Some fish tales and awards

Gone Fishing

At the end of the season, officers of the local fishing club were checking out the facilities for their annual banquet. The awards presentation was to be held that evening and everything needed to be set up before the speaker took the podium.

During the awards presentation, it is customary for the winners to give a brief summary of their accomplishments. To make sure the aisles allowed enough room and were not obstructed, instructions were left with the custodians.

The officers were told, "We assure you things will be as they should be, we have done this numerous times and are well aware of the needs for fishing banquets."

That evening as the officers entered the banquet hall they were surprised to finds the seats had been placed two feet apart.

The club president addressed the situation to the head custodian, "This is a strange seating arrangement, don't you think?" To which came the reply, "We have found this to be the best arrangement. We do all fishing banquets this way. It allows club members receiving awards to do justice to their fishing stories when describing the size of the fish which was caught or lost."

Billfish Series Fishing Tournaments

There's a new slant to a popular fishing event. Registration for the 2008 Billfish Series is under way. The Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina Billfish Tournament will be joining forces with Environmental Defense, the National Wildlife Federation and the S.C. Wildlife Federation for the first fishing tournament to be Carbon Neutral. Offering "Environmental Sponsorships," selective partners will be able to purchase "climate mitigation credits" offsetting its carbon footprint.

As part of the World Billfish Series whose creed reads in part ,"The World Billfishing Series is dedicated to promoting a lifestyle committed to sportsmanship, healthy competition and marine conservation."

The CHRM Tournament and Sponsors has joined forces, demonstrating commitments the angling community feels for the global dilemma being faced today. For information on the Charleston Harbor Resort and Billfish Tournament, the S.C. Governor's Cup Billfishing Series or the MTU Legend Series, contact Deidre Menefee at 843-345-0369 or e-mail dpmenefee@aol.com

Open in March

The Crackerneck Wildlife Management Area and Ecological Reserve will be open to the public during Saturdays in March. No weapons allowed during the time, but scouting, some descriptive non-consumptive use and fishing will be allowed. The 10,470 acre W. M. A. is owned by the U.S. Deptartment of Energy. Maps are available on request by contacting SCDNR at 803-725-3663.

Gobbler Tags by Mail

With Turkey season rapidly approaching, turkey tags are now being mailed to most hunters. Recent license system database updates are being administered by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR).According to Charles Ruth, DNR Deer/Turkey Project supervisor, most spring turkey hunters will receive a set of turkey tags in the mail the end of February. Tags will also be available at many of the old turkey check stations after the first of March. If you receive but have lost tags, which were received in the mail, contact the DNR License office at 803-734-3833. Hunters may determine if they will receive tags by mail by looking at their hunting license. If "Turkey Tags" appears on your license you are on the designated database and will be issued tags by mail.

Hilton Head Flyfishing

Tie One On, the Hilton Head flyfishing club will offer a course in basic flyfishing Sunday March 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The course will be held at Low Country Outfitters -- Moss Creek. For $49, novice and veteran alike will be offered the opportunity to learn new skills or brush-up on others.

Know what is needed and tackle assembly, learn via a hands-on workshop various casting methods and techniques with local waters being emphasized. Get to know the species: Redfish, bonefish, tarpon, and where to find them, review knots and when to tie what. Each student will receive a comprehensive notebook covering the course material. Interested individuals may bring their own rods or rods will be supplied for the practice session.

Your instructor will be Don Kowtko, well known and respected among his fishing peers. All this and lunch as well. What more could you ask for a pre-season refresher? For information, call Kowtko at 843-681-6338.

Fishing Trends

Active species inshore include Flounder, Spottail Bass, Trout, Sheepshead and Whiting. Offshore action has been limited to the near shore wrecks and reef structures. The Fripp Island Reef and the Ross have both produced best with some large blackfish, plentiful tripletail and some very big sheepshead. Although confined to wait and see conditions when the winds and rains give way to opportunity the big boats are running.

Inshore species vary as much with the tides as the baits being used.

With warmer afternoons being so much a part of our days (without the rains), fiddler crabs scurry around the beach and mud flats in herds.

When this occurs the flags fly for good sheepshead fishing. Docks, bridge pilings, rock formations and oyster flats are all producing in good numbers. Trout have been active hitting shrimp and artificial screw tail grubs from the grass edges over vertical banks.

A good approach here is remove all of your weight and use a simple split shot with a popping cork. Toss right up to the grass edges and let your bait drift into the strike zone.

Using small circle hooks ensures better hook ups and fewer lost fish. Spottail bass are on the flats but over deeper waters. Tail sighting may be harder to see but surface disturbance around oyster beds and along the flats is a sure sign that Spottail are working the area.

Large schools will be the norm during this time and working schools from a distance ensures you will be in the feeding path a bit longer. Fly fishermen have found a new pattern which has been very effective with spottail and trout.

The fly is called the Conehead deceiver and is basically a modified version of an age old favorite -- Lefty's Deceiver. The Conehead is tied withepoxy and the extra weight at the head allows the fly to dive deeper and with a slight flick of the rod tip, it will dart around imparting great action to stimulate strikes. The Conehead is another in a long list of minnow imitations which will do the trick.

Tackle Tip:Stress Escape

During times of transition between fishing periods, things get a bit uneasy around my household. I have found that if I complain a bit and grunt and moan more than usual, things improve. The wife thinks I am ill or getting that way and suggests a change of scenery may do me wonders. I suspect she is on to my routine, but there have been few complaints. She gets relief from my staged uneasiness and I get away from the house and back to the outdoors, wherever that might be at the moment.

Till next week,

Good fishin'

Lee