Reel Passion wins 2015 S.C. Governor's Cup Billfishing Series

Reel Passion motors up Bohicket Creek. Photo By Jim Reed.

The 2015 South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series wrapped up last weekend at the MegaDock Tournament in Charleston. A total of four events comprised the 2015 Series calendar beginning in Georgetown in May, then traveling on to John’s Island in June and finishing up in Charleston in July. After the final day of fishing, it was a repeat win by Reel Passion, who also won the Series back in 2011.

            

The first tournament in Georgetown drew the most entries into the field of competition with 41 offshore fishing boats registered. The Georgetown event is the last of the tournaments to gather all the anglers to one location, since remote weigh stations at multiple marinas were in effect for the next three tournaments. The Georgetown-based Miss Wy Sportfishing team dominated that event by catching a large wahoo and by releasing three blue marlin on the last day to seize a dramatic come from behind win.

Owner and crew celebrate at MegaDock

            

But it was Reel Passion that went on a hot streak beginning at the second event at Bohicket Marina. Their team released two blue marlin and one white marlin to win at Bohicket, and they backed that up by winning the next event too at the Carolina Billfish Classic. The Governor’s Cup Series is about the conservation of billfish species, so they award points for billfish releases of blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish. Owner Bill Ingram of New Jersey, Captain Gary Richardson and crew members will collect their trophies during a Governor’s Cup Awards ceremony held later in September

To read this entire article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blogs about Governor's Cup Winners click 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

To view the latest Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Report click here.

Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Report - 7/14/2015

Fishing Report for the Coastal Lowcountry of South Carolina:

A few blue marlin are still being encountered offshore

Inshore Report: Scott Hammond at Haddrell's Point West shares that hitting the middle of July means one thing to many anglers - The Time Has Come to Fish for The Silver King! Tarpon are showing up in the inlets, around the jetties and behind shrimp boats. They are eating live menhaden, live crabs, large mullet and sometimes a size large Hogy artificial bait can be pitched to them with success. Remember, late evenings and early mornings are when the 'poons are typically feeding more aggressively. Also hanging around in the inlets are plenty of large bull redfish, and they are always willing to take a chunk of mullet or a live bait. A decent trout bite is still ongoing, and the size of the specks ain't too shabby. Flounder reports have been spotty (no pun intended) but those that have found the flat fish are doing some good business both with live minnows on a hook, and with the tip end of a gig. Topwater enthusiasts are having some great luck early mornings at daybreak throwing walk-the-dog style baits against shell rakes and creek mouths. An 'IMA Skimmer' is hands down Scott's favorite topwater deceiver. For the latest seminar information visit the Internet at Haddrell's Point.

Offshore Report: The Dog Days of Summer are here according to Scott, and anyone else who has been outside lately! The trolling bite has really slowed down, except maybe for some nice wahoo being found in 150 to 500-feet of water. A few bull dolphin are still being encountered, including a 52-pound mahi caught by Reel Interest. Some of those big dolphin have been lost behind the boat, and with the slowdown in total action, those stories back on the dock have been more painful to relay. Bottom fishing in 60 to 110-feet of water is producing large sea bass, b-liners, triggers and AJ's. Cut squid is always a go to for bottom critters but a vertical jig like the BWC Roscoe works good for larger fish. Congrats to Artemis for winning the MegaDock Governor's Cup Tournament.

To view past Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Reports click here.

2015 MegaDock - Day Three Fishing and Final Results

Billy Monckton of Mirage

Joseph Maresca and the winning HOO

With 21 boats fishing on Saturday July 11, it was anyone's tournament to win at the 2015 MegaDock event. The billfishing was fast and furious on Saturday, after a relatively slow day on Friday. In the end it was Charleston-based Artemis that caught and released two blue marlin on Saturday and surged into first place, claiming the cash jackpot for owner John Darby. Second place went to Sportin' Life and Third Place went to Can't Complain.

A boat from Miami by the name of Swagger was fishing in the Governor's Cup for the first time, and they actually released two blue marlin and two sailfish on Saturday. However, due to a rules violation, they disqualified one of their blue marlin, to fall out of the money for top billfish boats. Governor's Cup Director Wally Jenkins recognized their sportsmanship at the awards dinner.

Benny Maresca and winning tuna

All three meat fish winners were reeled in on Saturday. In Georgetown, it was Mirage that brought back a 27.1-pound mahi caught by angler Billy Monckton. At the MegaDock it was a father and son team that took home the honors for both heaviest wahoo and heaviest tuna, while fishing from Daymaker. Angler Joseph Maresca caught the winning 37.6-pound wahoo and his father Benny Maresca caught the winning 15.4-pound tuna. The lady angler award went to Litsa Darby from Artemis for her 5.4-pound mahi, and there was no winner for the youth angler award.

To view past blog entries from the MegaDock click 2015 - 2013- 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 

Congrats to Artemis - 2015 MegaDock Champs!

1st Place Billfish Release
Artemis
Captain: Legare Smith
Owner: John Darby
1200points - 2 blue marlin releases

2nd Place Billfish Release
Sportin' Life
Captain: Bobby Garmany
Owner: Graham Eubank
1000points - 5 sailfish releases

3rd Place Billfish Release
Can't Complain
Captain/Owner: Mullins McLeod
1000points - 5 sailfish releases

Under 40' Division
Mirage
Captain: James Rackley
Owner: Bill Monckton
600points - 1 blue marlin release

2015 MegaDock - Day One Fishing

24.6-pound Mahi from Hammer Time

Eddie Buck Jr. and sons with a nice HOO

A total of 16 boats went offshore fishing on Thursday July 9 for Day One at the MegaDock Governor's Cup Tourney. A total of 25 boats are registered to fish the three-day event. The ocean offered calm conditions and a slow morning bite gave way to solid results with two boats releasing four sailfish apiece. Unofficial results are that Home Run and Can't Complain are leading the tourney with 800-points and Home Run is in first based on time of release. Two blue marlin were released as well and the third place boat is J and B with 600-points based on release time over Miss Wy.

Fleetwood Hassell Jr.  and a wahoo from Three J's

Litsa Darby from Artemis

The weigh scales were open from 5 until 7, and Rookie IV was the first boat back to the docks. Angler Eddie Buck Jr. weighed in a  13.6-pound blackfin tuna and a 34.6-pound wahoo that ended up being the heaviest fish weighed in at the MegaDock for each species. A little later than 6 p.m. it was angler Curt O'Donnell aboard Hammer Time that weighed in a 24.6-pound dolphin, the heaviest weighed in at the MegaDock. Lady angler Litsa Darby weighed in a dolphin for Artemis, which also brought back a story of losing a large tuna near the boat when a mako shark rushed in and ate it!

To view past blog entries from the MegaDock click 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

Sweet Blues Berries Grown in Hollywood

Bramblett Bradham shows off fresh-picked blueberries

Many rural farms keep a few blueberry bushes in production for their own consumption, and they are typical a hardy plant that requires only pruning in order to prosper, providing normal rainfall occurs. When Bramblett Bradham of Walterboro invited me to come see his Uncle’s commercial blueberry operation and mentioned that they had 50,000-blueberry bushes in production, I jumped at the chance to visit the Sweet Blues farm located in Hollywood.

            

Dr. Randolph Bradham - Blueberry Farmer

Turning onto a straight dirt road that borders the long rows of bushes, I noticed that the fitting name was Blueberry Road. This is flat land, with dark and rich-looking topsoil, that may have been associated with low lands like a bay or pocosin. Turns out that is a god thing since what some might call poor soil with a low PH is exactly what a blueberry bush needs to thrive. “I think it’s got to be below a 5.5 PH in order to be a site that is ready for blueberry production,” said Bramblett Bradham.

            

Crate of Sweet Blues berries ready for delivery

“The Sweet Blues farm began with the first blueberry bushes being planted in 1978,” said Bramblett Bradham. “What started as a 2.5-acre future retirement project for my Uncle, has grown into about 40-acres of bushes for him to oversee. Each year I am involved with everything from selecting which areas are to be harvested, making sure the packing plant is running smoothly and delivering the blueberries to market. All of our Sweet Blues berries are hand-picked and they are graded so that only high-quality blueberries go to market.”

Rows of blueberry bushes stretch on and on

Dr. Randolph Bradham is a World War II veteran, who retired from his practice as a Thoracic surgeon in 1995, and now continues to work at age 90 as owner of Sweet Blues. “The 2015 harvest of blueberries was the biggest bumper crop I have ever seen in my 35 years of experience,” said Dr. Bradham. “The word phenomenon would be a good way to describe how the blueberries responded to the cold winter followed by a wet spring. Other blueberry growers in Georgia and Florida experienced the same kind of record production.”

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries with Bramblett Bradham click on Duck Season Finale.

Freeman Boatworks is Building Offshore Clout

 A Freeman 37 cuts through the ocean

The market for catamarans used as offshore fishing boats is allowing for Billy Freeman to coast towards a ramped up production of the hull design he perfected. Growing up in the creeks of the Lowcountry, he felt drawn to the bluewaters located far offshore of the harbor, developing a passion for boating that went beyond fishing. Today Freeman finds his James Island based Freeman Boatworks business handling new orders from fishing Captains from Louisiana to Florida.

            

What an awesome offshore fishing platform

When the first catamaran hull designs debuted they were highly regarded for their ability to navigate the ocean comfortably. But Billy Freeman and others knew that these designs also pitched side to side in some conditions such as following seas. His Manta 24-foot catamaran helped to increase his mindset that a mono hull was just not right for him, and he began tinkering with catamaran hull designs that improved what was already on the market. The Freeman 33 became his first hull design and it quickly gained traction with the hardcore charter guides in Venice, Louisiana.

            

2015 Logo design

Right here in Charleston, the Freeman 33 staked a claim

Factory Floor view of a catamaran hull

as a dependable offshore fishing ride when a Freeman 33 joined other high-end boat owners for a competition at the annual Megadock Billfish Tournament at the City Marina. While the sportfishers offer an enclosed salon area where anglers and guests can ride comfortable during a 3-hour ride to the Gulf Stream, the Freeman boats don’t have any type of enclosure and is thus a little more suited for the hands-on anglers. That day at the Megadock folks noticed how the Freeman 33 outran the bigger boats back to the docks. I was standing there that July afternoon when Billy Freeman began turning heads and making new fans.

            

“You should not have to choose between comfort and performance. Our boats are quick, handle like a dream in all sea states, and the ride is second to none,” said Freeman. “We moved to James Island in 2008 to utilize warehouse space, and by April of 2011 we doubled our footprint and we are still growing.” There are now three sizes available for custom production now in 29-feet and 33-feet, with the most popular being a 37-footer that can handle either three or even four outboard motors. Base prices are set, but the largest model with high-performance engines and accessories will cost North of $500,000.

            

Stopping by the warehouse on Signal Point Road, there is no sign of sticker shock at the Freeman Boatworks HQ. Marketing and Sales Director Scott Cothran informed me that they have already built and delivered 11 catamarans in 2015, and with 57 more orders in the pipeline they are experiencing record growth. Since their production capacity is around 30 boats a year, they are easily booking into late 2016 for future boat deliveries, and some of those orders are already coming from repeat customers.

To view this feature article in the newspaper click on Charleston Mercury.

To view the latest Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Report click here.

To view past blog entries about boat building click on Hinckley Company - Pioneer Boats - Scout Boats

Historic Commercial Harvest Closure for Dolphin

Harvest of Atlantic dolphin remains open for recreational anglers

The federal government is having more and more to say about the marine natural resources off the Southeast coast, and depending on the species of fish, that can affect recreational and commercial fisherman. In this case, the first-ever closure of the commercial harvest of Atlantic dolphin will begin on June 30. This closure does not affect recreational anglers, who remain free to pursue this prized and pretty fish, but it does signal to everyone that these resources are not limitless.

Jack McGovern is an Assistant Fisheries Manager with NOAA and he told me that this was indeed a historic first-time closure. “With the authorization of the Magnuson-Stevenson Act by Congress in 2012, Atlantic dolphin commercial catch limits were set, but for whatever reason they did not meet those amounts the last two years,” said McGovern. The current closure goes into effect from Maine through the East coast of Florida and is scheduled to reopen on January1, 2016.

“An amendment to the commercial catch for dolphin has already been approved which will increase their catch-share limit up to 10-percent of the fishery,” said McGovern. “That amendment has to undergo a round of public comments at our annual South Atlantic Fishery Management Council summer meetings. If the amendment is enacted, then the commercial harvest of dolphin could potentially reopen in the fall of 2015, allowing commercial fisherman another opportunity to harvest the remainder of the new limits.”

What this means to recreational anglers is that their own catch-limits must shrink by the same amount now allocated to commercial endeavors. Roughly 90-percent, a large majority will remain with recreational anglers in 2015 if the amendment takes affect. The commercial closure is done in the name of protecting the dolphin-wahoo fishery, but some might question how adding more to be taken via commercial efforts actually helps the fishery. And to the non-angler and general public, a commercial closure simply means less availability to fresh mahi at the seafood counter and possibly in restaurants.

To read more of this feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view the latest Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Report click here.

To view past blog entries about recreational fishing for Atlantic dolphin click 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009