The 2013 Alligator Gar trip was a resounding success… but it certainly did not come without its challenges.   After months of planning and preparation I must say the trip was everything I could have expected and hoped for.   The Red is never easy, and really makes you work for your fish.   Erin and I hit the road on June 3 at 0430 am for the 16 hour drive to my brother’s home in Oklahoma.   Having nothing but time and miles, thoughts of giant fish are as motivational as they are a dragnet to a vehicle that simply can’t move quick  [ Read More ]

On Saturday, May 25th, Erin and I headed for the beaches of Botany Bay.  We spent all night Friday Night (Saturday Morning) fishing from 0100 am to 0530 am on the terribly windy Lake Moultrie for catfish.   Because of ‘white cap’ conditions on the lake, the area I wanted to try was pretty much a no-go for the little Jon-boat.   We positioned ourselves along a relatively wind-shielded side of bank that I have never tried, but seemed decent nevertheless.   Needless to say, we spent quite a few hours with nothing to show for it… After getting in a few hours  [ Read More ]

Premiere “Roughfish” Waterways.   Every angler dreams of that once in a lifetime “trophy”.   And every angler has that one “spot” they hold near and dear to their heart which has, does, and will provide those trophies.   We as angers can catch the same species over and over, but truthfully, the experience is always uniquely different.  Just the same, no two bodies of water are identical and frankly, some are simply ‘better’.   Perhaps there is no definitive answer as to what dictates which location is ‘best’, but some bodies of water simply yield more monsters than others.   What I intend  [ Read More ]

I have been anxiously awaiting the Springtime arrival of big Lake Moultrie catfish into the dark stumpy flats… Erin and I trekked out into the darkness late Friday evening in hopes of tangling into something massive.   I had mapped out an area close to a private landing I have access to on the west bank of Pinopolis on Lake Moultrie that I really thought might be “the spot” for just that.   To key in on these big shallow water catfish I just have to locate where the forage fish hang out.   This time of year the smaller sunfish species are  [ Read More ]

Made the first trip specifically for bowfin of the year on Saturday, March 30th.  Erin and I did not deviate from the usual approach… no new tactics, tackle, or spots..  We posted up in the same area of the Goose Creek Reservoir which I have had pretty consistent success finding bowfin over the last few years. We hit the water at about 3:00 pm with 4 rods that were Carolina rigged with sliding floats and circle hooks, and a minnow bucket with a couple dozen shiners.   The Goose Creek Reservoir has not yielded many bowfin of really quality size, it is  [ Read More ]

There is something strangely irresistible about pursuing a creature that can injure, maim, or kill its pursuer.   I occasionally stray from my typical pursuit of freshwater oddities and head for the shores of one of our great oceans – typically the Atlantic.   Here one can evaluate the infinitely unique opportunities from an angling perspective.  Our oceans, without question ,  are home to  the greatest biodiversity on the planet. The oceans constitute 90% of all habitable area on the planet and nearly 80% of all life on earth. Much like the freshwater community, saltwater anglers have their own list of ‘species  [ Read More ]

It is finally here! The long awaited Shad Run. The Shad Run rings in the 2013 year most actively, and signals the earliest stage of Spring time fishing for me. This will be the 3rd year I have fished the American Shad spawn run. The American Shad run is a unique opportunity where anglers can show up and know without the shadow of a doubt they are going to put fish in the boat, a lot of fish! Erin and I woke up at 0500 in the morning in an attempt to beat the crowds and get “the good spot”.  [ Read More ]

Made a trip down  South this past weekend to wet a few lines and see if we could find any good redfish action.   Erin and I took , one of my nephews to a productive little area in Edisto SC where I have had good luck with redfish in the past.   It was an opportune time to test out my new bite alarms and expose the little guy to the finer things in life!   We had pretty consistent action the entire time fishing chunks of Calamari on the bottom. Although my nephew is scarcely old enough to  [ Read More ]

I love reflecting back on a years worth of fishing… and 2012 really made its mark on all the years I have spent fishing.   2011 really set the bar high with several personal records, new species, and fish over 50lb.   2012 however, was far better. In a year where I spent time living in three different states, I still managed to find time to hit the water inbetween job changes and the confusion that comes along with moving and changing careers.   I spent the early part of the year in my home state of South Carolina first chasing smaller  [ Read More ]

On January 1    I took my wife Erin and one of my Nephews (Patrick) to a local pond in Seabrook Island, SC to expose the little man to the finer things in life, and test out a new rod and reel combo Erin got me for Christmas.   I had never been to the pond before but we did see signes along the shoreline that indicated that largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, and grass carp lived there. I was not particularly intent on catching fish so much as simply being entertained by how Patrick ran all over the place  [ Read More ]