Midlands Outdoors

2011-09-20T21:23:00.000-04:00

Beaver VS. Top Water Frog

This beaver didn't like me casting my weedless frog, but he sure liked eating the lily pads....

Fishing Video

2011-08-31T09:45:00.003-04:00

This is a video of various fishing trips I've made in 2011...

Sunrift Adventures July Fishing Challenge

2011-08-03T15:09:00.001-04:00

I lucked up and won the Sunrift Adventures July Fishing Challenge, an online competition hosted by the South Carolina Kayak Fishing website and sponsored by Sunrift, the premier outfitter of South Carolina's upstate. My prize is a Kayak Essential Package, which includes a bilge pump and some other items that make kayaking safer and more enjoyable.

This largemouth bass helped me win the Sunrift Adventures July Kayak Fishing Challenge

Participating in these monthly challenges is free. All you have to do is be a registered member of the SCKF forum and post photos of your fish throughout the month. For all the details visit SCKF, and for more information on gear for hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and cycling, visit http://www.sunrift.com/.

Wrecking Crew waterfowl video

2011-07-20T21:02:00.002-04:00

The Wrecking Crew Guide Service in Lancaster is now booking early season hunts for Canada Geese and migratory teal. Summer scouting is underway and the September early season will be here very, very soon. Senior guide Darly Hodge is a member of the Drake Waterfowl Systems Pro Staff, and son Blake Hodge is the expert duck and goose caller. Blake has also shown an affinity for videography and shares this video review of their most recent season afield.

PhotoByJeffDennis: Daryl Hodge in the foreground in a coffin blind set up in an ag field

PhotoByChipWolfe: Daryl Hodge, Englis Glover, Blake Hodge and Jeff Dennis after the hunt

S.C. Waterfowl Association - 2011 Update

2011-06-16T20:51:00.001-04:00

Dear SCWA Supporters,
I hope everyone is having a great start to the Summer. I wanted to take a moment to provide you with an update the programs of the South Carolina Waterfowl Association.

Sincerely,
David J Wielicki - Executive Director

Camp Woodie Is Of To A Great Start!
Despite the high heat the kids at Camp Woodie are having a great time. Camp WoodieDirector Ed Paul and his staff are doing an outstanding job getting kids excited about the outdoors and wildlife conservation. Each day of camp, Ed is posting photos on Facebook. You can follow Camp Woodie on Facebook by clicking the Camp Woodie Logo. Seeing the smiling faces of the next generation of waterfowl conservationists gives me great hope for the future of our wildlife resources. If you have a child you would like to sign up for Camp Woodie there are still spaces left. Give Ed Paul a call at 803-600-8977 or email him at epaul@scwa.org.

Wood Duck Production Project

The nest box checking season is underway. SCWA waterfowl biologist Stuart Cochran and field technician Matt Huggins have started checking nest boxes. The nesting season was off to a great start with good Spring wetland conditions across the state. However, the recent high heat and dry spell could have a negative effect on late nesting and brood survival. We will keep you posted on nesting results. If you are interested in starting a wood duck nest box project give Stuart Cochran a call at 803-600-0742 or email him at scochran@scwa.org.

Waterfowl Population and Habitat Update

Despite our dry conditions the Prairie duck factory is enjoying near record water levels, especially in North Dakota, Southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In late July the US Fish and Wildife Service will publish their waterfowl breeding population and habitat survey results. I expect this year to be one of the best since the surveys began. This should result in large Fall flight of waterfowl with a liberal waterfowl season for all four flyways. The final season dates will be set in late August. I look forward to keeping you posted.

The waterfowl habitat at our Wildlife Education Center is in great shape thanks to the installation of a new irrigation system. We also installed hog proof fencing to keep wild hogs from damaging our waterfowl crops in our major habitat areas. Three weeks ago we released 3,000 mallards at the Center. We are working hard with Frost Waterfowl and project cooperators across the state to release over 40,000 mallards this summer.

Chapter Banquets

Chapter Banquets are right around the corner. Our first banquet is in Columbia on Saturday, August 13 at the Medallion Center. Chairman David Stanley welcomes anyone who would like to attend or make a contribution to the event. He is always looking for more chapter committee members. David and his committee of dedicated volunteers are working hard to achieve number one chapter status for 2011.

The Summerville banquet is set for Saturday, August 27 at the Dorchester Senior Center. Larry Wells and his committee are looking forward to a great event.

For more information about upcoming events or tobecome a part of one of our committees, please visit our website!

Midlands Angler Selected for Mepps Fishing Catalog

2011-05-19T15:34:00.001-04:00

Bishopville's Joie McCutchen is a big fan of Mepps Aglia lures, especially when fishing for bluegills and shellcracker in local ponds and in the Wateree River. A photo of her with her favorite lure has been selected for the 2013 Mepps fishing catalog. The photo, which features Joie holding up a nice bluegill by the Aglia, caught the eye of Mepps public relations guru Jim Martinsen. About the photo, Martinsen said "Great catch. Pretty girl. Nice background."

Martinsen went on to say that the 2012 catalog has already gone to print, and that Joie's photo will appear in their 2013 catalog. Sign up to get your free copy of the catalog at http://www.mepps.com/, and check out all their nice fishing lures while you're there.

So does everyone agree with Martinsen about the catch, the girl, and the background? Yeah--I thought so....

Wateree River Bream Fishing

2011-05-03T23:38:00.000-04:00

The bream bite on the Wateree River is picking up. After all the recent rains, the water levels of the river fluctuated greatly in a short period of time. With no rain in the last few days, things have calmed down and the river is at a good level for navigating and fishing. The bream are spread out, so when you find a good bream hole, it's best to stay put until the bite forces you to leave. Bedding should pick up soon though and they will be easier to find.

Bluegills and shellcracker are being caught out of holes right next to each other, and they are both biting crickets and worms. Artificial lures like Mepps Aglia Spinners are not particularly effective right now, but a few bigger fish are being caught on such lures. Fish are hitting at depths of 3-6 feet, and when you find some bluegills but aren't catching any shellcracker, go about 18 inches deeper and you should pick some up.

Fish around the inside bends where the current is slacker, and you should find fish around any structure like fallen trees. Pay special attention to the big root balls of toppled trees that are lying in the river.

PhotosByBrianCope: A mixed bag of bluegills and shellcrackers crowds Joie McCutchen's stringer.

Joie shows off this shellcracker she caught on a Mepps Aglia spinner.

Midlands Angler Survives Harrowing Day

2011-05-01T12:14:00.000-04:00

Sumter resident and tournament angler Mitch Seruya had a great day of fishing during the April 16th Carolina Angler's Team Trail on Lake Marion. With over 20 pounds of fish in the livewell and a storm approaching, he decided to head to the weigh-in spot over 2 hours early for the sake of safety. Due to the storm's early arrival, he didn't make it to the weigh in, but instead ended up clinging to the rocky shoreline of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge's Cuddo Unit, known locally as a hotspot for huge numbers of large alligators.

To see more details of Seruya's ordeal, check out the July issue of South Carolina Sportsman Magazine, where his story will be featured in the "Reader Report" section.

PhotoByMitchSeruya: With nothing to do but watch and wait for help, Seruya photographed his Ranger taking a beating by the April storm which brought lightning, a tornado, and hail his way, as well as 6-foot swells in Santee's big water.

Healthy Forest Reserve Program for Private Landowners

2011-04-17T11:54:00.000-04:00

Private landowners are encouraged to apply for a program that is making its first appearance to South Carolina. The Healthy Forest Reserve Program is a program that encourages landowners to restore, enhance, and protect their privately owned forest land through easement agreements with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The NRCS will enter cost-share agreements with landowners.

To be eligible for participation in the program, the land must be located in one of the historic longleaf ecosystems which includes virtually all land in the midlands of South Carolina.

If accpeted into the program, the NRCS will pay 100% of the cost for landowners who enter into permanent easement agreements, 75% of the cost for 30-year easement agreements, and 50% of the cost for 10-year easement agreements.

To find out more about this valuable program, visit http://www.sc.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/HFRP.html or visit your local NRCS office, which can be found here: http://www.sc.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/.

Photograph shows a longleaf pine, which is one area of focus for this program.

Clemson Extension Opens Lake to Fishing

2011-04-12T08:13:00.000-04:00

After months of input from the community through meeting and email surveys, Clemson Extension has opened their lake and 2 ponds to fishing by creating the Sandhill Fish Club. This will be the first time fishing has been permitted at the location, and the club will work as a fee-based membership. The membership will be open to the first 100 members that turn in their applications and fees to the Extension's Sandhill office at 560 Civitas Circle.

This first membership will run from April 15 to December 15. Individual membership fees are $120, family memberships are $195. A reduced fee of $95 is available to seniors 65 and older. For more information and an application, visit http://www.clemson.edu/public/rec/sandhill/programs/fishing.html.

River Bassin' Tournament--3rd place

2011-04-04T08:51:00.001-04:00

I fished the Charlotte stop of the River Bassin' Tournament Trail this past weekend and put in a tough day of fishing on the Wateree River. I caught a few decent fish and took 3rd place against 26 other anglers.

The River Bassin' Trail is a kayak/canoe fishing tournament format and participants are allowed to fish within 100 miles of the weigh-in spot. The Bass Pro Shops at Concord Mills served as that spot Saturday, and I fished the southern-most point within our boundaries. All the rain we had last week made for some tough fishing with most of the rivers having much higher than normal water levels.

I had planned to fish the Broad River because I've had good luck with smallmouth there, but the water there was just too high. So I opted for plan B, putting in at the Wateree Dam and paddling over to a small creek called Grannie's Quarter Creek. I've bream fished this spot and have always caught a few small bass while throwing panfish spinners. I upsized my lure offerings on this day, and totaled six fish. The limit for the River Bassin' Trail is 3, so I was in good shape.

This trail, like most kayak tournament trails, uses the CPR (Catch, Photograph, Release) method of judging fish, so Friday night we all met at Bass Pro Shops and were given a Gorilla Glue icon that was required to appear in all photos, along with the measuring device and the fish. The winning 'stringer' is actually represented by the photos of an angler's three longest fish. My stringer was 45.5 inches.

Eric Boyd of Kings Mountain, NC took the top spot. His 3-fish stringer measured 48.75 inches, including one fish that went over 21 inches. Drew Haerer came in 2nd place with 46.75 inches.

It was a fun event and Drew Gregory and his staff put on a top-notch post-tournament meal and show. The next River Bassin' event will be held in Birmingham, Alabama on April 16, with 13 more stops before the championship in Roanoke, Virginia in early fall. To find out more about the River Bassin' Tournament Trail, visit http://www.riverbassintrail.com/.

PhotosByBrianCope: The River Bassin' Tent greets anglers and visitors to the Concord Mills Bass Pro Shops. This was my biggest fish of the day, and helped me into 3rd place for the tournament.

First Fish

2011-03-23T21:47:00.000-04:00

This is a great time of year to turn a youngster on to fishing. The cold weather has given way to spring and kids are eager to spend as many hours outdoors as possible. For those kids who have yet to catch their first fish, now is the perfect time to get them to a pond.

Diego Moore recently joined his dad and me to get a cure for his fishing itch. With a cup of nightcrawlers and a pair of Zebco 202 combos, the adults baited hooks and cast out lines, handing the reeling duties off to Diego, who caught 10 bream in about 15 minutes. His reactions ranged from crying to giggling. And every time I see him now, he wants to know "when do we go fishy again?"

Soon Diego. Soon....

PhotosByBrianCope: Fishless no more, Diego Moore shows he has joined the rank of anglers.

Catawba River Kayak Fishing

2011-03-22T21:20:00.000-04:00

I recently joined professional kayak angler Drew Gregory for a fishing excursion to the Catawba River just below the Lake Wylie Dam. Drew was demonstrating his signature series fishing kayak, the Coosa by Jackson Kayak, and of course a little fishing was in order.
We caught several largemouth bass on the day, and Drew caught a large gar that really put up a fight. The Coosa performed well and has some features that make it a unique river fishing kayak. Drew doesn't care for fishing in lakes, ponds, or the ocean. River fishing is where it's at as far as he is concerned, so he designed the Coosa with that in mind.

One of the river specific features on this kayak is a built-in recessed area for a drag chain, which slows your drift and also keeps your kayak pointed in the desired direction. The Coosa is also very stable for standing up, which is always helpful when fishing for Mr. Bucketmouth.

The Coosa is available at most kayak outfitters, including River Runners in Columbia. Or check out http://www.jacksonkayak.com/.

PhotosByBrianCope: The big swirl of the gar, and the prize fish in Drew's hand. For a junk fish, that sure is a beaut!

Perfect Fishing Weather

2011-03-21T22:08:00.000-04:00

The midlands has been blessed with great fishing weather for the past week. Dalton Reames and Morgan Watt took advantage of this over the weekend to fish the Rocky Bluff Swamp that runs through Sumter County. The water was a little too high to find a real hotspot, but the anglers found a few redbreast here and there tossing Beetlespins and other 1/16th-ounce spinners.

No rain is expected this week, and the trees throughout the swamp are budding, which will suck a lot of water from the stream, so the water level should drop quickly. This will concentrate the fish more and make for better fishing next time.

PhotoByBrianCope: Dalton Reames show off a hefty redbreast bream.

SCWF Sponsors Nature Walks This Month

2011-03-09T06:40:00.000-05:00

We've been having some great weather in the midlands lately, and it's a great time of year for a nature walk. The South Carolina Wildlife Federation will host two nature walks designed for families. The first will take place March 19 at the Carolina Children's Garden which is located at the Clemson Extension Education Center on Clemson Road in Columbia.

The second walk will be held March 26 at Riverfront Park (4120 River Dr.) Both walks are free, but you must register in advance by emailing sara@scwf.org.

The walks are a part of the National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour Program which stresses the need for kids to get outside for at least an hour a day. Certain plants, rocks, insects, and wildlife will be noted by naturalists leading the walks.

For more information on these walks, and on other programs sponsored by SCWF, visit the Federations website at http://www.scwf.org/.

Tree Farmer Volunteer of the year Award

2011-03-07T14:42:00.004-05:00

The 65th Anniversary of the S.C. Tree Farm program was commemorated by a Legislative lobby day at the statehouse in Columbia on March 2. Approximately 50 Tree Farm representatives gathered at 8 a.m. to get in a full day of activities, with an equal balance of landowners and forestry professionals attending. As one part of the day-long event, Jeff Dennis was awarded the Master Tree Farmer program 2010 Volunteer of the Year for my work raising awareness about forestry in Colleton County and the ACE Basin. To read more about these efforts please visit Jeff's website at www.LowcountryOutdoors.com and click on the PL-ACE button. As a small private landowner and advocate for the natural resources of the Lowcountry, JeffDennis will continue to showcase the positive aspects of the outdoors. Special thanks go the the House and Senate for passing a resolution in support of the S.C. Tree Farm system's contributions to the forestry industry. For more information on the S.C. Tree Farm click here. Special thanks go to Sen. Chip Campsen for recognizing Volunteer Award recipient from the floor of the Senate, and for being a champion for sportsmen and conservation.

For a report on SouthCarolinaSportsman.com click here.

PhotosByJeffDennis: Rep. Chip Limehouse recognized Jeff Dennis at the press conference in the capital rotunda and is here with Denise Bonnette, the S.C. Tree Farm Committee Chair; the Tree Farm logo is universal nationwide; members of the Tree Farm green shirt team await the press conference; the Volunteer award plaque was a very sturdy and attractive wood product - most fitting for a Tree Farmer!

Wood Duck Box Maintenance

2011-03-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

Central Carolina Technical College's Natural Resource Management Program students met with the SCDNR this morning to help do maintenance on the wood duck boxes at Hickory Top WMA. DNR's Chris Orange and Ed Laney were on hand to give instruction on the details of the Wood Duck Box Program, and the students then went about wading through the flooded areas to count eggs, clean out old debris, remark the boxes, and add new shavings for bedding.

Orange warned the students about some of the dangers of this project--including wasps, snakes, and alligators, but fortunately no such pests were encountered this time. The remains of several hatched eggs were found as well as a couple of unhatched eggs.

The boxes are important to wood ducks because they provide additional nesting sites, and are equipped with predator shields that do a much better job at keeping out snakes and such than an unshielded hole in a tree does.

Want to make your own wood duck boxes? Visit this portion of the SCDNR website at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/waterfowl/woodduck/index.html.

PhotosByBrianCope: Kellen Thompkins (foreground) and Justin Leviner (behind duck box) are students in CCTC's NRM program, and are seen here checking a wood duck box. These two unhealthy eggs went unhatched, and were discarded prior to installing new wood shavings.

Lake Wylie CATT

2011-02-24T09:20:00.001-05:00

Bass fishing season is in full swing and that means there is a Carolina Angler's Team Trail event near you. Lake Wylie hosted the Feb 19th CATT tournament, which had 26 teams competing. Doug Gilmer and Tom Russell brought home 1st place, finishing with 14+ pounds of largemouth that netted them a $790 paycheck. See more info at South Carolina Sportsman Magazine.

There is plenty of time to get in on the CATT Trail for 2011. It's turning into one of the biggest tournament trails in the state, offering anglers a chance to compete against some stiff competition without too much travel. There are complete trails on lakes Wylie, Santee, Wateree, and Murray, and a CATT Classic Championship at the end of the season. Where is the next stop? Find out at http://www.catttrail.com/.

PhotosByCATT: Bill Brier shows off his 5 lb 9 oz lunker that took the Big Fish award and pushed him into 4th place.

Lake Murray BFL Produces Four 20+ lb Bags

2011-02-20T10:13:00.001-05:00

The warming trend the midlands has enjoyed for the past week really turned on the fish for the WalMart BFL tournament held Saturday, March 19 at Lake Murray. The weigh-in, which took place at Dreher Island State Park, saw 4 anglers catch limits of bass that exceeded 20 lbs. Two of those anglers tied for 2nd place with their 20 lb, 5 oz bags. Top spot went to Blacksburg's Jeremy Wilson, with 21 lbs, 6 ozs.

For more information and photos on the tournament, check out the coverage from SC Sportsman at http://www.southcarolinasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=139701

PhotoByBrianCope: This 8+ pounder was one of several big fish weighed in at the tournament.

50 Attend Clemson Extension Fishing Meeting

2011-02-17T17:44:00.000-05:00

Clemson Extension has long had a pond used for research at their midlands Sandhill facility in Columbia, and while the pond has never been open to fishing by the public, that could soon change. Stan Perry, who is the Special Projects Director at the Sandhill site, held a meeting at the end of January to speak about the possibility of opening the pond with controlled access. 50 interested anglers attended the meeting, where Perry talked about the issue.

No changes were made at the meeting, but Perry says upcoming announcements will be forthcoming, and may come after addtional surveys with the public are done. To ensure you're up to speed on any updates, sign up for the email distribution list by sending an email to shrec@clemson.edu. In the subject line, type "fishing list" and include your name in the body of the email.

SCWF Names New Board Members and Chairman

2011-02-11T08:13:00.000-05:00

The South Carolina Wildlife Federation has added four board members and announced the election of a new Chairman.

Dan Scheffing resides in the midlands town of Andrews and serves as the Senior Project Manager of Sabine and Waters' Forestry Division, a consulting firm for the forestry and environmental sector. He has been elected as the new Chairman of SCWF.

On helping SCWF achieve its mission, Scheffing states

“With a life long interest in the natural world - it's been my vocation as well as my avocation - it's an honor and a welcome challenge to be selected to lead the SCWF Board for the next two years. Association with the oldest conservation group in SC is rewarding and being asked to play a leadership role with that group is humbling. The challenges around advocating the important issues that face our natural heritage, particularly during very tough economic times, will demand the talents and efforts of the Board and our very capable Staff. I look forward to being part of that process.”

The news board members are Valerie Carter-Stone of West Columbia; William Fairey of Charlotte, NC; Peyton Sasnett of Columbia, SC; and Ed Wilson, also of Columbia.

The SCWF is the oldest statewide conservation organization, and is looking forward to a successful year-their 80th-with the addition of these new board members.

Guy Harvey Magazine dolphin tagging article

2011-02-07T09:59:00.006-05:00

Guy Harvey is well-known as a marine artist, but he is also an advocate for conservation of all ocean species. Whether donating a portion of his profits to a special cause like the Gulf Oil Spill, or the long-term funding of his oceanographic institute in Florida, there can be no denial that he puts an emphasis on financial support of his causes. When the first edition of Guy Harvey Magazine came out, about the time of the opening of Guy Harvey's restaurant in Mount Pleasant, Jeff Dennis knew that the story of S.C.'s local dolphin-tagging guru Don Hammond needed to be told. And the story goes something like this, Hammond's local program is going worldwide and Guy Harvey magazine, which is billed as 'The Art of Ocean Conservation," is helping to raise awareness about dolphin tagging for research purposes. Jeff's story on Hammond's program is posted under the 'conservation' section of the Guy Harvey Magazine website.

PhotosByJeffDennis: Offshore anglers love to fish for dolphin to enjoy fresh mahi mahi when they return to port; This Guy Harvey dolphin print is on the cover of his latest magazine; Don Hammond takes measurements and records data on dolphin that are brought back to the docks to extrapolate the current health trends as they migrate past South Carolina; Guy Harvey Magazine bears the unforgettable signature of the man who advocates conservation for the world's oceans

Rainy Weather Bad for Quail, Good for Cats

2011-02-05T09:13:00.001-05:00

The rainy weather has been the cause of a few canceled quail hunting trips this week, but one good thing that comes from all this rain is that it raises the river levels quickly, and that is the perfect time to set bushlines for catfish. You need a "set hook" permit from the SCDNR, and the rest is simple. A strand of trotline cord or 75-pound test monofilament will get you started. Some folks tie a barrel swivel in between two strands to cut down on twisting. Your hook size is up to you and the size fish you're looking to catch. Some folks use a 6/0, some use hooks made for tuna. Tie onto a flexible tree branch that's overhanging the water--or will overhang it once the river rises. Stick a hunk of cut bait on the hook and drop it in the water.

Set a few lines like that just before dark and check them throughout the night, or first thing in the morning. The catfish love to cruise the shallows as the river rises and the rains knock worms, insects, and small animals like mice into the water. It sounds a little boring to some folks, but when they start checking lines, that changes real quick. Want to make it more exciting? Try it from a kayak, and get ready for hand-to-hand combat!

PhotoByBrianCope: Lee County's Anthony Messier struggles to subdue a 33-pound blue cat caught on a bushline.

Midlands Outdoors Founder in CCA Tide Magazine

2011-01-30T00:25:00.002-05:00

Jeff Dennis, outdoor writer and founder of Midlands Outdoors, Lowcountry Outdoors, and Foothills Outdoors, has a feature in the latest issue of CCA's Tide Magazine. This high-quality magazine is available in print and online. Check out Jeff's article on page 44--Tide Magazine.

Greene's Boat and Motor Bass Trail-Lake Wylie

2011-01-28T14:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend marks the first tournament of 2011 of the Greene's Boat and Motor Trail. Tomorrow's tournament will be located on Lake Wylie, and anglers will use the South Point Access landing. The 2011 Trail will feature six 1-day tournaments and a 2-day Classic. The 2010 Greene Trail paid back over $40,000 to anglers, and director Brett Collins says this year is looking even better.

This trail is run as a partnership with Collins' Carolina Anglers Team Trail, so check out the http://www.catttrail.com/ website for more information and the full 2011 schedule for both trails.

PhotoProvidedByCATT: Tournament director Brett Collins says it's never too early to get a youngster started in tournament fishing.

Fishin' in the Cold

2011-01-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

Have any of you guys been fishing in the cold? John Riggs of Columbia hasn't let the weather keep him off the water. John likes to fish for smallmouth bass in the Congaree and Broad Rivers, and has been out on some of the coldest days this month. He's had success with small crankbaits and plastic crawdads with a small profile. Tossing these lures into areas of river with little current, and in the direct sunlight, has paid off for him.

John fishes from an Old Town canoe, and is a frequent contributor to the http://www.riverbassin.com/ forum, where he is known as TheRiggsRunThroughIt. He stresses the importance of wearing a PFD on the water, especially this time of year, as a dunk in the river can leave you helpless in no time.

Don't let the cold keep you indoors--the fish still have to eat, so entice them with a meal or two.

PhotosByJohnRiggs: Riggs shows off a Broad River smallie.

FoothillsOutdoors.com blogger wins award

2011-01-18T21:04:00.002-05:00

Frabill is the world's largest producer of live bait containers and aeration products. Frabill also supplies other accessories to fishermen like dip nets of all sizes, all purpose waterproof gloves, and foul weather gear. Since 1938 Frabill has been gaining trust among anglers who want can-do products. Since Frabill makes live bait handling a priority it makes sense that they conducted an essay contest for outdoor writers to discuss why live bait is the way to go. On January 13 Frabill announced that Larry Ross of FoothillsOutdoors.com won first place with his article, "Love it or hate it, Live bait is usually the Ticket to Success." The article appeared in the Anderson Independent newspaper and Ross collected the $1000 first place award, and distinguished himself among his peer group of outdoor communicators. Congratulations Larry - well done!

PhotoByLarryRoss: Two youngsters bait up with a wiggling worm

PhotoProvided: Larry Ross in the Foothills

Winyah Bay Heritage Festival

2011-01-15T19:53:00.000-05:00

The Winyah Bay Heritage Festival is taking place this weekend in Georgetown, and MidlandsOutdoors stopped by the festival today. The SCDNR has the Take One, Make One trailer which allows kids to simulate a shooting and fishing experience. Fishing guides are also on hand giving classes on how to throw a cast net and talking about fishing the Winyah Bay and other inshore areas of Georgetown County and the Grand Strand.

Decoy carvers, painters, and other artists are there in big numbers, and if you like old, new, and unique waterfowl decoys, you'll be in heaven at this festival. There are decoy ducks, swans, geese, and many other birds for show and sale.

One of the most exciting parts of the festival is the Dixie Dock Dogs competition which allows dogs to show off their retrieving skills in a large pool. The dogs have to stay put until their masters give them the command to go, and with that signal, the dogs leap from a platform into the pool to retrieve their dummies. You can learn more about the Dixie Dock Dogs by visiting their website. And to learn more about the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival, visit http://www.winyahbay.org/.

PhotosByBrianCope: Waterfowl hunting plays a major role in the lives of Winyah Bay area outdoorsmen, so it is fitting artwork dealing with waterfowl has a big role in the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival.

VideoByBrianCope: Watch this clip to see a little bit of what the Dixie Dock Dog competition is all about.

Midlands Striper Club Awards

2011-01-12T07:58:00.001-05:00

Midlands Striper Club named their annual award winners on January 8th at Saluda Shoals Park. Leesville's Lee Thomas, 6-time Angler of the Year at the cllub, presented the 2010 Angler of the Year award to Rick Kellemeyer of Chapin. This was the first Angler of the Year award for Kellemeyer. Kreg Frady of Leesville took the runner-up spot, and Chapin's Van Cook finished third.

Debbie Alewine of Rock Hill was named Lady Anger of the Year, and Weston Thomas of Lexington won the club's Youth Angler of the award. This marks the fifth straight year Thomas has won the award, a first for the club.

The Big Fish of the Year award went to Terry Caulder of Little Mountain, for his 20 lb, 7 oz fish he caught on March 20.

Team Catchall won Team of the Year, with Team Wildman taking the 2nd spot, followed by Team Gar Hart.

100 members and guests attended the awards ceremony, and they were all treated to a catering by Shealy's BBQ of Batesburg-Leesville. The club's next meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 8 at The Flight Deck Restaurant in Lexington. Guests are encouraged to attend.

PhotosCourtesyMSC: Lady Angler of the Year Debbie Alewine accepting her award from her husband. Angler of the Year Rick Kellemeyer is presented his plaque. Weston Thomas poses with the Youth Angler of the Year award, presented by Kreg Frady.

Screaming War Bird Wins Grand American

2011-01-09T14:41:00.001-05:00

The 2011 Grand American Overall Winner has been crowned, and the honor goes to Screaming War Bird, a female treeing walker. The walker hails from Indian Trail, NC and is owned by Garrett Shearin and Josh Griffin.

Randy Steadman and Sam Drain of Kinport, TN took 2nd place with Ironman's Crank. Bowman, SC is home to the 3rd place finisher, Drain's Little Jake, owned by Sam Drain.

The Grand American, held annually in Orangeburg, is the nation's largest coon hunt. 402 dogs competed this year (50 more than competed last year) and estimates show that this year's crowd topped 30,000 folks.

Read more at South Carolina Sportsman Magazine's website here.

PhotoFromthetandd.com: Screaming War Bird is the 2011 Overall Winner of the Grand American.

DHEC Warns Against Eating Fish from Catawba River System

2011-01-07T07:27:00.002-05:00

Yesterday the Dept. of Health and Evironmental Control warned South Carolinians against eating more than a moderate amount of fish from the Catawba River System, which includes Lakes Wylie and Wateree, as well as the Catawba River, and the Fishing Creek and Cedar Creek Reservoirs.

The fish in these waters are polluted with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a cancer-causing material. These materials were once used in industrial settings but were banned by the federal government decades ago. Unfortunately the materials remain in the envirnonment and fish can accumulate PCBs.

DHEC's warning means people should not eat more than one meal of fish per week from this water source. They also warned that largemouth bass and bowfin (mudfish) have higher concentrations of PCBs than do catfish or bream.

PhotoByBrianCope: Mike Spinks shows off a buzzbait bass from Lake Wateree, one of the Catawba River System lakes.

Upland National at The Clinton House

2011-01-06T14:42:00.005-05:00

The Upland National Dog Trials will be held at the Clinton House on January 14 - 16 with special events to Benefit the Boykin Spaniel Society (BSS). 'This is a big event for sure, but the Boykin Nationals that are here in March will see competitors from all over the nation,' said Mike Johnson, the manager at the Clinton House. If you want to come see some great dog work in a beautiful setting then come join the fun in Clinton. First up is a pheasant tower shoot on Friday January 14th followed by a country dinner, and on Saturday and Sunday will be the Crazy Quail shoot and retrieve game plus a silent auction with donated items like hunting and fishing equipment. For more information call Bill Crites with the BSS at 803-730-7198 or e-mail him at wcrites307@bellsouth.net.

PhotoByJeffDennis: Mike Johnson, manager at The Clinton House, works his boykin Tillie in the field

Four Hunting Dogs Dead, 13 Hunters Quarantined and Released

2010-12-31T11:10:00.002-05:00

A dog drive on a Lee County hunt yesterday left 4 dogs dead and several others sick, and had 13 hunters quarantined at KershawHealth Medical Center. All but one of the hunters were released last night after being decontaminated. An 11-year old boy stayed overnight at the hospital and is expected to be released sometime today.

The hunting party noticed some of the dogs rolling around in an unidentified substance, and according to one of the hunters, 4 of the dogs died on the spot as other dogs approached and began sniffing the substance. The hunters also investigated the substance and experienced various symptoms. The SCDNR went to the scene and identified the substance as Temik, a pesticide that is used by farmers to kill nematodes and other pests. Unfortunately it is also sometimes placed in hot dogs and other meat products and left in the woods to kill coyotes and other pests, but is indiscriminate with who or what animals it affects. According to one of the hunters, Joie McCutchen, the Temik was "in a pile in the woods by a tree, ground up into something. We don't know yet what it was."

The remaining dogs are undergoing treatment by a Bishopville veterinarian and seem to be recovering well. To leave a comment for this report on the SouthCarolinaSportsman.com website click here.

PhotoProvided: Joie McCutchen, shown here with an early season buck in velvet, was one of the Lee County hunters involved in the Temik incident.

Christmas Trees Make Great Fish Structure

2010-12-27T22:19:00.000-05:00

Well, the fat man in the red suit has come and gone once again and MidlandsOutdoors hopes everyone had a Merry Christmas. Now it's time to put up those Christmas decorations and toss the tree onto the burn pile, right? Wrong! Take that tree and any neighbor's trees you can get ahold of and make yourself a fishing hotspot in your favorite pond or lake.

It takes a little time but it's one of those things that you can enjoy for the rest of the year. Lash a few trees together and tie a cinder block tight to one of them, sink the brushpile, and mark it on your GPS or by using triangulation with shore-bound trees, banks, or rocks. It will provide much needed structure for gamefish and can save a slow fishing day since you'll know at least one good spot that fish are likely to be.

We've enjoyed our Christmas trees, so now let's let the fish enjoy them as well.

PhotoProvided shows a couple of anglers dropping discarded Christmas trees for fish habitat.

Hunting Geese in S.C.

2010-12-20T16:30:00.006-05:00

The reports of migratory waterfowl are going strong this year, including two fabulous goose harvests over the weekend. First off the Wrecking Crew guide service in Rock Hill got in a good 'whack and stack' hunt when 100 Canadian geese worked their deadly decoy spread. Then a couple of experienced duck callers in Elloree saw these snow geese working an ag field and use throat vocalizations to draw them near enough to harvest! Keep MidlandsOutdoors in mind for waterfowl harvest reports and keep a check of the waterfowl forum on SouthCarolinaSportsman.com here.

PhotosSubmitted: Canada geese stacked like cord wood in the foothills, a pair of snow geese in the midlands

Impressive Buck Taken on Aiken SRS Draw Hunt

2010-12-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

Cole Scroggs, a high school student from Augusta, Georgia harvested a deer with an impressive rack earlier this month. Have you ever seen a rack with a 6-inch base on one side and a 5.5-inch base on the other?

Check out the full story of Scroggs' hunt at South Carolina Sportsman Magazine here.

PhotoProvided: The rack on this buck scored 161!

Cast and Blast

2010-12-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine has a couple of ponds that I fish in quite a bit and in the past few months we've noticed Canada geese showing up occasionally. We've talked about hunting them and I finally got the chance to do so this afternoon. With no decoys or even a goose call, I decided to take along a fishing rod so I'd have a way to kill some time if no geese arrived. Even though it warmed up a bit late today, there was still a lot of ice on the pond, so I heard a lot of crunching as I slid my Native Watercraft kayak into the pond.

I positioned myself under some trees along one bank and hoped the geese would show up, casting a plastic worm as I waited. I didn't get any bites, but I did notice something that looked like an antler shed just in the woods off the near bank. Too early for sheds though, but I pulled my 'yak ashore and walked into the woods to check it out. It was the skull of an 8-point buck with both antlers still attached. The rest of the body was nowhere around, so I assume a dog carried the head a ways and dropped it here. Before long, I heard the telltale honking of geese in the distance so I relaunched the kayak, loaded my gun, and waited. The geese finally came in and offered me a perfect shot. Seven geese approached for a landing but only one hit the water, and that one got wet earlier than it expected thanks to some steel No. 2 Estate Cartridges. I retrieved the goose and waited a while thinking some other geese might show up, but none did. But there is always tomorrow!

PhotosByBrianCope: The 15-inch inside spread on this 8-point rack signaled an unfortunate demise to a promising deer. Native Watercraft, Benelli Nova, Canada Goose.

Rimini duck hunt in 18-degree weather

2010-12-15T09:17:00.004-05:00

The state democratic caucus annual duck hunt was held a the South Carolina Waterfowl Association facilities in Rimini. The state legislators shared the camaraderie of the duck blind the morning after their planning meetings for the 2011 General Assembly. With unusually cold December weather already in S.C., some unusually good duck hunting has been on tap this year. Waterfowlers always yearn for cold weather up north to bring some migratory ducks down to South Carolina, and temperatures in the teens may be even more than most folks wish for, since it freezes up a lot of the duck hunting ponds in the area. For a detailed report on what was in the bag on Tuesday 12/14 visit the waterfowling forum on SouthCarolinaSportsman.com here. How cold was it? Hunter Tony Wielicki coined a new phrase yesterday - a 'bloodsickle' is when you pick up your harvested duck and the blood coming out freezes in an icicle formation. Strange but true!

PhotoByJeffDennis: SC House Minority Leader Rep. Harry Ott, Phil Bailey, Rep. Ted Vick (Chief of the SC House Wildlife committee), Sen. Vincent Sheheen and Matt Nichols; SCWA's wetland wildlife center sign welcomes hunters; Rep. Ted Vick and Jeff (in True Timber camo) are dressed for the extreme cold weather and managed to take their limits in wood ducks; Tony Wielicki and his dog Moon with his black duck and woodies

QDMA founder up for Bud conservation award

2010-12-14T19:47:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the Quality Deer Management Association was formed right here in South Carolina? Joe Hamilton of Walterboro started the very first QDMA chapter in the Lowcountry, and it has now become an international entity. To read more about Hamilton and to use the Bud link to vote before Dec. 17 visit SouthCarolinaSportsman.com here.

Too Cold to Fish? Not a Chance!

2010-12-13T14:54:00.000-05:00

How cold is too cold to fish? Well, last Thursday it was awfully cold; 19 degrees when I woke up that morning. But I still went to Canal Lakes Fish Camp to meet Capt. Bill Saltzman for a day of catfishing. There was ice in the mud puddles and the wind made it seem even colder than it was, but we headed down the Diversion Canal and on into Lake Moultrie just the same. It was all worth it when a big 40-pound blue catfish hit my cut bait while drifting in 50+ feet of water near the dam.

Luckily for me, Capt. Bill has an enclosure on his pontoon boat that allowed us to get out of the wind in between baiting lines and reeling in fish, and I would not recommend going out with a guide who does not have that during a cold winter day. I mean, being cold is one thing, but not having that shelter to warm up in would have made the day downright miserable. But as it was, we had a great day of conversation and caught some nice fish, including the 40-pounder.

Capt. Bill is a great guide to fish with. His pontoon is roomy and well equipped with gear, and he fishes with Abu Garcia 6500 reels matched with Shakespeare Ugly Stick Tiger rods, which are great combos for catfishing. He's also happy to share his fishing tips and does a great job making his guests feel welcome and entertained. And he's been fishing the Santee Cooper Lakes system long enough to know where the catfish are in every season of the year.

Don't let a little bit of cold weather scare you away from some of the greatest catfishing you'll find in the Palmetto State. Book a trip with Capt. Bill and catch yourself a trophy cat. Call him at 803-524-1951 or visit his website at http://www.captwasbigcats.com/.

PhotosByBrianCope: Capt. Bill prepares some cut bait, then shows off the results of drifting one such bait along the depths of Lake Moultrie.

Aiken County 8-pointer, 19-inch spread

2010-12-09T03:15:00.000-05:00

A deer with a 19-inch spread in South Carolina is hard to come by, but Aiken's Scott Ray came by one this season and harvested it near Jackson at the River to Rail Hunt Club. The 8-pointer weighed 165-lbs. That's a quality Palmetto State deer.
http://www.southcarolinasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=136503

PhotoProvided: Aiken's Scott Ray poses with his nice buck.

Florence County Archery Range Open to Public

2010-12-08T03:22:00.000-05:00

If you'd like to get some practice with your bow, the SCDNR has opened a new archery range that is open to the public from 9 a.m. to sunset. There is no charge for using the range, which is located at Lynches River County Park on 1110 Ben Gause Road in Coward. Available for archers is a flat range where bows are required to have a draw weight of 30 lbs. or less, and a 15-foot elevated range with no draw weight restrictions. This platform features a realistic hunting experience, with targets ranging from 10 to 40 yards.

The range is unmanned and broadhead points are not allowed on any portion of it.

PhotoProvided: An archer practices on the elevated platform at the new Florence County Archery Range.

Delta Waterfowl Banquet-Sumter

2010-12-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

The Sumter Chapter of Delta Waterfowl held their banquet Friday night at the National Guard Armory. Bar-B-Que, baked beans, and cole slaw were on the menu and sweet tea and an open bar complemented the meal. Items auctioned off included a Benelli M2 12-gauge and several other guns, a trained black lab puppy, an offshore fishing trip aboard the Wadmacallit, special edition Delta Waterfowl buck knives, and a whole host of duck hunting gear.

Delta Waterfowl's goal is to use science-based ideas and solutions that will conserve waterfowl and keep the future of waterfowl hunting secure. For more information, visit Delta Waterfowl's website.

PhotosByBrianCope: Delta Waterfowl held their Sumter banquet Friday night.

November WMA duck harvest report

2010-12-04T07:20:00.001-05:00

It looks like the waterfowl hunting in S.C. during November of 2010 was far better than say the last four or five years. With drought conditions nearing, it's hard to predict why this year the ducks think our habitat is looking good. Possibly it's because nature revolves in cycles and the replenishing rains of last winter have made a difference in the quality of our forage this year - just a thought for readers to consider. For a full report of the tally number on SouthCarolinaSportsman.com click here.

PhotosByJeffDennis: Scenes from past Bear Island WMA draw hunts

Savannah River Site 12/1 Hunt Report

2010-12-03T08:10:00.002-05:00

The "Deer Control Activity" draw hunt at the SRS near Aiken, S.C. is likely the largest driven deer hunt in the Southeast. With roughly the same amount of acreage as the Francis Marion National Forest, the Department of Energy has consistently held about 10 hunts a year for the past few decades in order to control the deer population. Safety is the hallmark of the SRS hunt with more than 50 standers and 50 dog drivers in the woods, each hunt begins with a thorough safety meeting that drives home what is expected from everyone. Lowcountry Outdoors first visited the SRS for this hunt in 1998 and found it to be well attended by like-minded hunters from other states like Georgia, North Carolina - and even Alabama, Louisiana and beyond. While not for everyone, the SRS draw hunt has stood the test of time as a worthy endeavor and a well-run program. To see more pics on SouthCarolinaSportsman.com click here.

PhotosByJeffDennis: William McClure of Mooresville, N.C. with his 237-pound hog; Kym Gainey with one of the fine bucks harvested at the SRS; A hunter admires his harvest; Two S.C. men drag their buck to their truck

Sumter Hunter Kills Dream Buck in Pennsylvania

2010-12-02T15:25:00.000-05:00

Sumter's Jimmie "Cricket" Kennedy went to the Keystone State for a hunting trip, and he brought back a rare find. Kennedy killed a buck that weighed 262-lbs, and that's not the only detail that made this a dream buck. The animal was also white. Kennedy is careful to point out it wasn't an albino deer, but rather a rare strain of white deer that is believed to have been shipped in from out west.

PhotoProvided: Cricket Kennedy killed this dream buck in Pennsylvania this past October.

Carolina Angler's Team Trail

2010-11-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

So you want to compete in a big-time bass fishing tournament series, but don't have the money or time to spend fishing all over the country to compete in the FLW or BASS tours? The answer to your dilemma is right here in the state of South Carolina. That answer is spelled CATT, which stands for Carolina Angler's Team Trail, and the owner of the trail is from right here in the Midlands. Brett Collins of Ridgeway has grown the trail considerably in the past few years.

The trail is actually a series of trails fished on several lakes throughout South Carolina and North Carolina, but most anglers stick to fishing the trail on just the lake closest to their home. This helps keep costs to a minimum since there is little travel and no need to spend money on hotel rooms. Basically, these guys are going fishing at their local lake for the day, and dozens of other teams are doing the same thing.

The 2010 Fall Season of the Lake Wateree trail just wrapped up this past weekend. The winning team of Tripp Owings and Daniel Cook took home over $2500 for their tournament efforts. Along with the rest of the prize money for the day, that brought the overall payback to anglers to over $49,000 in 2010 for just Lake Wateree alone.

Lake Wylie, Lake Murray, Lake Santee, the Waccamaw River, and Lake Robinson are also part of CATT. Each one has a Fall Season, a Spring Season, and a Winter Season, so you can fish year-round in a tournament series against good competition without worrying about traveling the country to do it. For further information on CATT, check out their website at http://www.catttrail.com/.

PhotosProvided: These photos show the quality of fish caught throughout the year during the Carolina Angler's Team Trail tournaments.

Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve Gains Land

2010-11-25T09:23:00.000-05:00

Lexington County's Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve, a 461-acre preserve, is growing by 100 acres thanks to a recent acquisition of land by The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina. The additional acreage includes a high bluff and a longleaf pine forest, an important nesting site for several species of Palmetto State wildlife.

More longleaf is being planted aggresively, with the removal of slash pine to make room for longleaf seedlings and prescribed burning taking place.

Peachtree Rock is only about 20 minutes outside of Columbia and is important for several reasons. It features marine fossils, showing that this area was once shoreline. There is also a species of blueberry that is known to only grow in South Carolina. Peachtree Rock is named for a large, triangular shaped rock that is on the grounds of the preserve.

Bird-watching and hiking are activities that can be enjoyed year-round at Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve, and the 100 additional acreage will add even more to see. To find out more about Peachtree Rock and The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina, visit The Conservancy's website.

PhotosProvided: A longleaf pine seedling is poised to provide great habitat for many species. Peachtree Rock stands over 20-feet tall and is made of ironstone.

Hunting Island Lagoon Fishing

2010-11-22T12:43:00.001-05:00

MidlandsOutdoors.com visited the coast Saturday for a little fishing in the Hunting Island lagoon, and caught sheepshead, redfish, trout, and spots. The spots were running rampant, the sheepshead were biting good, a few trout bit live mud minnows, and the redfish ate cut shrimp and oysters. The highlight of the day was a 28-inch redfish that put up quite a fight. Read more about the trip at South Carolina Sportsman's website.

PhotoByBrianCope: This over-the-slot redfish was released to fight another day, and from the looks of its tail, it's accustomed to fighting.

Sumter County 11-pointer

2010-11-19T06:49:00.001-05:00

Sumter's Mike Spinks killed a 175-pound buck in the Sumter County town of Borden earlier this week. It's his second 11-pointer from the little hamlet. See the details at South Carolina Sportsman Magazine.

PhotoProvided: Mike Spinks poses with daughter Taylor and his latest 11-point buck.

Boat Raffle to benefit S.C. Ducks Unlimited

2010-11-18T12:20:00.002-05:00

Da Boat from SC DU is going to be a special year-end fundraiser where 100 tickets are being sold at $100 each, and the winner will be drawn on Christmas Eve. Talk about timing - just get some gas and some lucky waterfowler could be shooting ducks Christmas morning in his new rig!

DU's website recently underwent an upgrade and here is a link to the state contacts for S.C. DU

SC Outdoor Press Association Conference

2010-11-16T21:16:00.002-05:00

The South Carolina Outdoor Press Assn. (SCOPe) held its annual conference last weekend at The Territories (http://www.theterritories.net/) on the banks of the Saluda River. PJ Perea of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) gave a seminar on predator hunting, and two custom turkey call makers, Irving Witt and Steve Mann, spoke and donated turkey calls to raise funds for SCOPe.

The Territories hosted a couple of deer hunts, and professional bass fisherman Davy Hite allowed the use of his property for a deer hunt as well. SCOPe member Teach Corley put on a fishing tournament Saturday morning with participants fishing the Saluda River. South Carolina Sportsman Magazine editor Dan Kibler took 1st place in the tournament's bass division, and outdoor humorist Jim Mize took the panfish division with his flyrod.

Other fishing trips included shellcracker fishing on Lake Murray with Capt. Doug Lown, and catfishing with Capt. Chris Simpson (http://www.fightindablues.com/).

PhotosByBrianCope: Larry Ross enjoyed shellcracker fishing with Capt. Doug Lown, who shows off a fat 'cracker. Custom turkey call maker Irving Whitt poses for a photo with Midlands Outdoors.

Pond Management Workshop

2010-11-12T13:50:00.000-05:00

Cory Heaton of Clemson Extension came to Sumter Thursday night and put on a Pond Management 101 workshop for residents. Heaton provided a wealth of information on pond stocking ratios, and aquatic weed identification. He also had several handouts from SCDNR and Clemson Extension that covers the same information more in depth. A list of state certified fish suppliers was another handout, and this list surprised some residents of Sumter who did not realize that several fish suppliers are within such close proximity to their private ponds.

Some pond owners/managers brought in samples of aquatic weeds from their ponds. Heaton identified each one, and offered advice on how to manage those weeds. He also surprised several folks when he offered advice for stocking Tilapia in local ponds. These fish, which are a delicacy at many restaurants, can be stocked in the spring as 8" fish, and by fall, many of those fish have reached 2 pounds and have reproduced, with their offspring in the 1 pound range. The only downfall to tilapia is they will not live once the water temperature gets below 55 degrees, but that makes them easy to catch with a dip net, where they can then be filleted and fried, with plenty left over for the freezer.

For more information on Clemson Extension and the many programs they offer, visit their website at http://www.clemson.edu/extension/.

PhotoByBrianCope: Pond Management 101 was offered by Clemson Extension Thursday night at Bethel United Methodist Church in Sumter.

Big Cats with Capt. Bill Saltzman

2010-11-10T19:18:00.000-05:00

Capt. Bill Saltzman recently hosted the family of another captain. Capt. John Altenberg of Sea Tow Lake Murray joined Capt. Bill on Lake Santee for some catfishing, and it was a good day of fishing. Typical of fall days in South Carolina, the day started off on the cool side, and warmed up to short-sleeve weather by lunch time.

Drift fishing with cut bait, Capt. Bill found the catfish, and the Altenberg family caught several cats over 15-pounds as well as a few smaller fish that are perfect for frying. Capt. Bill says if you want to catch a trophy cat, book a trip with him in the next few weeks. The water temperature is cooling down and once it gets right around 60, the small cats will be pushed out by the cold and he will drift fish for the big boys, and catfish in the 45-pound range will be an attainable goal for each trip.

Check out Capt. Bill's website to find out more information about fishing with him. Visit http://www.captwasbigcats.com/ and get ready for a workout on the water.

PhotosProvided: Capt. Bill coaches the youngest Altenberg, who has a catfish on the line.

Backyard 9-pointer - Kershaw County

2010-11-05T08:46:00.000-04:00

Austin Presler of Kershaw County didn't have far to go to take a nice 9-pointer earlier this week. Tuesday morning, Presler was getting ready for work when he noticed a deer in his backyard. It's one of the advantages of living out in the country that he enjoys. Now his backyard isn't a well-manicured 1-acre lot with bird feeders and a firepit. His backyard is scores of wooded acres full of deer and other wildlife. A busy young man, Presler enjoys walking through those woods at least for a few minutes each day. So with about 15-minutes to spare before hitting the road for work, he took his gun along for a stroll, spotted the deer right away, and had it loaded in the back of his truck with a few minutes to spare, which he used to convince his mom to snap a few photos.

Anyone lucky enough to have killed a deer just before work knows the logistics that come into play once the quarry has been downed. How to load the deer without getting the work clothes dirty, how to get the deer to the processor without being late for work, and making sure the processor knows just how you want the future mount caped are all details that many hunters wrestle with while also trying to get to work on time. But none of that bothered Presler, because he works at Peach Orchard Deer Processing in Dalzell (803-499-9036). So it was a normal working day for Presler, interrupted slightly by the time it took to load, then unload, his own deer--two tasks Presler was happy to perform.

Never tell Presler that you don't have time to hunt. It's just not an argument that a country boy like him is willing to buy.

PhotoCourtesyOf Kristi Westfall Presler: Austin Presler is all smiles about the 9-point buck he killed and then processed. That's truly being involved in the food chain!

CCA 30 day tagged fish tourney

2010-11-02T20:54:00.003-04:00

This November CCA members are eligible to enter the 2nd annual Lowcountry tagged redfish tournament, to look for the five redfish in the waters surrounding Beaufort that have been tagged with special CCA South Carolina tags. For the entire story on SouthCarolinaSportsman.com click here.

PhotoByJeffDennis: Jon Wood with Danny Rourk of Tail Wind Charters are fishing for the tagged CCA redfish in Beaufort, seen here pre-fishing 10/30

CCA Banquet--Lexington

2010-10-29T09:27:00.002-04:00

The Lexington Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) held its annual conservation banquet last night at the Lexington Municipal Conference Center. Raffles, auctions, great food, and fellowship highlighted the fundraising event.

Seared tuna, pork BBQ, catfish, and shrimp were some of the items on the menu, which was catered by Charleston Bay Gourmet. One comment overheard about the seared tuna was "I don't know; it looks raw," but followed by "hey, that's gooooood!" My taste buds left me no choice but to agree.

Two Yeti Coolers with the CCA logo were raffled off, and a set of CCA Frogg Toggs joined several other prizes that went home with CCA members lucky enough to have their raffle tickets pulled. And the grand raffle prize was an outdoor kitchen consisting of a stainless still grill, steamer, and turkey fryer.

Some of the items auctioned off included a two-man, two-day hog hunt, an evening of sporting clays at Hermitage Farm, a young and eager-to-please German Shorthaired Pointer, a handmade oyster table, and artwork.

CCA is a grass-roots, non-profit organization made up of fishermen and other conservationists who volunteer their time and efforts to ensure our angling heritage is properly looked after for our present and future generations. This is done in a variety of ways, from being a watchdog on national and local fisheries issues, to coordinating oyster shell restocking, which replenishes habitat for sealife.

To get involved and see the schedule of other CCA banquets across the Palmetto State, check out CCA South Carolina's website at http://www.ccasouthcarolina.com/.

PhotosByBrianCope: The German Shorthaird Pointer was a big hit!This redfish was part of the silent auction. This .17 bolt action rifle was given away in the 'deck of cards' raffle. This piece of artwork brought over $200 in the live auction.

Quail Hunting

2010-10-24T11:33:00.000-04:00

Quail hunting season is in full swing, at least on South Carolina's quail preserves. While the population of wild native quail in South Carolina is virtually nonexistant, many property managers are doing all they can to see that change. In years past, most preserves released a certain number of quail--usually about 100 birds per 4 hunters--just before a hunt. Not much thought was given to what happened to the quail that made it through the hunt, and most were killed by fire ants, hawks, and foxes.

But these days, thanks to quail restoration programs and seminars offered by the National Bobwhite Technical Committee and Quail Unlimited, many plantations are taking steps to help these released quail make it as full time inhabitants of their land, leading to breeding populations of the bobwhite. Planting native grasses and doing controlled burns are a couple of practices land managers can engage in to boost survival chances of released birds, and attract what few wild birds may be in the area.

Bulk releases are also becoming popular on hunting preserves. Instead of just releasing 100 birds prior to a hunt, quail are released in bigger numbers several times a year. While this is a bit more expensive up front, it will pay off in the long run as long as other measures are taken to help restore the population of this important gamebird.

PhotosByBrianCope: A Sumter County hunting party stands over their collection of quail and a few chukars. Dog on point! A hunter watches the dogs who are eagerly awaiting to hear their command to flush.

Deer Video

2010-10-21T17:25:00.000-04:00

Midlands outdoorsman Joel Boykin sent us this video of a nice buck on his property in Red Hill. This is the kind of buck land managers strive for when implementing trophy management practices, such as those promoted by the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA). QDMA is a national organization which promotes safe and ethical hunting practices, conservation, and educates hunters and land managers on management procedures which will enhance deer hunting now and for future generations.

Video: Thanks to Joel Boykin for sending in the video and for practicing QDM procedures.

Fishing with Drew

2010-10-18T22:28:00.000-04:00

I took a fishing trip with professional kayak angler Drew Gregory last week. Gregory is the founder of the River Bassin' Tournament Trail which held its inaugural season in 2010. The trail's title sponsor is Bass Pro Shops, and the 2010 tour featured 5 tournaments, all with their captain's meetings and weigh-ins at Bass Pro Shops stores in 4 different states.

The River Bassin' Tournament Trail is all about catching bass on river from human powered craft, be they canoes, kayaks, float tubes, or even just humans standing on shore. Gregory, who fell in love with river fishing at an early age while fishing with his dad, had trouble finding the perfect craft for river fishing, so he teamed up with a relatively young kayak company and designed his own river craft. The Coosa, by Jackson Kayak, is a revolutionary fishing kayak. Instead of using base model touring kayaks and slightly modifying them for fishing as most kayak manufacturers have done, Jackson Kayak put Gregory in charge of developing their very first fishing kayak from scratch.

The result is a dream craft for river anglers. It's extremely stable, allowing anglers to stand and even make a few steps forward and turn around. It also features a molded in area for installing a retractable drag chain, an important feature for river anglers who up until now have always had to rig up their own drag chain system.

The Coosa also has a lockable rod storage compartment and a locking mechanism to secure it to your truck or car top. A 2-position seat allows you to sit higher while fishing and lower when running through rapids. The seat also removes completely so you can use it as a camp chair when sitting around the fire after a day of fishing.

To check out the rest of the unique features on the Coosa, check out Gregory's website at http://www.drewgregory.com/ or see it at Jackson Kayak's website, http://jacksonkayak.com/coosa/. And check out the River Bassin' Tournament Trail at http://www.riverbassintrail.com/.

By the way, we caught a few fish on the Catawba River just below the Lake Wylie dam. It's a good time to go, and will be even better once the water temperature falls low enough to start killing some Lake Wylie shad, which get sucked through the dam and discarded into the river, where the bass know they can get an easy meal.

PhotoByBrianCope: Drew shows off a nice 4+ pound largemouth he caught on a buzzbait just a few hundred yards below the Lake Wylie dam.

Blake Hodge and The Duck Commander visit Schofield's

2010-10-16T10:43:00.003-04:00

Schofield's Hardware in Florence hosted a couple of duck-calling champions on Oct. 8th. Blake Hodge, the teenaged duck-calling phenom from Lancaster and Phil Robertson, the Duck Commander were both on hand to sign autographs and talk to fans about duck calling and the gear they use. Federal Ammo, Drake, Winn Tuck, and Benelli all had promotions going on, and Cooks for Christ served up a chicken bog.

Hodge is no stranger to pressure when it comes to duck-calling. He's won numerous awards, including the N.C. State Championship in Canada Goose calling (adult division), and the N.C. State Championship in the Youth Main Street Duck calling competition. But he felt a few butterflies in his stomach at Schofield's Hardware when he was surprised to hear The Duck Commander introduce him to the crowd, then ask him to put on a calling display.

After Hodge's calling demo, the Duck Commander gave one of his signature inspirational speeches. Then it was back to signing autographs and promoting hunting and calling gear. Mud Flap, the radio personality for Florence radio station Eagle 92.9, did a live broadcast with Hodge while shoppers stocked up for hunting season.

For more information on Duck Commander gear, and about Robertson and the rest of the The Duckmen, visit http://www.duckcommander.com/.

Schofield's Ace Hardware is the premier hardware and outdoor supply store in the Pee Dee. Drake, Winn Tuck, Columbia Sportswear, Duck Commander, ThermaCell, Mountain Hardware, and Keen Footwear are just a few of the brands they sell. They also have over 1000 firearms in stock. Stop in now to load up on ammo for deer and duck season, or to purchase supplies on your way to do some great fall fishing along the Grand Strand. And don't let your experience stop there--log on to http://www.schofieldace.com/ and post photos of your game and fish on their Brag Board.

PhotosProvided: Duck Commander makes premium calls and other gear, and Schofield's is a dealer for the brand. Blake Hodge smiles just before being introduced by the Duck Commander, who gave an inspirational speech to the crowd at Schofield's Ace Hardware.

Lee County Outdoorsman Bags 13-ft Gator

2010-10-08T20:49:00.002-04:00

Lee County outdoorsman Anthony Messier paired up with Tail & Scale Outfitters to search for a gator on the waters of Lake Marion. Seeing several gators in the 8-9 foot range, Tail & Scale's Capt. Jordan Patrick and Trey Courtney told Messier they could do better than that, so they didn't pull out the crossbow until day 2 of the hunt, when Messier sent the crossbow bolt, which had a buoy attached, into the body of a 13-footer.

Messier then shot the gator with another bolt that had a bigger buoy attached and the fight was on--and what a fight it was! Once the gator was boatside, it took 3 hits from the bangstick to subdue the gator so the crew could hoist it aboard, leaving little room for Messier and the Tail & Scale team, but nobody was complaining.

Once ashore, the gator was taken to Cordray's Processing, where it was weighed and measured before being processed. The big Palmetto State lizard was 13-ft, 1-inch long and weighed 580 pounds.

PhotoProvidedByAnthonyMessier: Messier, who stands 6'4" tall, is dwarfed by his Santee gator.

210-lb Sumter County Buck

2010-10-03T00:34:00.001-04:00

Many midlands outdoorsmen hunt their whole lives and never kill a buck that reaches the 200-lb mark, but on a hunting trip this weekend, 13-year old Lane Zeagler bagged a 210-lb buck. The 8-pointer fell to Zeagler's .270 from about 100 yards away early on Saturday morning, October 2nd.

Zeagler, who was hunting in the Sumter County hamlet of Horatio from a two-man stand with his dad, knew the buck was a shooter, but said the deer didn't look quite that big through the scope, but was glad he misjudged its size.

Sumter County outdoorsman Marshall French summed up Zeagler's feat. "I've killed over a hundred deer in my life, and I've never killed a 200-pounder," said French.

An avid hunter and native of Savannah, Georgia, Zeagler was on his first hunting trip in the Palmetto State, but I doubt it will be his last. Great job Lane!

PhotoByBrianCope: Lane Zeagler poses with his buck, a 210-lb brute killed in Sumter County.

42-lb Flathead Caught on Santee

2010-10-01T10:52:00.001-04:00

Gill Cook booked a trip with Capt. Wayne Vining of Catfish'n'Fool Charters and landed a nice catfish at Lake Santee. Cook reeled in a 42-lb flathead and said he will definitely be booking another trip with the Catfish'n'Fool. He was 3 pounds shy of getting that next trip on the house. Capt. Wayne has a policy that awards a free future fishing trip to anyone who catches a catfish of 45-lbs or better while on one of his trips.

Cook doesn't seem to mind missing out on a free trip, and I don't blame him. Check out the photo of this catfish at the South Carolina Sportsman Magazine's website.

PhotoProvided: Capt. Wayne and Gill Cook show off the big flathead they caught on Lake Santee.

2010 Governor's Cup Awards - VIDEO

2010-09-27T11:00:00.003-04:00

The 2010 South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Awards were held at the Governor's Mansion on September 26, and was punctuated by the winning team's owner donating $20,000! Caramba won the 2010 Outstanding Billfish Boat award and Bob Faith made a grant towards the 2011 Gov. Cup Series and challenged future Series winners to make this kind of support a tradition. For more on the 2010 Governor's Cup awards on SCsportsman.com click this link.

PhotosByJeffDennis: Elizabeth, Jessie and Amy are part of the SCDNR Gov. Cup Staff; Jim and Wendy Goller represent the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Foundation; This blue marlin plaque was given to Governor Sanford for hosting the Gov. Cup awards for six years; John and Emily Horton represent the Georgetown Landing Marina.

VideoByJeffDennis: SCDNR Board Chair Mike McShane recognizes Governor Mark Sanford

Hot Smallmouth Action on the Broad River

2010-09-24T00:44:00.000-04:00

Before yesterday, I'd never caught a South Carolina smallmouth, so I jumped at the opportunity to join a friend on the Broad River just above Columbia. I've heard the bite has been hot, and that smallies approaching 20-inches have been caught.

Using Mepps Aglia spinners and soft plastic crawdads, we caught and released over 20 smallmouth in a day's worth of fishing, and added 3 largemouth to those numbers. The fish averaged around 12-14 inches, and a few of them went over 18".

I left the water sunburned and sore, but it was a day of fishing firsts and one I'm sure I'll not forget.

PhotosByBrianCope: These are two of the smallmouth bass I caught yesterday on the Broad River.

Top Water Action Still Hot

2010-09-21T12:57:00.000-04:00

We still have some hot days ahead of us before the fall really gets going, but the cooler night and morning temperatures have been keeping the bass in a frisky mood, and it's been pretty easy to target them with topwater lures.

I caught a handful this morning right about daybreak, and they all fell to a white Booyah (http://www.booyahbaits.com/) buzzbait fished tight to structure. I didn't catch any big fish, but it's always good to start the day off by hearing fish making those toilet-flushing sounds that only topwater fishermen can truly appreciate.

PhotosByBrianCope: Catching a few little pounders like this one is a great way to start the day off, and a Booyah buzzbait is a great lure to get them in the boat. One look at my garage refrigerator is sure to show people what my favorite pastime is.

New Bass Frog on the Market

2010-09-18T18:27:00.000-04:00

Top-water fishing for bass with soft plastic frogs has been an exciting way to catch largemouth, and until recently, just about every frog lure manufacturer's offerings looked so similar that it was hard to distinguish one brand from the next. Lure designers were having to patent the shapes of the frog's eyes and color schemes to set themselves apart from competitors.
But there's a new kid in town now, and the design of this new frog isn't just different, it's radically different.

While some plastic frogs have skirts for legs, others have plastic legs that are shaped like a real frog's legs, but they stay almost completely stationary. This new frog, Capt. Ken Daubert's Designer Clone Series (http://www.bass-frog.com/), has a flexible rubberband-ish section of plastic with feet facing forward when the frog is at rest. Upon twitching the frog, the legs sweep back, then sweep forward again. This gives a more realistic retrieve for frogging anglers, and from yesterday's trip to a local pond, it is a hit with the bass as well.

I didn't catch any monsters with the Clone Frog, but I caught more than a few fish, and I'm sure I'll get into some big boys with these frogs before the fall bite turns off.

PhotoByBrianCope: This 12-incher is nothing to brag about, but it sure was fun watching her come up and swipe that frog off the surface.

Northern Lady takes Southern GATOR

2010-09-17T13:43:00.002-04:00

This is a story of determination because even though Mary ellen Christian was not able to harvest a gator in 2009, she came back to give it another try in 2010 and her efforts were rewarded with a MASSIVE gator that she harvested with her husband Mark and Guide Kevin Davis of Black's Fish Camp in Cross, S.C. To read the entire story on South Carolina Sportsman.com click this link.

PhotoByKevinDavis: Mark and Mary ellen with the hanging gator

Big Santee Cooper Flathead Catfish

2010-09-15T16:57:00.000-04:00

Capt. Wayne Vining guides for catfish on the Santee Cooper Lakes, and he knows where to find the big boys. The catfish change depths and their food preferences with every change in the weather, so if you're looking to catch a big catfish, you want a guide who spends a lot of time on the water and knows the little changes these fish are making.

Capt. Wayne recently caught the 56-lb flathead catfish in this picture on Lake Marion. Many people would assume he caught this fish in a deep hole, but he actually caught it in less than 3 feet of water. Capt. Wayne reports that fall is his favorite time to fish, and his clients get their next fishing trip free if anyone in their fishing party catches a catfish over 45-lbs.

Give Capt. Wayne a chance to put you on some catfish. He's got great rates, and he knows where the fish are and what they are eating. Check him out at http://www.catfishnfool.com/.

PhotoByWayneVining. This 56-lb flathead was caught in less than 3-feet of water on Lake Marion.

Little Pee Dee Fishing

2010-09-14T13:29:00.001-04:00

The cooler morning and evening temperatures are good for fishermen in more ways than one. It makes it more comfortable to be on the water, and it also keeps the fish in the mood to feed. Two midlands anglers found that to be the case a few days ago when fishing out of Pitts Landing on the Little Pee Dee River.

Tim Glover fished for largemouth bass with spinnerbaits and buzzbaits while his wife Sissy tossed nothing but a white Beetlespin all day. Tim caught a about a dozen bass but reports "nothing was big enough to raise an eyebrow." Sissy stayed plenty busy with her Beetlespin, catching a range of species including a channel catfish, several small bass, and a host of bream.

Most of their bites came in eddies and natural breaks in the current, and when they left the river at 1 p.m., the fish were still biting.

PhotosProvided: Sissy Glover shows off a few of the fish she caught out of Pitts Landing-a bluegill, a channel cat, and a warmouth.

New State Record AJ caught out of Isle of Palms

2010-09-10T09:14:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday September 7th Captain Michael Owens and long-time fishing friend John Beauford went offshore fishing in S.C. waters for the first time. As luck would have it, they promptly reeled in a new state record 123-pound monster Amberjack. They had planned the trip for a week and a half, looking over charts, etc - and then they went out and executed - gotta give them credit! To read the entire story please click this link.

PhotoByAmyDukes/SCDNR: Angler John Beauford is on the left

12-year Old Bags Buck in Velvet

2010-09-08T13:59:00.000-04:00

12-year old Garrett Capell of Red Hill killed his first buck over the Labor Day weekend. The young man shot a 5-point, 130-lb buck in full velvet while hunting with his dad on their land in Lee County.

There are many old hunters who have killed big numbers of deer, but never taken one in full velvet. Garrett has started the hunting season off right by doing just that. Next up for Garrett--an 8-point buck with a 16-inch spread!

PhotosByMCapell: Garrett Capell shows off his first buck. Nice velvet!

No Deer, but Still a Double-header

2010-09-07T15:26:00.000-04:00

Two Horatio hunters took to the woods over the Labor Day weekend to do a little deer hunting. Getting in stands about 200 yards from each other, Gary Martin and Jake Reny were both hunting for the first time this season. The got in the woods around 4 p.m. and had decided to stay until dark. Around 5 p.m., Martin saw a group of feral hogs come through his food plot but decided to let them be, hoping the few hours of daylight still left would produce a deer. Meanwhile, Reny was looking at a field full of deer, but they were all does. Reny watched these deer move on, only to be replaced by a few button-bucks and a small 4-pointer, all of which he let pass.

Martin's group of hogs, however, stayed put the whole time and just before dark, he decided to take one. He pulled the trigger on the one he selected, then heard a rifle report less than a minute later. As he loaded his hog onto his ATV, he figured his buddy had shot a buck, and they'd have pork and venison for supper. But Reny showed up with another hog. They weighed the hogs and they were within 15 pounds of each other--one going 150 and the other 165. It wasn't what they were initially hoping for when they sat in their stands, but it beats getting skunked. That's one thing about deer hunting in the Palmetto State; you always have the chance of taking a hog if the deer don't show up.

PhotoProvided: When the right deer didn't show up, these two hunters still came out of the woods with plenty of meat for the table.

Dove season opener in S.C.

2010-09-05T09:46:00.006-04:00

Maybe the most anticipated opening day among hunters in South Carolina, September 4 saw droves of dove hunters surrounding grain fields in order to shoot their way to a legal limit of 15 doves. The usual scorching hot weather that accompanies opening day activities was somewhat stifled by a cool breeze and a break in the weather forecast. Do gun barrels still get hot when shot 50 times or more? You bet they do! All hunts for the first three days in S.C. are afternoon hunts according to migratory bird laws, but beginning Sept. 7 dove hunts can be conducted any time of day during legal shooting hours. Fortunate to attend an opening day hunt in Richland County at Longbeard Farms, I can report seeing plentiful numbers of doves, and for those that drew a bead on the grey game birds - a limit was certainly there for the taking. Sportsman Robin Stamps shot his 20-gauge over and under shotgun from his position under a powerline in the main field, and did not stray too far from the Mojo Dove that Patrick Stamps deployed. Ten youths were also in the field this day with their mentors and young Taylor Ray told me that he killed three birds and that he 'crippled' two more while hunting with his father Mitch.

PhotosByJeffDennis: Robin Stamps stands along the treeline looking for doves; Brothers Mike and Robin Stamps with some opening day doves; two doves that fell after a 'double' by Jeff Dennis; Father and son Mike and Todd Stamps with Sandy the 11-year old yellow lab

For more photos, or to make your own report, visit the SCsportsman forum.

Dennis joins Sportsman Network Staff

2010-09-04T08:50:00.001-04:00

The celebration of future hunting and fishing endeavors for sportsman in the Palmetto State will now have a South Carolina native working on their behalf. The founder of LowcountryOutdoors has joined the Sportsman family of magazines as the Internet Coordinator, and will focus on new media for bothNorthCarolinaSportsman.com andSouthCarolinaSportsman.com.

2010 S.C. Wildlife Federation's Wild Summer's Nite

2010-08-29T08:45:00.004-04:00

The mission of the SCWF is to advocate for wildlife, habitat and the environment, and to educate citizens in the ethic of conservation, and to support outdoor traditions. Each summer is punctuated with SCWF's Wild Game Banquet and fundraising auction to celebrate with its member the continuation of outdoor enjoyment. Held Aug. 28 at Tronco's Medallion Center in Columbia the silent auction and social hour was followed by a game feast that included wild boar, duck, pheasant, catfish and the crowd-pleasing Gator Tail. Live auction items included trips to resort locations, and included things like turkey calls and quail hunting opportunities. Under the leadership of SCWF Executive Director Ben Gregg and SCWF Board Chair Clinch Heyward, both the Wild Summer's Nite and the SCWF mission are being executed with success.

PhotosByJeffDennis: Paula, Somer (SCWF auction intern) and George Makey support families and the outdoors; Elizabeth and Joerg Marks of Lexington; Lauren and Andy Whitfield smile for wildlife with Ella Dickerson of Columbia; Amy Hill, Jennifer Cooke and Tara Branham would not miss the annual wild game feast

For more event photos on LowcountryOutdoors.com please click this link.

For more event photos on FoothillsOutdoors.com please click this link.

Cooler Weather, Less Pressure, Good for Fishing

2010-08-28T21:32:00.001-04:00

As September draws near, the mornings and evenings have already begun hinting that fall is in the air. We've still got our share of scorchers left before the cool weather sets in for good, but this week gave Midlands outdoorsmen just a crumb of what is right around the corner.

Many anglers are likely tired of the heat, and by all accounts, the fish have felt that way for a while now too. Just the few mornings we've had with cooler weather have boosted most everyone's fishing reports, and some other seasonal changes having to do with more than the weather are also providing less fishing pressure on our local waters.

High school football is already in full swing, college football starts this week, and hunting season is just days away, so those activities will be keeping a lot of folks off the water. Take advantage of the cooling weather and the smaller crowds on your favorite body of water and catch some fish. Before you know it, the fish will have shut down for the winter, and then you can take to the woods in search of deer.

Photo shows a nice bass taken Friday morning when the day was still nice and cool. This largemouth has me currently in 13th place in the Awful August Challenge at http://www.kayakbassfishing.com/. It will take a 23+ inch bass by Tuesday night to leapfrog me into the top spot, which wins a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 kayak.

Pig Pickin' Anyone?

2010-08-24T16:09:00.000-04:00

Midlands area hunters have plenty of opportunities to pursue wild game and fish, and one of those opportunities is hunting wild hogs. According to the SCDNR, some of the highest concentrations of wild hogs in South Carolina can be found along the Richland County/Sumter County border along the banks of the Wateree River.

While our lowcountry brethren are already hunting deer, those of us in the midlands have to wait a little while longer, but the high numbers of hogs in our area give us plenty of reason to get out in the woods. There are several ways to hunt hogs, and one way is by sitting in a deer stand. Deer and hogs eat much of the same foods and travel many of the same routes, so hunting from a deer stand over a food plot is one good strategy for getting a shot at some pork chops.

PhotoByBrianCope: This Sumter County hunter put this pig on the ground while sitting in a deer stand just before dark.

Wateree River Bream Fishing and Water Levels

2010-08-18T16:47:00.000-04:00

I did a little scouting this morning on the Wateree River for an upcoming bream fishing trip I'll be leading. I put in at the Hwy. 1/601 boat landing and fished for about 3 hours, throwing Beetlespins and Mepps Aglia spinners the whole time. I landed about 30 fish, but most were too small to keep. These are river fish though, and they fight like the devil all the way to the boat. One thing I love about bream fishing in this river is that it's not uncommon to catch 4 (or more) different species of these panfish all out of what seems to be the same hole. Today I caught bluegill, shellcracker, pumpkinseed, and redbreast bream, and I caught that variety in several different spots along both banks of the river.

I usually slip up and catch a few bass when throwing these little spinning lures, but that wasn't the case today. I didn't get fishing until about 10 though, so I think I was just too late to entice them into a meal.

The Wateree River is up a little higher than I normally like to fish it, but it had dropped slightly during my outing. To check the water levels of this and other rivers throughout South Carolina, check out the U.S. Goelogical Survey's website at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/sc/nwis/rt and click on the river you're looking for.

PhotosByBrianCope: I didn't get my camera out in time to photograph a turkey along the banks, but he left his tracks for a photo. This pumpkinseed hit my Mepps spinner hard! Not alone--I wasn't the only boat on this section of the river today.

One lure, two fish

2010-08-17T14:49:00.002-04:00

It always sounds like a fish tale to non-anglers, and it's not the most common occurence for fishermen, but it does happen. It happened to me this morning while casting a 1/8-ounce Mepps Black Fury spinner in a farm pond.

Using an ultralight rod-and-reel, hooking a decent sized bream can make you feel like you're offshore fishing. Try catching two bream that don't agree on the direction they wish to travel, and you'll think you've slipped up and hooked into a trophy largemouth. At least that was my thought before finally getting the fish close enough to see that two bream had attacked the Mepps lure, with them each catching a barb apiece on the treble hook.

The water at all my fishing holes is so warm that the fish are only active very early and very late. I've had more luck very early when the water has had all night to cool. Soft plastic baits haven't been getting much attention. Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits in a variety of sizes have accounted for almost all the bass I've caught, and the Mepps Aglia and Black Fury spinners have caught many bream and a few bass as well.

PhotosByBrianCope: Ferocious! Two bream fought over this Mepps Black Fury spinner. They both lost. The Black Fury isn't a 1-trick pony; it catches its share of bass as well as bream.

New Florence DNR Office

2010-08-12T22:13:00.001-04:00

The SCDNR had the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Florence DNR office for the grand opening earlier today. The new building houses 3 divisions of the DNR--Law Enforcement; Land, Water & Conservation; and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries are all under the same roof of this state-of-the-art 8800 square-foot building. A 1250 square-foot auditorium that will be used for Hunter and Boater Education Classes is a part of the new building, which incorporates many 'green' technologies.

This 1.9 million dollar facility is a cost-saving investment for the SCDNR, which has seen drastic budget cuts in the past few years. Seventeen other SCDNR regional offices were consolidated into this office, and the cost savings incurred by closing those offices--all of which were outdated and in need of extensive repairs--will offset the cost of this new facility rather quickly.

South Carolina outdoorsmen can get hunting & fishing licenses, permits, and tags, boat registrations, and outboard registrations at the new hub.

Several guests spoke at today's grand opening, including Dr. Fred Carter, the president of Francis Marion University, on whose campus the new DNR office is located. Other speakers were Mike McShane, Chairman of the DNR board; John Frampton, Director of the DNR; Sen. Hugh Leatherman; Sen. Kent Williams; Rep. Terry Alexander and Sen. Yancey McGill. These gentlemen were all instrumental in seeing the project to fruition, and appropriately, they all wielded scissors to take part in cutting the ribbon.

PhotosByBrianCope: Director John Frampton shares a laugh with Board Chairman Mike McShane, who stands at the outdoors-themed podium. A number of wild game and fish mounts decorate the new building. The DNR sign welcomes customers to the state-of-the-art facility. The ribbon is cut and the new Florence DNR hub is open for business.

Camden Angler Wins FLW Co-Angler Championship

2010-08-10T11:29:00.000-04:00

Dearal Rodgers took first place in the co-angler division of this past weekend's FLW Cup on Lake Lanier, Georgia. The win netted Rodgers $65,000 in prize money. Rodgers is a frequent Lake Wateree bass angler and regular contributer to the South Carolina Fishing Report (http://www.scfishingreport.com/), and has been fishing professionally for the past 5 years.

Over the 3 day event, Rodgers brought 14 fish to the scales for a total weight of 27 lbs, 3 ozs. This was an important win for the Camden angler, whose career earnings are now just shy of $100,000. Rodgers' main tactic for the tournament was fishing finesse baits in deeper water. He used a spinning reel with 6-lb line and a drop-shot rig with 3/16-oz lead weights and Robo Worms. He used long leaders--as much as 4 ft. at times--between the weights and Robo Worms, allowing the weights to drop into the brush while his worm dangled atop it.

While weighing in 4 fish on the final day, Rodgers had only 1 fish in the livewell by 1:30, but proved that old fishing adage is true even when $65,000 is on the line--patience is the key to fishing. Rodgers added the other 3 fish before the weigh-in, including a 4-lb chunk that pushed him to winning the tournament by 6-ounces over 2nd place.

PhotoFromSCFishingReport: Camden pro angler Dearal Rodgers shows off two of his fish from day 1 of the FLW Cup.

S.C. Ducks Unlimited - State Banquet photos

2010-08-08T09:52:00.008-04:00

The Top DU chapters in South Carolina gathered with the 'top brass' of S.C. Ducks Unlimited to celebrate the 2010 state convention at the Embassy Suites in Columbia. Many subjects were discussed from the 'Carolina Connection,' a fundraising effort to raise $2.5 million sponsor dollars by the end of 2010 - to the 'Carolina Commanders' - the hunting club formed by DU members in the Chesterfield area. Awards were presented to the 'Granders' initiative for raising $100,000 for DU, as well as to chapters with the highest net gains, largest greenwing (youth) events, and even for those chapters that are simply 'flying right.' In conservation easement news, DU protected 8 properties in 2009 with the 1,087-acre Hermitage property on the Edisto River topping the list - a part of the ACE Basin. Another 400-acre Swamp Tract was protected in the ACE Basin on the Little Salkehatchie River - in Western Colleton County - where more protection efforts are desperately needed to safeguard the future water quality of all the ACE Basin.

PhotosByJeffDennis: Longtime volunteer Bob Murphy was honored with the 'Perpetual Trophy' by Jay Phillips and Bill Short; Doug Saunders presents the Granders Award to Marvin Davant and Jay Phillips officiates; Outgoing DU state chair Jay Phillips received many well wishes; Hugh McLaurin III and son Hugh IV donated custom Big Lake duck calls to the silent and live auction; Two 'susies' that support DU and their 'drakes'

Buck Fever Day at Simpson's Hardware

2010-08-07T12:50:00.001-04:00

Today, until 6 p.m., it's Buck Fever Day at Simpson's Hardware on Wesmark Blvd. in Sumter. Stop by for the big sales on items like shelled corn at $3.87 per bag and meet Hunter's Specialties pro Eddie Salter, who will be speaking on a range of topics including gear selection, hunting tactics, and of course, calling game. Also on hand is duck calling World Champion 14-yr. old Blake Hodge.

Free snacks and soft drinks are available to all who attend, and some items fall under the tax-free back-to-school weekend sale status, such as sandals which are 25% off. With an excellent selection of guns, fishing supplies, outdoors clothing, and typical hardware stock, it's no wonder Simpson's Hardware is the preferred hardware store for Sumter and beyond.

PhotosByBrianCope: The Remington Shooting Truck is on hand to practice your shooting skills. HS Strut Pro Eddie Salter is the featured speaker. This climbing tree stand is just one of many different types of stands on sale at Simpson's Hardware.

Ducks Unlimited - S.C. State Convention

2010-08-06T07:48:00.004-04:00

The South Carolina Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold their annual state convention this weekend in Columbia. The weekend of events will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel and is open to all S.C. DU members, volunteers and supporters. The main event is Saturday night's state awards banquet, which follows the State Chairman's cocktail reception. Tickets for the Saturday event are $50 and can be obtained by calling DU S.C. regional rep James Meadows at 843-870-0635. Special raffles will be held for a fishing trip to Costa Rica and for a gun vault with four mystery guns inside. Silent and live auction items will include hunting gear like the new S.C. custom-made www.BigLakeDuckCalls.com. If making an entire weekend of DU activities suits you - then come for the Friday night Happy Hour, as well as the Saturday morning 10 am business meeting. The S.C. DU convention was held in the upstate in 2009, and the Midlands are featured in the year 2010!

PhotoByJeffDennis: As the S.C. DU State Publicity Chair - my license plate sends a 'text' message to sportsmen - DU 2 DO

Wateree River Bush Lining for Cats

2010-08-05T11:19:00.000-04:00

The Wateree River rose sharply early this week after rain pounded the upper stretches of the Catawba River chain. While this rise in water levels usually puts a damper on the bream and bass fishing, it's the perfect time to get out on the river and set bush lines for catfish.

Similar to trot lines, bush lines are single strands of cord that range from 50-pound test on up to 150, depending on personal preference. These strands are tied to limber branches that overhang the edges of the river. A sliding sinker (anywhere from 1-ounce on up to 7-ounces) is threaded onto the line, a barrel swivel is attached below the sinker, followed by another strand of line with a hook attached. Hook sizes range from 3/0 to 8/0 and are baited with shrimp, crawdads, or cut (or live) bait such as white perch or shad.

State law says these lines can be set an hour before official sunset, and must be checked within an hour of official sunrise. Some folks check them several times during the night, while others just check once in the morning. Those in the know set these lines when the river is set to rise because catfish will cruise these newly flooded areas looking for flooded wormbeds and other easy meals that have been unavailable to them during low water.

Earlier this week, a group of guys set out 7 bush lines and caught 2 40-pounders and a 30-pounder. Next time rain is forecast for the Lancaster/Rock Hill/Charlotte area, get out on the river and set some bush lines. Make sure you have the proper permits from the SCDNR and catch some cats.

PhotoProvidedbyBYJackson: Dr. Jo Jo Denton poses with a bush-lined giant caught during high-water on the Wateree River.

Topwater Action for trout and more

2010-08-04T17:22:00.003-04:00

Check out my August saltwater column for South Carolina Sportsman magazine:

http://www.southcarolinasportsman.com/details.php?id=1188

PhotoByJeffDennis: Just look at the battle scars on this topwater plug!!

Virtual Fishing Tournament-kayakbassfishing.com

2010-07-31T14:36:00.001-04:00

Most kayak fishing tournaments are done in the CPR format, which stands for Catch, Photo, Release. Usually, competitors meet just before the tournament starts and are given a unique photo identifier that must be in all of their fish photos. Then the tournament begins, and everyone meets back at a certain time for the "weigh-in," which is actually more like a slide show where tournament judges look over all the photos and determine the winners. During the event, the fish are laid out on measuring devices with the photo identifiers lying next to the fish, and a photo is snapped.

It's a pretty good system, for tournament organizers, anglers, and the fish, which are let go immediately in the same area they were caught, unlike tournaments that release fish at the docks after live weigh-ins.

Chad Hoover has taken this tournament format one step further. There is no captain's meeting, and anglers compete against other fishermen all over the nation. The unique photo identifiers are printed out by anglers, and photos of fish are posted on the kayakbassfishing.com forum. Each tournament lasts a month, and prizes range from Hobie kayaks, Wilderness Systems kayaks, G. Loomis rods, and Secret Weapons Lure packages, to a copy of Hoover's book, Kayak Bass Fishing.

Aside from the monthly tournaments, there is an overall Hobie Pro Angler Big Bass season champion. This award goes to the angler with the 4 biggest fish caught during the year.

Sign up now for the Awful August challenge where the angler with the biggest bass wins a Wilderness Systems kayak valued at $1275. Entry fee is $20, and you don't even have to rent a hotel room to fish a designated spot. You fish your own waters, and you don't have to worry about giving away those honey holes to competing anglers, most of which live hundreds of miles away from you. Check out the website at http://www.kayakbassfishing.com/ to see all the challenges.

PhotoByBrianCope: This largemouth put me in 20th place in the July "Sweatin' the Points" challenge, but I was knocked out of the top 20 on July 30th.

Midlands Kayak Angler Catches 42-inch Redfish

2010-07-27T10:25:00.001-04:00

Sumter's Dalton Reames caught what he calls his fish of a lifetime Saturday afternoon in the Hunting Island area of Beaufort County. After several hours of fishing with nothing to show for it, Reames' persistence paid off with a 42-inch redfish that pulled him and his kayak, a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120, through Johnson Creek on a lowcountry sleigh ride.

Reames had been fishing under the Johnson Creek bridge for sheepshead, but after having no luck, he decided to troll through the creek with a mud minnow. He's had a lot of luck trolling in this part of Beaufort County, so when it felt like his kayak got bumped, he knew it was really a fish on his line. He set the hook and reeled in the fish, which went on a run when it saw the kayak. This happened multiple times over several minutes before the fish finally played itself out and Reames was able to haul the fish aboard for a photo. When he returned the fish to the water, it was too worn out to swim off, so Reames entered the water to help revive the fish, which then swam off unharmed.

PhotosByRichieBoykin: Reviving the fish from the kayak wasn't working, so Reames entered the water to help the fish, which finally swam off unharmed. Catching this fish was a great feat, but ensuring the fish was healthy is what makes this angler a true sportsman.

Kayak Angler Magazine - Spotlight's S.C.

2010-07-26T18:12:00.004-04:00

It's hot outside, but it's never too hot for freshwater bass action - the hotter the better! Kayak angler Brian Cope of Sumter, S.C. is getting fired up about the hot summer days of August that are fast approaching. Getting on the water in a kayak is a great way to stay close to a refreshing splash of H2O, and casting topwater lures for lurking bucketmouths to seek out the crash of a game fish helps to pass the time. Largemouth bass are featured in this article, but many of the tactics can be applied to smallmouth bass as well. Brian Cope regularly fishes saltwater, and turned in a fine showing at the IFA/Hobie Kayak Tournament back on March 21 in Charleston.

To view the article and get access to Brians' Pro Tips go to:http://www.kayakanglermag.com/blog/editors-angle/679-fish-friday-the-summer-bass-buzz.html

PhotoProvided: Brian with a largemouth bass, wearing his PSE Archery ballcap (www.PSE-archery.com)

Apply Now for Oak Lea, Tuomey Dove Hunts

2010-07-23T08:17:00.000-04:00

Oak Lea Wildlife Management Area in Clarendon County and Tuomey Wildlife Management Area will be holding public dove hunts on Sept. 4, the opening day of dove season. This is the first time the SCDNR will hold public drawings for these hunts. This move was prompted by DNR's desire to improve the quality of these hunts and to ensure the safety of all involved. The deadline to apply for these hunts is Aug. 13.

Participating hunters will be selected on Aug. 17 during a public drawing, and 150 hunters will be chosen to try their luck at Oak Lea's dove field, while 75 will receive permission to hunt the dove field at Tuomey.

It's free to apply for either hunt, and up to 5 people can apply to hunt together. Everyone who applies will receive notice by Aug. 23, letting them know if they've been selected or not. Selected hunters are required to have their notice, as well as the appropriate hunting license, with them at all times during the hunt.

Don't let the deadline sneak up on you. You can apply by writing or typing out the following information: which hunt applied for, mailing address, telephone number, and each participant's name and age. Mail applications to:

SCDNR Office

Oak Lea Dove Hunt Application (or Tuomey Dove Hunt Application)

Attn: Willie Simmons

P.O. Box 167

Columbia, SC 29202

Applications can also be faxed to (803) 734-6020

Photo: Dove hunting provides fun and fellowship, with a tasty meal in the near future.

Gulf Savers - Donate for Habitat and Wildlife

2010-07-22T20:07:00.003-04:00

What can a Sandlapper do to help with the situation caused by the oil spill in the Gulf? Basically, sending money is likely the best option to ensure that needs are met with exactly the right equipment. Two options concerning donations have come to the attention of LowcountryOutdoors, and the residents along the Gulf states have certainly been on our minds and in our prayers. Gulf Savers at www.GulfSaverSolutions.com are asking for $25 donations that will go towards Wetland Restoration Solutions. Further information can be gleaned from Gulf Savers surrogate www.RestoreTheEarth.org. Want to work within the Palmetto state to raise funds for the gulf? A partnership has been struck between Upstate Forever, the S.C. Wildlife Federation and the Coastal Conservation League with drop-off locations in each part of the state. Ben Gregg of the SCWF said, "Donating supplies and gift cards is one way to directly and immediately make a positive impact." Gift cards should be to stores like Staples, Home Depot, Target, Walmart and REI because the volunteers on the ground need items like GPS units, clipboards and backpacks. For more information visit the Internet at www.SCWF.org.

New Night Hunting Laws

2010-07-21T13:00:00.001-04:00

A good Midlands hog.

The South Carolina General Assembly has made changes to the Palmetto State's night hunting laws, adding coyotes, armadillos, and hogs to the list of animals that can be legally hunted at night.

Coyotes and armadillos share identical restrictions. Hunters are allowed to have an artificial light that is attached to them by way of helmet or hat, or part of a belt system worn by the hunter. Rifles no larger than .22 caliber rimfire, shotguns with shot size BB or smaller, or a sidearm of any caliber with iron sights and a barrel-length of 9 inches or shorter are allowed. No scopes are allowed on any firearms and no laser sights, light-emitting devices, or light-enhancing devices are allowed on the firearms. It is also illegal to hunt coyotes and armadillos from a vehicle unless a special permit is received from the DNR.

The laws are a little different for hunting hogs at night. The main difference is that for hunting hogs, no long guns are permitted. Only sidearms with a barrel-length not to exceed 9 inches are allowed, and these sidearms must have iron sights. As with hunting coyotes and armadillos, hunters may wear a light on their head or on a belt system, and the sidearms are not allowed to have lights, lasers, or scopes attached. It is legal to hunt hogs at night with dogs while following these firearms restrictions.

With these new laws in effect the SCDNR wishes to stress that it is still illegal to hunt deer at night by any means.

PhotoByBrianCope: The new night hunting laws make it legal to hunt during night-time hours for coyotes, armadillos, and hogs like this Midlands specimen, which was killed last year along the banks of the Wateree River in the Horatio area of SC.

Fishin' at the Prison

2010-07-20T11:10:00.001-04:00

Midlands area anglers have a good fishing resource that many don't know about. While the thought of visiting a prison to get your fishing fix may seem odd to some, don't let it keep you from experiencing some jam-up fishing.

The Wateree River Correctional Institution has a well-maintained pond and some other fishing waters that are open to the public, and these waters hold some nice largemouth, bream, and crappie. According to Keith Hunter, who has been fishing at the prison for over 15 years, at least one 10-pound largemouth has been caught each year out of these fishing grounds.

And there are no worries about this being inside the gates of a prison. The fishing grounds are secluded with no interaction, or even sightings of, inmates.

Getting a pass is easy. Just drive to the main gate off of Hwy. 261 between Boykin and Horatio and ask for a fishing application. It will take about 2 weeks to get approval, and then you can fish on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. Small boats are allowed, and electric motors are also approved. It's always good to have access to a pond, and this is a good one to add to your inventory.

PhotosByBrianCope: Ponds like the one at Wateree River Correctional Institution are always great for putting kids on bream. While this largemouth isn't a trophy, it's a healthy fish that shows the potential of one of WRCI's ponds, shown in the bottom photo.

Pageland Watermelon Festival

2010-07-19T13:20:00.000-04:00

Pageland, SC bills itself as the Watermelon Capital of the World, and each July since 1951, folks have gathered in this midlands town to celebrate that round green and pink fruit that South Carolinians love to snack on.

Watermelon seed spitting contests, watermelon eating contests, car shows, beauty pageants, and more highlight the festival. The 2010 version of the festival was held this past weekend, when the town population swelled from 3000 to over 30,000. In addition to the previously-mentioned activities, festival-goers enjoyed live music, parades, amusement rides, softball games, and a rodeo.

Plan to make it to next year's Watermelon Festival, and see why Pageland is known as The Perfect Slice of Life. For more information, visit the Pageland Chamber of Commerce website at http://pagelandcham.net/.

Photos: Watermelon art is popular at the Pageland Watermelon Festival. Now THAT's a BIG watermelon! A few of the autos in the Watermelon Festival Car Show.

CATT Bass Tournament--Santee

2010-07-17T21:43:00.000-04:00

Brett Mitchell and Wayne Frierson stuck it to the bass--and the competition--in the latest Carolina Angler's Team Trail tournament on Lake Santee. Fishing out of Pack's Landing, the duo teamed up to land an impressive catch from what has been a tough lake to fish in recent months. 18.24 lbs is what they brought to the scale on their way to a $650 payday.

The 2nd place team of Chris Brunson and Nelson Walker weighed in 15.76 lbs, and took home $245.

Check out the full standings and see the latest CATT happenings by visiting http://www.carolinaanglersteamtrail.com/.

PhotosCourtesyOfCATT: Brett Mitchell took first place, bringing more than 2 full pounds of fish to the scale than the 2nd place team of Chris Brunson and Nelson Walker.

Vote YES - on The Right to Hunt and Fish

2010-07-16T17:39:00.002-04:00

In November there will be many choices for registered voters of the Palmetto State to make decisions about the political leadership, and to decide other issues and rights. One such example is the Referendum on South Carolinian's constitutional right to hunt and fish - yes, it's on the same ballot as the Governor's race. On Monday July 12 the SC Camo Coalition's steering committee (www.SCcamo.org) met in Columbia to discuss getting the word out to sportsmen, their families, and other parties that seek to hold up the right to hunt and fish in S.C. as a positive and permanent form of outdoor recreation. With only 5000 'e-mail' members and virtually no funding, this is going to be a Grass Roots campaign, and education about this upcoming vote will be a priority for MidlandsOutdoors. Whether a hunter or an angler, skeet shooter, conservationist, nature-watcher, forest landowner or mother (women are the fastest-growing subset of sporting enthusiasts) - we need to be unified come November about the Vote Yes campaign for the Right to Hunt and Fish. The National Rifle Association has begun a campaign to educate its membership via their position on the Second Ammendment, and more information may be found at www.NRA.org. Why is this referendum important? It ensures that future hunting and fishing rights are not challenged by "Anti" hunting groups. While there has not been much attention by the "Anti's" in S.C. - did you know that PETA was behind the forced curtailment of egg sales by a religious organization in Moncks Corner?

Many S.C. families owe our sporting heritage some acknowledgement for all the times that ancestors provided for loved ones from the bounty of natural resources in the Palmetto state.

Vote Yes in November to continue a responsible and sustainable harvest for all time.

PhotoByJohnGribb: Two sportsmen share fellowship over a boykin spaniel, the S.C. state dog, while in pursuit of Gentleman Bob - the prince of gamebirds. Vote Yes to ensure moments like this in the future!

Costa - Jose frames and PCB lens debut

2010-07-15T09:03:00.003-04:00

Costa sunglasses is further cementing its legacy of partnership with fishermen by announcing its debut of the new 'Jose' sunglass style - named after legendary angler Jose Wejebe from the TV show Spanish Fly. These frames are made of indestructible nylon and provide a comfortable 'forget-they're-on' fit, and they come in black or tortoise. Jose Wejebe said, "I've been wearing Costa's for years, and for them to name a new style after me is like a badge of honor." Costa is in Las Vegas today with most of the nation's fishing specialists at the ICAST show, or International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades. Costa is also rolling out its new polycarbonate (PCB) lenses to fit the 'Jose' frame, orany of its other existing frames. The new lens will come in the highest grade, known as the 580 lens, but will be more lightweight and impact resistant than its 580 predecessors that are made of glass. Glass lenses are still available in popular colors like blue mirror and green mirrow, and 580 Polycarbonate color options include grey, copper and amber. Consult the web for more information at www.CostaDelMar.com and www.TheWateryRave.com.

PhotoProvidedByCosta: The new 'Jose' frames and 580PCB lens

Team Catchall Wins Hydroglow Stiper Tournament

2010-07-13T16:32:00.000-04:00

Captain Lee Thomas and Team Catchall won the Midlands Striper Club Hydroglow night fishing tournament on Lake Murray, besting 31 other teams. A total of 91 anglers fished the event, with 26 of the 32 teams bringing in fish to weigh.

Team Catchall brought 4 fish in for a total of 35 lbs, 2 ozs, including the Big Fish of the tournament, a 15+ pounder. 2nd place was Team Wildman, which weighed in 4 fish totaling 31 lbs, 10 ozs. Team Rocky Bottom placed 3rd with 29 lbs, 3 ozs.

PhotoByMSC: Capt. Lee Thomas, Weston Thomas, and Kreg Frady make up Team Catchall, winners of the Hydroglow Open Fishing Tournament, are pictured here with the Big Fish, a 15+ pounder.