Fripp Tire Reef

To the South Beaufort / Hilton Head
1

Fished Fripp Tire Reef Wednesday on a very flat ocean . As fast as a fiddler crab would get near the bottom a black sea bass was on . We were fishing for sheepshead but it was to no avail . We tried to move away from structure and they were still there . Any where from 10-15’’ but most were on the larger side . We did manage one 18’’ black drum. They bsb would hit anything that went down,even the lead if you sent the tackle down with no bait, they would pick up the lead and hold it in their mouth while you reeled in till about half way up .We went to another wreck and caught 15-20 , 8-12’'under size sheephead. I have fished alot of winters on the nearshore wrecks/reefs since 1988 and have faced alot of challenges and regulation changes and this is the first time I have felt it is useless to pay for fuel to go out. Maybe it will get better in 2016 when the state gets done with the bsb stock rebuilding plan.

2

Thanks for the report. I have been hearing similar reports for the last two years.

3

last time me and saluda went out there in 2012 it was nothing but bsb after bsb. hopefully there will be more sheeps around this spring

4

Please don’t blame the state and SCDNR for the BSB rebuilding plan. It’s the feds who instituted those regulations. The state must follow the fed guidelines as part of their reciprocal agreement. Just another reason to urge our US legislators to move fishery management from the US Dept of Commerce to the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Only then will we have a voice as recreational anglers.

5

The BSB have been a nuciance when targeting Flounder, Sheeps , and Pinkies .

Don’t think this was unintentional , they like the result of frustrated fisherman who will not fish because of BSB .

6

Yes wildlifesc you are right , I worded my post wrong . Its the South Atlantic Fisheries that set the quota on bsb , not the state . I do agree we have some fine folks who work for DNR . Kay Davies and Robert Wiggers have done alot for our fishery .

7

No problem. DNR is just as frustrated as us with all this BSB & snapper nonsense.

Jim

8
quote:
Originally posted by wildlifesc

No problem. DNR is just as frustrated as us with all this BSB & snapper nonsense.

Jim

Jim, someone brought up this point in offshore discussion. Does DNR have to cooperate with the Feds by running offshore and doing angler creel surveys in order for SC to continue receiving the same federal funding it has always gotten, or are they getting additional funding for doing so?

9

Yeah, I don’t quite understand all the rationale and the process.
However and whatever they are doing…it ain’t right!!
The black sea bass are absolutely ridiculous.
Ruin a good trip on the ocean and make you not really want to go out.

10

I do not know if they get the same funding or not. I do not believe they get additional funding, as the surveys are mandated to receive federal funds in the first place. I’ve emailed my folks at DNR in Charleston for an answer.

11

Here’s the answer from the SCDNR Marine Center folks:

Jim,

DNR biologists do not actually conduct any recreational creel surveys offshore. Almost all of our angler intercept work is done at public boat landings. We do occasionally visit some marinas and fishing piers, but the focus with our limited staff has been to concentrate on interviewing private boat anglers (the majority of our licensed saltwater anglers). Law Enforcement does conduct fishery enforcement inspections offshore under the Joint Enforcement Agreement they have with NMFS.

Since 1981, NMFS has been collecting recreational catch and effort data in SC by also conducting interviews with recreational anglers at public boat landings, marinas, fishing piers, and through observer trips on headboats. This effort is now known as the Marine Recreational Information Program or MRIP. DNR believes that we can assist in making some improvements in the way the state and NMFS collect angler intercept-based data by taking responsibility for most of the MRIP survey work in SC. Starting March 1st of 2013, DNR intends to take on all of the saltwater recreational fishing creel intercept work in SC by becoming a sub-contractor with NMFS for the MRIP survey in our state. Our own DNR Office of Fisheries Management staff will be conducting the creel surveys conducted at private boat landings, and taking on the headboat ride along work as well. We are doing this to improve the efficiency of overall angler intercept efforts being conducted in SC (one survey instead of two), and to help with improvements to the quality of the data being used by state and federal fisheries managers that influence the regulation of our fisheries.

Hope this helps. If you have any additional questions please let me know.

Thanks,

mb

12

Jim, Thank for the report from DNR good work!