditions thread, if you want to see the carp video, click the link at the bottom.

Lake Murray - Marietta's Landing
June 27, 2012

Teammate: BCleatus

Air Temp: Hot and muggy.

Surface Temp: 81
Temp @ 34': 78

Vis:8-12' varied. 8 around the platforms and 12 on the West side of the wall.

Two nice older gentlemen arrived on top of the platforms in their boat. They were flying their scuba flag and diving, so no harm, no foul....I just thought it funny that they were diving Marietta's Landing in a boat. Speaking of that dive flag, BCleatus and I surfaced from dive one and began to swim back to the entry when they called to us for help. Apparently, one was having an ear problem and couldn't go back down and their dive flag had fallen off the boat. We were happy to help and recovered it in about 26' of water.

Anyway, 3 good training dives and some decent video of 3 big carp on one of the boats.

I was going to upload the video to Youtube, but I'm feeling lazy....since I've already uploaded it to Facebook, please check it out on the site:

http://www.facebook.com/NorthTexasDiveSociety

 

[Bill Parker]

One nice thing about Lake Murray is there's no entrance fee.

 

[Guba]

Hey, Cyp
Three buddies and I were at Marietta Landing on Sunday, and your conditions report matches ours exactly. The carp were, indeed, out in force, as were the Zebra mussels. At least the boat you encountered had divers in it. The one that buzzed us contained folks with fishing rigs and they were TROLLING. However, I'll give this to them...once we had our dive flags in place, they pretty much respected them. Still had us looking close (useless, considering the vis) every time we heard them pass by!
Glad you had a good time there. We did, too.

 

[Cyprian]

Hey, Cyp
Three buddies and I were at Marietta Landing on Sunday, and your conditions report matches ours exactly. The carp were, indeed, out in force, as were the Zebra mussels. At least the boat you encountered had divers in it. The one that buzzed us contained folks with fishing rigs and they were TROLLING. However, I'll give this to them...once we had our dive flags in place, they pretty much respected them. Still had us looking close (useless, considering the vis) every time we heard them pass by!
Glad you had a good time there. We did, too.

I'm just glad to see some of the vis return to Lake Murray. 2' or so in December was horrible. I'll take 8-12' anyday at an inland lake with no entry fee! LOL

 

[soonerev]

Duplicate post from the Dive Conditions thread, if you want to see the carp video, click the link at the bottom.

Lake Murray - Marietta's Landing
June 27, 2012

Teammate: BCleatus

Air Temp: Hot and muggy.

Surface Temp: 81
Temp @ 34': 78

Vis:8-12' varied. 8 around the platforms and 12 on the West side of the wall.

Two nice older gentlemen arrived on top of the platforms in their boat. They were flying their scuba flag and diving, so no harm, no foul....I just thought it funny that they were diving Marietta's Landing in a boat. Speaking of that dive flag, BCleatus and I surfaced from dive one and began to swim back to the entry when they called to us for help. Apparently, one was having an ear problem and couldn't go back down and their dive flag had fallen off the boat. We were happy to help and recovered it in about 26' of water.

Anyway, 3 good training dives and some decent video of 3 big carp on one of the boats.

I was going to upload the video to Youtube, but I'm feeling lazy....since I've already uploaded it to Facebook, please check it out on the site:

North Texas Dive Society | Facebook

headed out to Lake Murray this weekend was hoping to get a good report such as yours. Do you think that the improved vis is due to the zebra mussels? Could they have that much of effect within that short of a period of time?

---------- Post Merged at 02:09 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 02:09 PM ----------

Duplicate post from the Dive Conditions thread, if you want to see the carp video, click the link at the bottom.

Lake Murray - Marietta's Landing
June 27, 2012

Teammate: BCleatus

Air Temp: Hot and muggy.

Surface Temp: 81
Temp @ 34': 78

Vis:8-12' varied. 8 around the platforms and 12 on the West side of the wall.

Two nice older gentlemen arrived on top of the platforms in their boat. They were flying their scuba flag and diving, so no harm, no foul....I just thought it funny that they were diving Marietta's Landing in a boat. Speaking of that dive flag, BCleatus and I surfaced from dive one and began to swim back to the entry when they called to us for help. Apparently, one was having an ear problem and couldn't go back down and their dive flag had fallen off the boat. We were happy to help and recovered it in about 26' of water.

Anyway, 3 good training dives and some decent video of 3 big carp on one of the boats.

I was going to upload the video to Youtube, but I'm feeling lazy....since I've already uploaded it to Facebook, please check it out on the site:

http://www.facebook.com/NorthTexasDiveSociety

headed out to Lake Murray this weekend was hoping to get a good report such as yours. Do you think that the improved vis is due to the zebra mussels? Could they have that much of effect within that short of a period of time?

 

[francousteau]

A bit off topic, but can someone give me a better idea where everyone is going to dive at Murray? I looked at the map here on TSD and actually made it to the spot it shows, but it looked a bit precarious stepping down with my gear. Then someone said the place to go is at the "castle", which I'm assuming is the tower? Anyways...if someone could help me out, I'd like to get out there this weekend. PM if you prefer not to be seen in public helping out a yankee.... Thanks!

 

[Guba]

Many people dive from Marietta Landing, which is on the extreme south end of the lake. The best place to put in there is to the left as you enter the park from the highway. Go to the extreme end of the camping area and there should be some places to park. The walk down to the water's edge isn't far or too dicey. That location is called "ghost cove" by some. By the way, the best diving from there will be out and to the left (west). If you go straight out, you should hit some lines, a boat, or perhaps a platform. All are strung together by lines.
Another place is to the west of Marietta Landing on the top of the earthen dam. There are actually two places, but the most used, I believe, is the one with the metal tower. It's quite a haul to the water, and the trail is a bit steep. However, the diving is pretty good, usually, and it slopes away pretty quickly to the north, so it makes for a pretty good wall dive.
I've heard that "the castle" is a good place to dive, but I haven't been there so I don't know anything about access. I do know it's on the north shore of the lake (I think you can see it from the top of the ridge I described above, out across the lake to the northwest.
Hope this helps.

 

[Cyprian]

To add a little to Guba's post, there are two entry points that I know of at Marietta's Landing. One is the cove, which can be invaded by swimmers during the summer. The other is still in the "dirt road" wooded area but about 50 yards East of the cove entry. At the cove the first platform is pretty much straight North. There are two platforms, two boats, a motorcycle....and I think that's it. As Guba said, vis and better dives are to the West of the cove.

The "deep" tower is a little East of Marietta's (not a surface swim from Marrieta's by any means) and the trail is basically a goat trail...think rope entry. However, there is a little less harrowing trail probably 100 yards or so East of the Tower. I cheated and dove it off of a boat, so I cannot really comment on the trails other than looking down at them from the road side.

I will say that there is a flat entry on the South end by the spillway. The only problem that I have been told with it is that one weekends it is a hangout for parties (hence lots of alcohol) and divers are a little leery of leaving any gear out in the back of their trucks. That and, who really wants to answer drunken questions carrying a lot of gear on your back?

Franco, I don't think you will have any problems at Marietta's. Just take your time down the path! Good luck and safe dives,

Cyp

 

[Bill Parker]

A bit off topic, but can someone give me a better idea where everyone is going to dive at Murray? I looked at the map here on TSD and actually made it to the spot it shows, but it looked a bit precarious stepping down with my gear. Then someone said the place to go is at the "castle", which I'm assuming is the tower? Anyways...if someone could help me out, I'd like to get out there this weekend. PM if you prefer not to be seen in public helping out a yankee.... Thanks!

If I remember correctly here is the exact entrance on Google
maps. A little blurry but I can read "Marietta Landing" on the
sign.

 

[francousteau]

@Guba & Cyp...thanks for the replies! A couple of those places, Aquatrax and I have looked at already when we went to dive there last year (& didn't dive). Yesterday, we were able to catch a boat ride (a converted houseboat that's without the house now, but with a top deck) with some students who were doing OW & AOW. We were tied into the metal tower and Rick & I splashed and took off. Wearing only 3mm, we only ventured to 50' where the temps got to 68° and after staying there a bit it was time to move up to a bit warmer temps. It's a shame that people don't take better care of that lake....so many beer cans littering everywhere (along with an oversized bathing suit and someones draws). Some pleasure boat decided to stop & hang out within 150' off our starboard side (with our flags out). Not long & the ranger showed up and we saw him writing them up. I heard our boat owner say that it's an $800 fine!! Anyway, they were a couple of fun dives and good to get away from CSSP. The boat owner is Johnny Johnson, an instructor out of Lone Star Scuba in Dallas. He accepts a $25 donation that includes a nice grilled lunch with chips, waters & sodas. Call the shop & see when he's going out next, if you're interested. I'm sure it beats climbing the goat trails.

Surface water temps were in the 80°'s, drop to 34' and temps to 78°, then @ 35' drops to about 72° & at 50' it's 68°
Viz varied depending on where you were at & depth, but went from 10' - 15' to about 2' - 3'

@billyparker....we actually went there last year, but with the expense of my gear, I'm very cautious of entrances & exits, so no goat type trails or boulders to jump over for me.

Good day to be on the lake