Oysta-flage spawned in the Lowcountry outdoors

Capt. Amy Little sports Oysta-flage

Distinctive oyster-catcher shorebird logo

Offshore fishing in oysta-flage

Matt Key turkey hunts in oysta-flage

Bart Key is the founder of Tideline Outfitters, and he and brother Matt Key invented the new oysta-flage pattern that is making a splash. Some of the comments include that this is THE camo to wear while laying in wait on a tailing redfish! Others say that it is a superior product since it was designed by nature - similar to feather-flage. This oyster shell camo pattern allows Lowcountry outdoors enthusiasts to distinguish themselves with something that they can see along the marsh every day. To read my feature story click on Charleston Mercury.

To view past blog entries with Capt. Amy Little click here.

13th DOA Outdoor Writer Festival - Day Two

Capt. Ryan 'Banks' Floyd with a dock snook

Great weather greeted the guides and anglers who left River Palms to complete the fishing activities at DOA camp. The night before saw the DOA jam band groove from sunset and well into the night. Martin County, Florida is the setting for the DOA Outdoor Writer's Festival, and even though times might be tight for the outdoors industry, DOA Lures rolls out the welcome mat as always. With new baits in development all the time, this event gives DOA a chance to share the latest and greatest developments. Armed with a box full of DOA Lures, Capt. Ryan Floyd of Off The Banks Charters, took me over to the St. Lucie River to cast under some docks for fish. Snook and trout were caught and released after a few photos, and then we set up shop at the old Roosevelt bridge for monster snook and tarpon.While the big ones did not comply with our plans, Capt. Floyd is a go-getter who is not afraid to try and drag out a quality gamefish from underneath the docks, which is always a good game plan - whether fishing during the day or at night.

Young Fellas: Honson Lau, Jeff Dennis and Willy Le

Trokar hooks by Eagle Claw

DOA shrimp and speckled trout

The DOA band is glad to entertain anglers

To view past blog entries from the DOA camp click here.

13th DOA Outdoor Writers Event - Fishing Report

Capt. Charlie Conner with a Fort Pierce trout

Humble writer with Captain Mark Nichols

Captain Mark Nichols and Jerry McBride of DOA Lures, managed to reel in another gathering of fishing guides and the writers that appreciate their lifestyle. Captain Rufus was present for fishing as head honcho at River Palms. The setting in Jensen Beach, Florida was even better this year thanks to sunny weather and light winds, which combined for great fishing. The snook bite really seemed to be going strong despite the locally heavy rainfall that has been recorded in the South Florida recently. Coconut shrimp and fellowship under the Chickee Hut fueled up the anglers before Day One. Sponsors on hand included Hummingbird, Eagle Claw/Trokar, Seaguar, Hobie and more! Fishing with Captain Charlie Conner's Fish Tales Charters, we splashed the boat at the JayCee Park ramp in Fort Pierce and fished the flats in the Indian River. With several nice trout boated there already this year, Conner put me in position and I got hooked up with a grown one - but alas he buried himself in the grass and then contorted his body until my hook backed out, very near to the boat where I could see him. Ever have that feeling where you want to jump in and try and 'grab' that fish that you would like to claim as landed? Oh well, I got schooled on that one, but went on to have a great day of catching flounder, trout, snook, redfish, jack crevalle and ladyfish - using DOA Cal jerkshad and DOA Baitbusters - and the old standby DOA shrimp! This was not the first time I had fished these flats and they produce best when the water current is moving, and different species can occupy the area at different times of the year.

Jacks are WILD at DOA Camp

To view past blog entries from DOA camp click here.

Snook that fell for a DOA Baitbuster

Lowcountry Fishing Report - 6/12/2012

Fishing Report for the Coastal Lowcountry of South Carolina:
Charleston Inshore: Bart Manly at the Market Street location of The Charleston Angler says that water temps are hovering in the high 70's and that the redfish are feeding around structure at low tide. If the water level is high enough, then the reds are moving up into the flats before the bite gets going good. Try Redfish Magic spinners and Gulp artificials for the redfish. The trout bite is on around shell rakes at creek mouths where there is good current, and Bart says to use live bait under a popping cork. Go with mud minnows or live shrimp first, but after that use DOA shrimp for best results. Zman Paddlerz can also be utilized for trout fishing. Sheepshead have been feeding well on fiddler crabs and shrimp along pilings and rock piles. (FYI - the DOA pinch-baits might be a new sheepshead option) Fly fishermen look for good tailing tides and then cast small crab fly patterns. Last but not least, the Folly Pier has been on fire with substantial numbers of sharks, but mainly Atlantic Shaprnose sharks. For all the latest seminar information visit the Internet at The Charleston Angler.

Capt. Chris Keen with youth anglers and a redfish

Scott Hammond from Haddrell's Point West told me he snuck out with Thomas D from the shop to try their hand at some trout fishing once the rain let off a little. They were not expecting much with the great amount of rain that had fallen, but they were pleasantly surprised when they were greeted by a decent bite! They were able to produce 15 trout, a few reds, and a flounder in just a few hours of fishing. In other words, the inshore bite is still going strong. Trout continue to be found in decent numbers in 3 to 6-feet of water fishing submerged shell rakes at high water, and bottom contours at low water levels. While live shrimp and minnows are always a good bait choice, the topwater bite has been very good using Super Spook Jr's and Mirro-Lure top pups. When the topwater slows later in the day, this is the time to switch over to a suspending bait such as the Mirro-Lure 17MR or a SS series Ba-Donk-A-Donk. Reds are still in their "summer time" pattern of hanging around docks and structure around low water, and up along the grass edges on higher water levels. Live minnows and cut mullet are still old stand by baits, but again artificials such as a Gulp Jerkshad or a Zman PaddlerZ have been very productive as well. Flounder have shown up in good numbers fishing around creek mouths and inlets, and dragging a mud minnow slowly along the bottom in these areas is as productive as you can get for the flatties! For the latest seminar information visit Haddrell's Point.

Charleston Offshore: Bart says the results continue to be strong on calm days. Dolphin are still being caught in good numbers in as little as 130-feet of water. Wahoo are being caught along the ledge and temperature breaks and blue marlin out in 200-1600 feet of water. The cobia bite has still been good in the Broad River in Beaufort and sight-casting with live eels has been the most productive method. In the nearshore, bluefish and Spanish mackerel have been biting well when trolling Clarkspoons.

Scott says though the weather has not been too cooperative the last week or so, there has been a couple of days the boats were able to slip out and take advantage of a still strong dolphin bite anywhere from 130-feet out to 600-feet. Blue marlin have shown in great numbers the past week or two. Bottom fishing has been producing some VERY large black sea bass since they opened back up on June 1. Better reports on the sea bass have been from 50 to 90-feet of water using cigar minnows, squid, and larger curl tail jigs. Grouper have been caught in good numbers as well. Taking the time to catch some live pinfish or menhaden to drop down to the bottom can really increase your odds of tangling with a large grouper, but butterfly style jigs can also be very productive this time of year.


To view past fishing reports from the coastal Lowcountry click here.

2012 Bohicket Gov. Cup - Day Three / Final

The 27-boat fleet went fishing for the Bohicket Governor's Cup title, and released 16 billfish on Saturday. In the end it was Summer Girl, a 42-foot Post, who released a blue marlin on Saturday, adding to their two blue marlin releases on Friday, giving them 1600 points. They released both of their blue marlin on Friday in the afternoon, and they weighed in a 50.2-pound mahi as well. Captain Stevie Leasure said Saturday's blue marlin was caught by Kimberly Smith, who went on the claim the title of top lady angler! Miss Magnolia will finish in second place on the strength of her two blue marlin and one white marlin on Friday, since they had no releases on Saturday. Third place goes to Cotton Picker from Savannah for the two white marlin and one blue marlin they released. The heaviest overall dolphin from Friday held up for Gray Eubank, but the lady angler mahi was eclipsed by Wildlife's 45.2-pound mahi caught by Diana Lackey. One blackfin tuna came to the scales from Brian DeMille aboard Trash Man, and the 14.2-pound tuna is took home the top tuna spot.

Wildlife celebrates their big mahi

Brandyn Reagan and Madison Elliott represent
Cotton Picker from Savannah

To view my feature story in All At Sea magazine about the Gov. Cup after two events click here.

To view past blog entries from the 2012 Bohicket Gov. Cup click here.

To view my wrap-up article in Guy Harvey magazine click here.

2012 Bohicket Gov. Cup - Fish photos

Keegan Kennedy and her dancin' partner

Lots of mahi mahi got weighed-in on Friday at the Bohicket Governor's Cup, but only one wahoo came to the scales. The 38.4-pound mahi caught from the Back Down, helped Keegan Kennedy put the smack down on the lady angler competition thus far! Second place lady angler is held by Kate Peereboom's 27.4-pound mahi caught aboard Caramba. Third place lady angler so far is Joanna Stickland with a 23.8-pound mahi fishing on Wildlife. Youth angler Gray Maybank (age 13) leads the tournament and the youth category with his 53.4-pound dolphin, followed by Fisher Jackson (age 12) and his 33.8-pound mahi caught from Summer Girl.

Nicole Herndon strikes a fish pose

Cordes Johnson from Petrel

Three generations of Eubanks

For more blog entries on the 2012 Bohicket Gov. Cup click here.

2012 Bohicket Gov. Cup - Day Two

Gray and Graham Eubank are father/son fishing team
from Sportin' Life with a 53.4-mahi

Nice Mahi but no billfish for Trinity V

Leading HOO for Back Down

Ken and Joanna Strickland 
from Wildlife with lady angler mahi
AND parrot!

All 27 boats in the Gov. Cup fleet fished out of Bohicket on Friday, and were greeted with three-to-four foot seas. Early unofficial results have Miss Magnolia out of Hilton Head in the lead with 2 blue marlin releases and one white marlin release. Captain Tram Colket powered the 50-foot Viking while angler Tim Gredick released both blue marlin at 11:29 a.m. and 1:57 p.m. Mate Zack Lyman kicked things off with the white marlin release at 10:23 a.m. The Captain shared that this was their best day of fishing in S.C. ever!  In second right now is Summer Girl with two blue marlin releases for Captain Stevie Leasure and crew. In third is Trash Man with one blue marlin released. Sportin' Life has a white marlin release and a sailfish release to their credit, plus the leading mahi mahi. Owner Manly Eubanks' grandson, Gray Eubank, weighed in a 53.4-pound bull dolphin that wowed the crowd gathered on the Bohicket dock! The wahoo leader is Will Frederick with a 25.2-pound HOO caught from the Back Down. Angler Keegan Kennedy, also on the Back Down, has the lady angler lead with a 38.4-pound mahi.  For past blog entries from the 2012 Governor's Cup click here.