Fishing with family can be quite rewarding

The odds of this happening are remote, but the odds of this occurring to members of the same family are phenomenal.

A couple of years ago, Bill Mixon and his wife, Fran, were fishing for sheepshead under the Woods Memorial Bridge. Bill was fishing next to the pilings and had placed another baited rod in open water on the other side of the boat. While baiting up another rod with a fiddler, he heard a noise and saw his other rod go overboard. He gave himself a heavy dose of criticism for not securing a fine rod and reel in a holder.

Late the next afternoon, Bill's stepson, 11-year-old Asa Godowns, called his mom and said he wanted to know if Bill had lost a rod and reel. Asa said he had been fishing that day and pulled up a rod and reel that looked like one of Bill's. Turned out, it was.

The story continues: A week later, Bill and Fran were once again taking part in their favorite pastime. They returned to the bridge, and soon Fran had hooked a sheepshead, which Bill netted for her. While removing the hook, Bill noticed the fish had another hook in its side. He recognized the leader -- it was his. It seems his prior mishap a week earlier had a bit of fisherman's luck attached to it.

Stranger things have happened, but keeping it all in the family is a tale worth telling.

SURF FISHING

I don't propose to know all the answers when it comes to fishing the surf. With all the water available to anglers in the Lowcountry, fishing from the beach is not one of my strong points. Fishing with my feet in the sand offers too much of a distraction. There are too many other things to do while waiting on a fish to strike. These distractions can be both good and bad; it depends on your attitude.

Many of the distractions come from others: The visitor wanting to know what's biting, the beachcomber asking if you have seen any interesting shell formations and the curious, which can range from kids with kites and small trucks with sharp edges, to adults wanting to know why you did it like that. Or the competitor who only fishes next to others regardless of how much real estate is available. And, finally, the know-it-all. Avoid this guy like the plague. You will be told how to, when to and why you should, on every topic from hooks to baits. He will size you up quickly and decide you need help whether you asked for it or not. Some of the advice is good, but the majority is how he did it where he came from and why you are doing it wrong.

Another distraction that should be avoided is wildlife. I'm referring here to those critters that can make your time surf-side miserable.

There are more bugs on the beach when you are fishing than any other time of the year. And four-legged animals -- raccoons -- like to steal food. They don't care if it is for human consumption or bait. If it is left unattended, it will be gone in short order. There also are smaller critters that can invade a tackle box and go undetected until your return home. Small creatures that somehow make it into the house only to later be discovered by your wife, which calls for immediate extraction.

Let's not forget the birds. While they are pleasant enough to look at in flight, seagulls have a tendency to land every so often. They usually do this while you are fighting a fish, fixing a sandwich, rigging a line, getting a drink from the cooler or simply trying to catch a few winks. While sharing the beach is not a problem, having them underfoot and overhead can cause havoc beyond any you have experienced.

And then there is the legless. Believe me when I say there are snakes in the Lowcountry, and they usually have a family reunion about the time things heat up for the surf fishermen. A lot of fishing gear has been abandoned when the long and the silent are discovered.

So prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes you are granted a grace period, and the experience can be rewarding.

No matter which method of fishing you prefer there can be distractions. At least when you are fishing from a boat you have the option of choosing who is onboard, and you have a much quicker opportunity for escape should things become unbearable. No excuses, no apologies.

FRIPP ISLAND TOURNAMENT

The Fripp Island Owen Perry Memorial Fishing Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 6-7. Proceeds will help fund Camp Rainbow for kids with cancer and rare blood diseases.

The event starts Friday, Nov. 6, with registration from 6-7 p.m., followed by a Lowcountry cookout and auction. Presentations by Dr. Roger A. Vega on pediatric oncology/hematology and Bill Babb, outdoors editor for the Augusta Chronicle, will highlight the evening.

The fishing begins Saturday at 7 a.m. Weigh-in will close at 5 p.m. An awards ceremony will be held afterward, with 50 percent payout to the entries and 50 percent to Camp Rainbow. Awards will be given for the largest spottail bass, spottail with the most spots and the largest speckled trout. Entry fee is $250, which includes dinner and two T-shirts.

For more information, call the Fripp Island Marina at 843-838-2530 or Ralph Goodison at 843-838-2530.

TWO CAROLINAS STRIKE A DEAL

The Carolinas have struck a deal over access to Crossroads Mountain, a remote section of the Jocassee Gorges in Oconee County. Crossroads Mountain lies between the Toxaway and Horsepasture rivers along the northernmost reaches in South Carolina near the state line with North Carolina.

"Crossroads will still be the most difficult place to reach in our state," said Mark Hall, Jocassee Gorges project manager for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, "but at least folks can get there reasonably and enjoy it, as it is such a special place."

A free code is available for access to the Crossroads Mountain area. To obtain a code that is good 24 hours a day, e-mail Gorges State Park at susan.chappell@ncdenr.gov, and provide phone number and driver's license number.

For the past several years, a legal technicality prevented use of the access route that winds through Gorges State Park in North Carolina. Duke Energy, SCDNR and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources developed a cooperative agreement that will allow patrons of the South Carolina side of Jocassee Gorges to gain reasonable vehicular access through North Carolina's Gorges State Park to get to Crossroads Mountain. Year-round access is now allowed via Chestnut Mountain Road in North Carolina.

WAL-MART WINNER

Tim Staley of Dowelltown, Tenn., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Clarks Hill Lake Regional Championship last Saturday with a three-day, 14-bass catch weighing 29 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned him a Ranger 198VX boat with a choice of a 200 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha motor and a Chevrolet 1500 Silverado. The win also helped him qualify for the 2010 BFL All-American to be held in Davenport, Iowa, May 27-30.

Co-angler Mike D'Angelo Jr., of Remlap, Ala., also won a Ranger 198VX boat thanks to 11 bass weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces.