Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic offers a little bit of everything

When a family fishing outing included Grandpa, everyone became excited when it was discovered he was missing. The wife scolding her husband, saying "I thought I told you to keep an eye on Dad." The husband replies: "Well if he knows as much about fishing as he claims, I suppose he has just about reached his limit. If he knows as little as I think he does, he's at the fish market."

PALMETTO SPORTSMEN'S CLASSIC

If you attend no other event this year, this is the one you do not want to miss. With its numerous boat shows and fishing seminars, the Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic is in a league of its own.

The event will be held at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia March 28-30 at noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

"Life's Better Outdoors" new features this year will be Comedy Canines by Dawn Goehring, and Earthquest: Birds of Prey by Steve Hoddy. Both events are well worth the price of admission. Roark Ferguson's Big Snake Daddy and Joe Kelly's North American Wildlife collection and Southern Whitetail exhibits are popular returning events along with this year's State Archery-In -Schools Tournament.

Be on hand as the SCDNR presents the Reel Kids Fishing Pond, and visit DNR's Take One Make One trailer featuring air rifle and electronic shooting ranges. The Richland County Sheriff's Department will also set up its Kids Print program, a much needed and welcomed event by parents.

With well over 300 exhibitors featuring the latest in fishing and hunting equipment scheduled, be sure to mark your calendar for this year's event. Admission is $6 with parking costing $2.Seniors 60-and-older will pay $5 while children 10-and-younger are admitted free. Visitors bringing five canned food items for the Harvest Food Bank receive $1 off admission price. Information is provided by calling the SCDNR office in Columbia at 803-734-4008.

BREAKING NEWS

FROM CAPTAIN JUDY

This just in from Capt. Judy Helmey. It seems that good concentrations of trout have been taken from the Savannah River ocean inlet area. Capt. Ray Golden fishing light tackle combined with DOAs and soft plastics caught quite a few trout ranging from 15-to-19 inches over structure.

Capt. Matt William also was successful while fishing for trout and offers the following suggestions for hooking up. His bait of choice: mud minnows with light tackle and mini-cork. The slant here is no pop.

"Although you are using a popping cork, the noise delivered by the cork isn't natural during this time of the year, as nothing is moving as vigorously as during warmer months," Williams said. The use of mini-floats is a better choice."

BACK ON BOARD

Warmer weather is causing spottail bass to school up more often and in greater numbers. Best bets for strikes and gunnel releases will be mud minnows and popular shrimp imitations in pink or red. DOA and Gulp heads this list. With abundant baitfish still hanging in the shallows, spottail are grouping around ambush points and working the shallows to their advantage. Spottails appear to be just under the surface and working in numbers to herd baitfish onto the flats. Along the Broad and Calawassee rivers, this has been observed since the rains stopped Wednesday.

The Beaufort River boasts some large numbers along the shallows just past the Pigeon Point landing. On the Port Royal side, the best catches have come from Battery Creek. Better returns can be expected during low tide.

Trout fishing has turned around this past week with the majority of fish found in the deeper holes of main river points and creek edges. The drops along vertical banks and deeper holes along the washouts of main river points are very good. The low tides and winds have made fishing for trout a bit harder but more rewarding once a patter has been developed. Minnow imitations are your best bet while natural baits of shrimp and mud minnows have also made their mark.

FISH THE WOOD

If you are seeking sheepshead, locate wood structures. Sheepshead have been caught in good numbers in the creeks around old abandoned pier and dock pilings. These well-aged wood structures have attracted sheepshead in large numbers over the past week. The wood is well adorned with mussel and shells that attracts sheepshead like steak to the bandits. Small shank sturdy hooks, a strong leader and stout rods are the answer.

DRUM

Black Drum have once again favored us with their presence. Fishing deep around bridge pilings in deep water holes and rocky drops fishing has been very good. Most takes are in more manageable sizes of 5-10 pounds. Fresh cut baits are preferred but offerings of squid and shrimp have also taken this rod bender. Strikes may be less aggressive but when your line begins to stretch and your rod goes to vertical you know a heavyweight is moving your bait. One area overlooked but showing promise is the rock bank at the docks in Port Royal. Some nice sheepshead are also working the area. Prepare to lose some rigs but that is the price for actually fishing where there is fish.

STRIPERS

So far this season, rockfish (stripers) have had little ink in this report. This is mainly because few reports have been received and I have not made that many trips for this line-sided species. In the past, the Wimbee Creek area has produced outstanding catches. The mouth of the Combahee River and most of the area along the saltwater demarcation line of the steel bridge on 17 were also excellent.

Perhaps the bridge slow down is due to construction, but for the most part, striper fishing has slowed considerably. There have been reports further south in the Savannah shipping channel and lower reaches of the Edisto River but your time could be better spent in search of Spottail.

FLOUNDER

Now here is a fish worth the attention of any inshore angler. Catches have been excellent and continue to improve from the rivers. Finding an area with tapered banks which is close to mud flats and soft sand bottom will be a bonus. Now is the time for trolling, and the popular torpedo rig tops the list. This spoon-lined, prehooked rig is the answer for trolling suspect waters or areas known to have short strikers. Tipped with shrimp or mud minnows strikes come fast and furious. To identify the rig look for an in line set up pre hooked with a spinner blade. There should be a number of small beads in front and behind the blade and a loop wired line to attach your snap swivel. Swivels are a must while trolling to keep line twist at a minimum. The name of the rig has changed over the years and many lure manufactures have copied them. Find them; they work.

OFFSHORE

If the winds slow and the sun is shining, it is a good bet that the big boats will be heading for nearshore structure and the more shallow offshore wrecks. Action has been good from the Ross the past two weeks when runs permit passage. Black fish are the dominant species presently with some snapper and a few large flounder making their mark. Tripletail have slowed but show marks for an increase if water temperatures remain stable, and the sun is high. There have been a few large grouper hitting bottom baits of mullet, menhaden and cuts of squid.The marked point for most species is over 45 to 70-foot depths while deeper structures are producing only slightly better. Save your fuel and get the most from your trips.

TACKLE TIP

Through their commitment to conservation, anglers are practicing catch and release more often. Size, season and respective state regulations often make release the only option. In this respect, I have had a good many anglers ask me the best method to release a large fish which would more safely ensure it's chances for survival.

For large fish, do not remove them from the water. It is best to slip a gaff around the leader and followit down to the hook. Slowly lift the gaff upward being careful not to jerk the line or break the leader. At the same time, pull down on the leader which will force the hook out.

Till next week,

Good fishin'

Lee