Angler Finds Treasure in Trash

The Charleston Post & Courier
By David Graham and Tommy Braswell
 

One man's trash is often another's treasure. David Graham, a 17-year-old junior at Berkeley High School, has found treasure in what many fishermen consider "trash." And what's wrong with fish that leap into the air when hooked or fight with the dogged determination of any fish when hooked?

Graham's fish of choice are gar, grass carp and bowfin, species often targeted by bowfishermen but which swim under the radar of most rod and reel anglers.

"Every time I tell people about how I caught a nice gar or mudfish I get weird looks or questions, like 'What do you do with 'em?'," Graham says. "Personally, I think fishing is more about having fun and having a challenge. There is nothing like a 40-pound grass carp giving you a run for your life at the end of medium-weight tackle; the prehistoric, doggedly mean fishing bowfin thrashing at your bait with the fury of a pit bull; or the always hard-to-hook longnose gar, with the aerobatics of even the greatest marine species!"

Graham says these species, "outcasts of the fishing society," are misunderstood. Although the number of fishermen who seek them are small, interest is growing. There are several websites devoted to what are commonly known as "rough fish," including www.roughfish.com, www.garfishing.com and www.bowfinanglers.com.

The Santee Cooper lakes provide plenty of opportunity for Graham, who began fishing at the age of 10 with his brothers.

"I never really fished with anybody else," he says. "I didn't hear the influence of what should or shouldn't be caught. I found out for myself. I found they were fish I had actually come to like to catch.

"People ask me what I'm fishing for and give me weird looks. They tell me how (these species) compete with native fish. The carp is the hardest to defend because they're a non-native species. The species like gar and mudfish are two of the oldest species in North America.

"They've been around for up to 50 million years."

Graham, who has a 14-foot jon boat with a 25-horsepower motor, says he fishes every time the weather allows.

"I'm pretty much a fishing fanatic," he says. "A lot of my friends call me a fishing freak because that's all I want to do."

Following are some insights into Graham's fishing "treasures" he has found on the Santee Cooper lakes.


BOWFIN

Graham says the bowfin, also known as a mudfish,' is probably his favorite species. They are well known for their pound-for-pound strength, which Graham says will boggle your mind.

"They are never in open water. They hang around the thickest, swampiest areas you can find. They eat the same thing as bass ñ crayfish, small fish, worms," Graham says. "Make sure you use a sturdy lure. They will crush bass lures. They will twist up spinner baits."

Graham says weedless lures are preferred because of the bowfin's preferred habitat. They also can be caught fishing shiners under a float.

"A lot of people catch them accidentally going for bass," he says. "They have pretty much every move. They can pull you down deep, jump out of the water, even play dead."

The state and world record on rod and reel is a 21-1/2-pound catch made in Florence. Graham's personal bowfin record is 31 inches and 12 pounds.

GAR

The gar offers one of the most intriguing species to be caught on rod and reel. There are a number of species found in North America, including the giant alligator gar, which may grow up to eight feet long and weigh as much as 300 pounds. But the primary species in South Carolina, and the one which Graham targets, is the longnose gar, which grows up to 60 inches long.

"All gar fishermen try to reach the 50-inch mark, which is pretty good size," Graham says. "They're really known for their jumping and aerobatics."

Gar are difficult to hook. Their long bill, full of teeth, is extremely hard and they have developed a reputation as a bait-stealer. Some people, in fact, think they are a nuisance species and will break their bills off, a fact Graham finds heart-breaking.

Graham sight-fishes for gar using a home-made lure, although the same type of lure can be found on the Internet. He cuts a 10-inch length of white twisted nylon rope, then unwinds the rope into three sections. He doubles the rope and loops it through a snap swivel, then combs the rope until "it's the texture of Barbie Doll hair." He says once the lure is wet, it can be cast as far as any lure.

Using polarized sunglasses, he scans the surface for the distinctive long shadow cast by the fish. Once he spots a fish, he casts across its face. When the gar takes the rope lure, he opens the bail to his spinning rod and allows it to run until its teeth become entangled in the rope. Once he catches the fish, he carefully untangles the lure from the fish's teeth before releasing it.

"They're a really challenging fish to catch," he says.

CARP

There are a couple of species of carp found in the Santee Cooper lakes, the grass carp, which was introduced to help control aquatic weeds, and the common carp.

Graham says both species can be caught using corn as bait. A good technique is to pre-bait an area by dumping cans of corn and getting the fish accustomed to eating corn. Then, thread a couple of kernels on a No. 4 or No. 6 hook.

"Watch your line," Graham says.

"They will move things around in their mouth for awhile. Once you catch one, it's hard to catch another one because they create so much chaos."
 

Grass carp can reach up to 80 pounds while the common carp grows to about 60 pounds. Graham says his personal record for the grass carp is 33 pounds.

David Graham is a avid rough fish angler and can be reached at the www.roughfish.com forums

All content is expressed solely by David Graham, through his experience. All photos and words are his.