Can someone tell me what those little dinky strawberry grouper are?? I thought they were a Rock Hind, but apparently not. Also is there no catch data at all from the 70’s on these fish?
A strawberry is a red hind- red with red spots. A rock hind is a brownish tan with the red/brown/black spots. A kitty Mitchell a.k.a. speckled hind has light green spots and a dark red color.
The big kitty mitchells and warsaws are super hard to get out of where they live because the current won’t let you get a bait there now. Bottom longlining would get it done, but that’s been illegal inshore of 600ft here since the 90’s. They saw a lot of 30-100lb fish of these species brought in by commercial guys after Hugo had the bottom all stirred up, and that’s why they are under the impression that there was or should be some sort of huge population out there.
The large fish are still out there I believe- in the deep nasty stuff. It’s hard to fish, and few people can do it successfully at those rare times when the current isn’t too bad. Every so often you see a monster brought into a fish house, and it was somebody at the right place at the right time. They’re out there. They just normally break you off or don’t bite your bait because 100 other fish would have to pass it up first.
How many people fish with a 10lb window weight and a 5lb bonito? How many people can anchor over a wreck or ledge in 350ft?
How many people have more than 130lb test on anything in their boat??!!
The green with red\yellow spots are Rockhind… the greyish ones with red spots are Graysby’s., there is another one that is red\yellow called a Spanish Flag and Coneys go thru a few differant color phases… imature Kitty Mitchels are a yellow color with purple spots… Longlineing is prohibited inshore of 300 ft only
The green with red\yellow spots are Rockhind… the greyish ones with red spots are Graysby’s., there is another one that is red\yellow called a Spanish Flag and Coneys go thru a few differant color phases… imature Kitty Mitchels are a yellow color with purple spots… Longlineing is prohibited inshore of 300 ft only
to red stripe who ask about thriving Kitty stock ever… I will not say where so it does not come into any closure mpa\smz … but numerous(1000"s) kittys were landed by myself and other commercial fishermen in the 80’s and 90’s in certain areas off SC … now these areas are avoided because of not wanting to kill them for nothing…plus after Hugo they had the “Take Me First Additude” which I am sure hurt their numbers
There are deep water spots that we fish near the hole where we have caught snowies, and tiles (nearby). I have always been surprised that we haven’t gotten much else. Then again the snowies are so thick, like sea bass, you get one the second your bait hits the bottom. Without electric reels we would take turns bringing them up. The Hinds and Warsaws must be in different habitat.
I have bitten my tongue on this one for a while - But Mahefka is the operator of Abundant Seafood at the geechie dock along Shem Creek. He is an outstanding fisherman and no one can argue against this. He sells lots of his fish to the local high end restaurant trade that is very “green” and environmentally correct. He came up with a catch share for restaurants idea some time back that bordered on communism . But I will say - It saved his business when all the other businesses like his were being killed by the SAFMC. Being that he deals with the green enviro foodie crowd surely affects his decisions. Now his customers , I expect, will champion him as the savior of local seafood on their websites. Not saying its right or wrong. but we should understand where all the players in this game are coming from
On the subject of Speckled hind and Warsaws. I have caught many over the years, in a few select spots. But percentage wise , they have never been an important % of the catch. Gags, scamps, snowys, yellow edge, AM reds , and tile fish were the bulk of the catch. The mystery to me is - what happened to the Nassau grouper?
The Nassal grouper are not as plentiful off SC, but some are caught… they are like Kitty and Warsaw(illeagal to catch) so it never gets recorded. As for Mark… yes a good biz man and no one can condem him for excepting $$$ for taking scientist, many fishermen are ask and they have to be comped for expences and time lost from their normal fishing trips…
Years ago - in the 70’s I had many spots within sight of land that were covered with Nassau’s They would eat any bait I dropped - but they disappeared. I suspect an environmental problem - pollution or what ever. Its not always the fishermen that cause the problem.
Years ago - in the 70’s I had many spots within sight of land that were covered with Nassau’s They would eat any bait I dropped - but they disappeared. I suspect an environmental problem - pollution or what ever. Its not always the fishermen that cause the problem.
You still see the bottom when you go there?
I’ve got a book full of handed down loran A and C stuff, and half of it isn’t there inshore. Covered up by sand or washed off- who knows? It just isn’t there, though. The offsets are bigger that close to land, but I am getting on some stuff dead on and it was all from the same two boxes in the 70’s and 80’s.
I think the jetties and change of where the channel and current is changed nearshore spots over time. People don’t understand what has been right off the coast over history. Mines, scrap metal, junk piles, old buoys, wrecks, live and dead coral, etc. etc. Storms and the jetties change all that.
quote:I've got a book full of handed down loran A and C stuff, and half of it isn't there inshore. Covered up by sand or washed off- who knows? It just isn't there, though
You are exactly right, a lot of structure that was out there in the 70’s and 80’s are now covered with sand. Hugo made some major changes too. It’s an ever changing environment.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
My place at Edisto has a bunch of old coral (some of it was used like bricks to build hand rails for the front steps). I was told by an old-timer that this coral used to be everywhere just off the shore. He said the shrimp trawlers dragged a lot (all?) of it up over time. I suppose some of it may have been buried by sand too(?)
Years ago - in the 70’s I had many spots within sight of land that were covered with Nassau’s They would eat any bait I dropped - but they disappeared. I suspect an environmental problem - pollution or what ever. Its not always the fishermen that cause the problem.
You still see the bottom when you go there?
I’ve got a book full of handed down loran A and C stuff, and half of it isn’t there inshore. Covered up by sand or washed off- who knows? It just isn’t there, though. The offsets are bigger that close to land, but I am getting on some stuff dead on and it was all from the same two boxes in the 70’s and 80’s.
I think the jetties and change of where the channel and current is changed nearshore spots over time. People don’t understand what has been right off the coast over history. Mines, scrap metal, junk piles, old buoys, wrecks, live and dead coral, etc. etc. Storms and the jetties change all that.
The shrimp trawlers tried to avoid live bottom and structure - but I saw so many with their nets caught on the bottom - Perhaps that’s what happened to those spots. The best one was easy to find - we drove out to the 'C" buoy - turned left and in about 1/2 mile started watching the old paper graph sounder. That spot was covered with Nassau grouper and AM reds back then. But the “c” bouy was closer in back then .
I grew up on shrimp trawlers in the 1960s. We avoided coral and live bottom like the plague. First off shrimp prefer sand and mud, not coral. Ain’t many shrimp in hard coral. Secondly, hard coral will shred a $1,000 net in one drag and that was a lot of money in the 1960s, and getting a 80’ net hung up would cost you a days work freeing the cables, plus the net. Most shrimpers knew where the coral was and stayed way away, or they learned and then stayed away.
What did do a lot of damage to our live bottom were the roller trollers who used to drag the live bottom for ground fish. Those big steel rollers smashed a lot of coral. That’s been illegal for 25 years or so.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
What did do a lot of damage to our live bottom were the roller trollers who used to drag the live bottom for ground fish. Those big steel rollers smashed a lot of coral. That’s been illegal for 25 years or so.
I think you are exactly right from what I have been told by many and what I see when I try to fish shallow in fall/winter now.
Just want to bump this back to the top. This is VERY important . The next thing will be “emergency SMZ’z” and then there will be trolling restrictions. Over 20 years ago I stood up at a meeting and told everybody that the camels nose was entering the tent- There are forces out there that want us to burn our fishing gear and guns. Right now they are winning. Do your part. Call your elected officials - Make your comments to the SAFMC - Show up and be heard
I never thought I would see “no fishing” signs in the open ocean.