I have noticed over the many years that the Spanish Mackeral and Jack Crevalle fishing has declined. I used to catch Jacks as far back as the 526 bridge at Daniel Island and Spanish in the Harbor, and all along the front beach. The water would be boiling well inside the Harbor with big schools of Jack, Castle Pinckney and by the Wando terminal were the to go spots, seems those days are long gone.
I used to hunt big flocks of widgeon and blue bills from the Crab Bank in Chas. Harbor. There used to be huge flocks of canvasback ducks rafted up near the coast guard station by the south battery and around to town creek come February, but I don’t see that anymore. It would seem that since it has become a bird sancuary that we all would see many more ducks…not have them vanish outright. I don’t believe it has much to do with hunting pressure, but a wholesale development of the area. The increased pollution and stress from public use…cruise ships, sea island development, more boats on the water, light pollution, etc. has changed the ecology of the area. Of course Mother Nature seems to work in cycles, it may all be due for a change back in the future.
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax
Maybe it’s the cycle of life, who knows. I would say just more of everything is the biggest factor.
Spanish mackeral fishing out of Beaufort has been terrible out of Beaufort for the last two years, too.
Sea Hunt 207CC,Yam 150
www.abfishcharters.com
more fresh water coming down the Cooper has dropped the salinity in the harbor.
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NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
Sells,
You would be the last person I would argue with about fishing on this site, but I have fished out of Biloxi a good bit and with the amount of water coming out of the Mississippi and salinity have done fantastic on Spanish.
We haven’t had a lot of freshwater from upstate this year, you think it is really effecting them?
While Cobia fishing this spring out of Port Royal, I didn’t get near the greenies or spanish on the sabiki or spoon. The spot we set up we pretty much always do well on Spanish while hoping for a cobia and there is very little freshwater dumping in that sound.
Spanish Macks are going to be where the bait is. In years where I have caught a lot of spanish the anchovies were plentiful to the point that large schools would darken the waters surface. In past years I have not seen the anchovies in nearly the quantities as 5-8 years ago. When the anchovies come back, so will the spanish.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
Obama
19’6" Key West Bayreef
It may this crazy weather pattern we have been in for the last few years.
A wise man once said “Do as I say not as I do” Good advice when I tell you that.
lol obama… so easy to blame for everything… sort of like bush… 