2024 James Island King Mackerel Tourney

Team Keepin' It Reel with First Place King

The 2024 James Island King Mackerel Tourney was fished on Saturday July 27 in cloudy conditions and building seas. A Northeast wind began blowing in the morning and by noon the water was choppy and sloppy, but the morning fishing conditions were good. Finishing in First Place was Keepin' It Reel Fishing Team from Georgetown with a 39.70-pound King mackerel. Finishing in Second Place was Knot At Work Fishing Team from Charleston with a 38.30-pound king, that was reeled in Eli Olsen and earning him Top Youth angler. Third Place was Team Double Diamond with a 32-pound king mackerel. The 20204 tourney benefits Pickle's People Charity.

To view past bog entries from the James Island King tourney click on 2012

Top Youth Angler Eli Olsen

To view past blog entires from 2024 fishing tourneys click on Hooked On Miracles - S.C. Blue Marlin Invitational - S.C. Mahi Series - S.C. Governor's Cup - Carolina Ladies Billfish - Santee Big Cat 

2024 Mountain Trout Fishing - Beat The Heat

Brown trout

It's when the coastal Lowcountry begins to smolder, that a fishing trip to the mountains of Western North Carolina begins to make the most sense. A wade through the cold waters of any trout stream is enough to make other worries fade away, and for the focus to return to casting a fly.

To view this feature article in the Post and Courier newspaper click on Tideline.

To view past blog entries from Tideline click on Hooked On Miracles -  HMY Lowcountry Cup - Turkeys For Tomorrow-  Carolina Ladies Billfish Classic - Paddling For Pups Photos - 2024 Atlantic Cup - Silvopasture Forestry- Beidler Forest 50th Anniversary - Charleston Race Week Photos - Southeast Shorebird Festival - ACE Basin Day Photos - Santee Big Cat Brawl - Carolina Marsh Tacky Association - SEWE Photos - Five Birding Hotspots

Coldwater trout stream

2024 Edisto Billfish - Buddy Rowe Wins; Buddy Rowe Takes Series

Rowe Rowe Rowe Your Boat!!!
Three Wins in a Rowe!!!

The 2024 S.C. Governor's Cup Series was decided during the Marina at Edisto Billfish Invitational. Team Buddy Rowe from Charleston came in as the Series leader after Back-To-Back wins at the Carolina Billfish Classic and HMY Lowcountry Cup. They continued their hot streak at Edisto and clinched the Series decided over 5-tournaments. 

The 57-foot Sunny Briggs sport fisher is owned by Todd Wigfield and Matt Byrd. Their Captain is Corders Lucas, and three of their mates are Cordes Johnson,Chip Byrd and Even Hamilton. Buddy Rowe also won the Inaugural Carlona Ladies Billfish Classic, which is not a Gov Cup Series event. 

Only one-boat fished on Thursday due to rough seas, and the remainder of the 36-boat fleet fished back-to-back days on Friday and Saturday and released a plethora of blue marlin and sailfish.

Sea Fix finished in second place at the Edisto tourney and Benchmark took home third place.

To view blog entries from Georgetown Blue Marlin click on 2024

To view past blog entries from Edisto Billfish click on 2023 -  2022-  2021- 2019- 2018- 2017- 2016- 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 

2024 Hooked On Miracles - Prodigy Fishing Wins

A longstanding King Mackerel tournament that benefits MUSC Children’s Hospital is drawing on the legacy of its past, while reeling in the power of present day goodwill. The Hooked on Miracles (HOM) king mackerel fishing tournament will be fished on Saturday July 20, and registration is available this week with the Captain’s Meeting being held July 18 at Ripley Light Marina. This tournament averages over 100-fishing teams each year and offers a category for single-engine boats, which keeps the fishing competitive among smaller boats. By the time the heaviest kingfish is awarded first place on Saturday, the HOM tournament committee hopes to donate $200,000-dollars to the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Hospital.

First Place King was 42.5-pounds

With 97-boats fishing on Saturday July 20 under sunny skies and moderate seas, an action-packed weigh-in at Ripley Light Marina from 2 to 5 wrapped up the day. Prodigy Fishing on a 27-foot Contender from Beaufort took home First Place with their 42.5-pound King mackerel. Team Blue Print on a 27-foot Onslow Bay took Second place with a 36.6-pound king, while Team Long Shot on a 34-foot Venture took Third place with a 36.2-pound King. 

To read how the proceeds benefit Hospital Dogs at MUSC Children's Hospital click on Tideline.

To view past stories from Hooked on Miracles click on 2023

To view past blog entries from Fishing For Miracles click on  2016 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

To view past blog entries in Tideline click on HMY Lowcountry Cup - Turkeys For Tomorrow -  Carolina Ladies Billfish Classic - Paddling For Pups Photos - 2024 Atlantic Cup - Silvopasture Forestry- Beidler Forest 50th Anniversary - Charleston Race Week Photos - Southeast Shorebird Festival - ACE Basin Day Photos - Santee Big Cat Brawl - Carolina Marsh Tacky Association - SEWE Photos - Five Birding Hotspots

2024 Gamekeepers / Summer - Quail Habitat Philosophy

Using an orange softball as a quail habitat measuring stick is just one of the tips gleaned from the S.C. Bobwhite Initiative booth during the SE Wildlife Expo in Charleston. The premise is to take the softball into well-managed quail woods and drop it or toss it, and if you can still see any of the color orange, then your habitat in that spot is lacking. One can have acres and acres of grass under mature pines, and still be lacking the weedy, brushy habitat that quail also depend on. Setting back successional habitat utilizing prescribed fire, winter discing and forestry practices is the recipe for bringing back the bobwhites.

As Published in the Summer 2024 Issue

Michael Hook is the Small Game Project Coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and is the chair of the National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative (NBGI) Technical Committee. This committee includes 25 states today, but the committee has S.C. roots too. In March of 2009 what was then known as the Southeast Quail Study group held their first joint meeting with the Partners in Flight and the linkage between grassland songbirds and bobwhite quail was established. This humble outdoor writer and bobwhite enthusiast was present that day in ’09 to write a story for a local newspaper.

            

“Our efforts here in South Carolina are based on the NBGI’s national plan, and each state gets to choose how much of that plan they want to implement,” said Hook. “The overall goal is to create quail habitat on the landscape level. Just a few generations ago many counties consisted of postage-stamp sized farms that backed up to one another, accidentally creating premium quail habitat. Many of those folks burned woods for tick and snake control purposes, and that also embraced the bobwhite’s needs.”

To read the entire feature article click on Mossy Oak Gamekeepers Magazine.

To view past stories from Mossy Oak Gamekeepers magazine click 2024 Fence It In -  2024 Reforestation -  2024 Predator Control- 2023 Wild Turkey Decline - 2022 Managing Duck Impoundments - 2021 Regional Wood Duck Study -  Fall 2021- Summer 2021 - Winter 2020- Spring 2020 - Fall 2017- Spring 2016 - Winter 2016 - Fall 2015 - Summer 2015 - Spring 2015 - Winter 2015 - Fall 2014 - Summer 2014 - Spring 2014 - Winter 2013 

2024 S.C. Mahi Series - Pelagic Prophet Wins

Published in the June issue of Trilogy Outdoors
(click on image for larger view)

To view past blog entires from S.C. Mahi Series click on 2023 - 2022 - 2021

To view past blog entries from Edisto Dolphin Slam click on 2023 - 2022 - 2019- 2018 - 2016 

To view past blog entries about migratory dolphin off the S.C. coast click  2016 - 2015- 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2007 

To view past stories in Trilogy Outdoors click on 2024 Georgetown Blue Marlin -  Santee Big Cat -   Pheasant Tower Shoot -  Release Over 20 - 2023 Hawk Watch -  Kiawah Bird Banding -  2023 Crappie Camp -  Early Birds of September -  SCDNR Salt Fishing Clinics -  Silver King Makes Big Splash - S.C. Mahi Series - 2023 Yawkey Wildlife Center - 2023 Hammock Coast Birding Festival - 2023 Lowcountry Oyster Festival - 2022 Sea Turtle Season - Navigating an S.C. Public Draw Deer Hunt - Crappie Camp - Blessings of a Sporting Father

2024 S.C. Blue Marlin Invitational - Daymaker Wins

Daymaker with their winning blue marlin May 22

The newest offshore fishing tournament in S.C. is growing by tailwalking leaps and greyhounding splashes. In just its third year of existence, the S.C. Blue Marlin Invitational (SCBMI) out of Charleston had 41 boats sign up to fish, using the new-fangled idea of letting teams pick which days they want to fish. Their May 1 through June 8 dates are selected so that fishing teams can capitalize on migration peaks and full moon cycles along the way. A total of four blue marlin were brought to the scales and Daymaker’s 533.6-pound blue marlin claimed the First Place $252,600-dollar jackpot. 

The SCBMI has a special release category to promote conservation of blue marlin too, consisting of three cash prizes of $63,360. Sweet Spot out of Charleston, run by Captain Chris Kubik and owned by the McAlhany family, claimed the Day One award with four blue marlin releases. LIAHO out of Murrell’s Inlet, run by Capt. Worth Farrington and owned by Bill Choate, won the Day Two award with two blue marlin releases. Bench Mark out of Charleston, run by Capt. Jordan Parker and owned by Stephen Davis, won the Day Three prize with two blue marlin releases.

SCBMI donates $15K to SC Memorial Reef

Daymaker is a 58-foot BB Boatworks sportfisher with Bobby Krivohlavek serving as owner and Captain, and his son Michael serving as mate. They weighed in their blue marlin on May 22 at Toler’s Cover Marina in Charleston, and the angler was Joe Gorin. They had to wait until June 8 to see if they would hold on to first place, and that included seeing two more blue marlin weighed in by Double07 and Spray Rig, that did not top theirs. And another boat, Sportin’ Life out of Charleston, had a large blue marlin hooked up on June 2, but that fish broke off before they could measure or land it.

The SCBMI does award a second place for weighing in a blue marlin and Pipe Down claimed that $108,240-dollar prize with their 507.4-pound blue marlin. The 61-foot Paul Mann sportfisher is run by Capt. Jeffrey Crabtree and owned by Todd Luke and Heather Gonzales. The angler on that blue marlin was 16-year old Gavin Gonzales, and they weighed their fish at Toler’s Cove marina on May 17. Their fish did lead the SCBMI briefly, until Daymaker took the lead for good. Tournament organizer Chucky Moore is looking forward to growing the 2025 SCBMI tourney by adding more sponsors and fishing teams. For more information visit www.SCbluemarlininvitational.com on the Internet.

2024 Gamekeepers / Summer - Fence It In For Doves

Lifelong dove hunter writing about dove hunting

There is always going to be debate about whether any particular dove field is birdy or not. Meaning, does it attract and hold the attention of doves long enough to create a hunting calendar, or at least to call friends to come for a hunt. Finding out what type of grains work well in the field over time helps to dial in what’s the best menu to offer these grey game birds. But what if a stubborn deer population, or a dreaded hog infestation decimates the plantings, and thus throws a wet towel on your plan to burn some gunpowder. A growing number of dove field managers say that putting in a permanent fence around a dove field saves time and money in the long run, and extends dove hunting season too.

Michael Hook is the Small Game Program Coordinator for the SCDNR. “A good many of our public dove fields have a fence now, to defense deer or hog deprivation,” said Hook. “A permanent fence pays for itself in no time. We spend money on gas, seed, employee time and herbicide and if wildlife destroys the crop then we suffer a big financial hardship. Not to mention our technicians want to provide a good field to hunt, and no one likes to see their hard work undermined by critters like hogs that are often nocturnal and do their damage under cover of darkness.”

Fenced Dove Field Layout

April Atkinson is an SCDNR Project Leader and Unit Biologist at the WMA property known as the Webb Center. “We contracted with a third-party to fence in the dove field here, because that made the most sense,” said Atkinson. “We manage 25,000-acres here and my staff are spread out too much get bogged down in one spot. My take home message after fencing the dove field, is that this is the best thing we have done to improve dove hunter opportunity in the 17 years I have been here.”

Daniel Barrineau is the SCDNR Unit Biologist at Donnelly WMA. “We sourced the materials for a fence ourselves and saved money by buying them in bulk and installing the fence using staff,” said Barrineau. “We fenced in a 30-acre dove field, and we left another dove field unfenced for comparison. Then we took drone photos of each field, one had untouched vegetation and one was heavily browsed. This 

To view past stories from Mossy Oak Gamekeepers magazine click 2024 Reforestation -  2024 Predator Control- 2023 Wild Turkey Decline - 2022 Managing Duck Impoundments - 2021 Regional Wood Duck Study -  Fall 2021- Summer 2021 - Winter 2020- Spring 2020 - Fall 2017- Spring 2016 - Winter 2016 - Fall 2015 - Summer 2015 - Spring 2015 - Winter 2015 - Fall 2014 - Summer 2014 - Spring 2014 - Winter 2013 

2024 HMY Lowcountry Cup - New Look Tourney Rules

The HMY Lowcountry Cup is fishing July 4 – 6 out of Toler’s Cove Marina, and their Patriotic July 4th Party at the Aquarium kicks off July fishing with a Bang.

HMY Volunteers at the Captain's Meeting

Tim Gredick is with HMY Yachts, and founder of the Lowcountry Cup. “We are grateful to be an official Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series tournament this year, and have a few new ideas in store,” said Gredick. “Fishing teams normally pick two of three days to fish, but our tournament allows teams to fish all three days and then pick which two they would like to have count. With awards ranging from billfish release to meatfish weigh-ins this brings in a degree of gamesmanship."

HMY Sponsors at the Aquarium 

"With he large number of sailfish in the area right now, we tweaked the tournament rules reporting every single sail hook-up to the committee boat, so teams only need to report their sailfish releases. Also, we have partnered with Team Man Cave to offer a $5000 reward to the team with the top youth for billfish releases, in hopes that more youth anglers will get to an opportunity to fight any billfish out there.” 

At the end of the fishing on July 6, it was Team Buddy Rowe claiming first place in the HMY Lowcountry Cup by releasing four blue marlin and 12 sailfish. 

To view past fishing forecasts in Tideline magazine click July - June - May - April

HMY Fishing on the Fourth of July 

To view the Carolina Lady Anglers Classic in Tideline magazine click here.

To view past Governor's Cup Series Winners click 2023 - 2022-  2021- 2019- 2018- 2017- 2016- 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 

2024 Birding Journal Observations - May / June

Brown-Headed Nuthatch on May 29

A delightful and cool May gave way to a dreadful hot and dry month of June. The chance of seeing your favorite backyard birds was still above average, with one exception. The ruby-throated hummingbirds became scarce in June after a fairly normal sighting average in May. I queried with members of the public who stated the same circumstance, and then I consulted a botanist and a hummingbird researcher who both said the hummers are simply nesting and thus not visiting feeders for now. I still say that this is the most doggone and perplexing lack of hummingbirds that I have ever witnessed over decades spent in the Lowcountry.

Immature Yellow-crowned night heron on June 23

To view the most recent Birding Journal Observations click on March / April 2024

To view past birding journal observations from May / June click on 2023 - 2021 - 2018- 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

To view Birding Trips from 2024 click on Beidler Forest 50th - Carolina Bird Club -  Earth Day / Kiawah - Spring Island - Southeast Shorebird Festival - Hammock Coast Birding Festival - Huntington Beach State Park - Yawkey Center - Yemassee CBC - Edisto CBC