The early bird gets the fish during dog days of summer

With afternoon and evening thunderstorms running the gauntlet through the Lowcountry, things have slowed down just a bit. It's how it should be for us more refined southern folks, and it helps reduce tensions and anxieties brought on by the obsessive heat of the day.

For the angler, it gives a good start to their days and gets them off the water and home at a decent time in the afternoons. For some it may be an inconvenience, but for the most part, it is a welcome change from the long dreaded "dog days" of August.

Most trips have been concentrated closer inshore due to unpredictable weather patterns. With winds and rough waters offshore, those who do take the challenge of deeper waters aren't claiming stage time as much as in the past, possibly due to most trips having to be cut short.

Active species include tarpon (scattered), trout (plentiful), spottail bass (Hungry), sheepshead (winning), bluefish (anxious), whiting (good), tripletail, blackfish, king and Spanish mackerel (on the prowl).

It is during the dog days of summer that most inshore and offshore species tend to be active during the early morning hours. Water temperatures are cooler for one thing, but more importantly is the activity of baitfish.

When conditions are favorable such as we see in the early mornings of summer, baitfish are active and seeking a food source. Likewise, larger predator fish will follow the baitfish.

When the rains cause a higher salinity level in the creeks, baitfish become more active in search of refuge and better habitat. These moves do not go unnoticed, and larger predator fish move swiftly into these same areas.

Feeder creeks and marsh cuts close to deeper waters are the first areas, and with a favorable tide and the right current, anglers can be there for the dinner bell.

Best bets include outgoing tides, shrimp and mud minnows, 1/4-ounce jigs, black bottom floats, and drift fishing over active bottom in the shallows. Colors presently working are Red and Pinks in the shallows and Chartreuse and Whites where the depths fall off to deeper holes or along vertical banks. Use topwater when the surface waters begin to warm if your target is spottail bass. Zara Spooks and Dalton Specials are excellent at this time. Streamers are the best choice for fly fishermen staying in the current.

If you happen to jump a school of Spanish mackerel on your ventures, nothing can beat a Clarkspoon in size 00, silver only at present with an added glass bead just above the tie of your favorite knot.

If tarpon is your primary target, it will take a bit more searching and a lot more skill as they are wary of the weather and easily shy off from the surface. An occasional roll will give away their location, and some eager juveniles still want to flash their scales, but for the most part, they are staying in deeper waters.

Hint: Try something new -- rig up a few fish finder rigs with a stout leader, tie on your preferred circle hook and chunk of bait and stay along the ledges a bit longer. Frequent the mouth of major feeder creeks and cruise the sounds and outer buoys.

New techniques and methods are the cornerstone of productive fishing and a successful angler. You might get lucky, and in fishing, that is half the game now isn't it?

BSFDC's Family Fishing Tournament ahead

The Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club's annual Family Fishing Tournament will be held Aug. 21-22.Applications are available at many of the local fishing supply stores and marinas.

Registration begins at 6 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Back Porch Grille at Port Royal Landing Marina.The captains meeting begins promptly at 7 p.m.All teams must have a representative at the captains meeting.

The entry fee is $50 per boat for BSFDC members and $100 for non members.

Fishing begins on Aug. 22, with lines in the water at 6 a.m. The weigh-in is scheduled between 3-5 p.m. at Port Royal Landing Marina.

Fish categories are black sea bass, bluefish, flounder, king mackerel, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, red drum, spotted trout and barracuda.

There also will be a special fly-fishing category, along with the outstanding female angler and youth angler.

For more information, call Tom Ogle at 521-4672 or Frank Gibson at 522-2020.

2009 Deer Season Outlook

The much-anticipated start of the 2009 deer season is just around the corner, and South Carolina's deer population is healthy and the season's outlook is good.

Although the deer harvest has been on a downward trend the last few years, hunter success and deer harvest rates remain good, according to Charles Ruth, statewide Deer/Turkey Project Supervisor for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

The top counties for harvest in 2008 included Bamberg, Union, Allendale, Hampton and Abbeville, with each of these counties exhibiting harvest rates in excess of 15 deer per square mile. Very few areas in the United States consistently yield comparable figures.

Top counties for quality deer in 2008 included Orangeburg, Aiken, and Williamsburg in the coastal plain and Anderson, Abbeville and Greenville counties in the Piedmont. This comes as no surprise since these counties have historically produced good numbers.