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The Spanish Have Landed
As the dog days of summer set in and the days become long it is great to be able to slip out after work for an early evening of fishing. This time of year one of my favorite species to pursue after work are the Spanish Mackerel. Spanish generally start showing up here in the Carolinas in early to mid May as the water temperatures rise above the upper sixties. The fish will stick around usually though September before beginning their migration back south.
Spanish generally feed in large schools on the surface making them relatively easy to find as the winds die down toward sunset. Schooling fish will tail, boil, splash and sometimes jump completely out of the water when chasing their prey. Actively feeding fish are usually accompanied by gulls and terns working overhead to pick up the scraps of bait fish left behind.
Read the article HERE

Orange Flag Indicates Marina Pumpout Services
     Have you ever been out and away from your marina and in dire of need of a pumpout? No problem, just look for one of the orange flags with the national pumpout logo. These flags have been distributed to all marinas on all the inland water bodies as well as the coastal marinas.
These flags should raise awareness as to which marinas offer the pumpout services. Many pumpout facilities are free, but others charge up to a $5.00 fee for the services. Through the Clean Vessel Act program, marinas can receive a 75% reimbursement for the approved costs of the pumpout installation or for the installation of floating restrooms.
     For more information on the Clean Vessel Act and how to obtain a pumpout with federal aid, visit www.dnr.sc.gov/cleanvessel/ or contact Lorianne Riggin at (803) 360-0034 or Scott Meister at (864) 953-9062.
Vessels with a toilet aboard under US Coast Guard Regulations, which the state adopts, must have a marine sanitation device or MSD.
There are three different kinds of MSDs: a Type I, II, or III. Type I and Type II MSDs macerates and disinfects the waste and then discharges it. A Type III MSD, the more environmentally friendly option, deposits the waste into a holding tank, which can later be disposed of at a pumpout facility. Type III MSDs do come with a discharge option for many large coastal vessels called a Y-valve.
     If you have a Type I or Type II MSD and you are in a No Discharge Zone (NDZ), then you must have the device secured in a manner which prevents discharge such as padlocking the overboard discharge valves or using non-releasable wire tie to hold overboard discharge valves in the closed position and removing the handle, or locking the door, with padlock or key, to the space enclosing the toilet. South Carolina's NDZ's include: Broad Creek (Hilton Head Island) and lakes Hartwell, Keowee, Murray, Thurmond, and Wylie. It is illegal for any boat to discharge in a No Discharge Zone. It is also illegal for any houseboat to discharge raw or treated sewage into any freshwater body.

Six Reasons Why Your Boat May Be Damaged Or Sunk This Hurricane Season
     Are You Doing All You Can to Prevent Hurricane Damage?
BoatUS, the nation's largest organization of recreational boaters, recently wrapped up an industry-wide hurricane planning conference. And the news is in: thousands of recreational boaters are facing another challenging year of predicted increased hurricane activity, with potentially more frequent storms this summer and fall, and each with greater intensity.
     What does this mean for boaters in hurricane states? Based on 40 years of hurricane-related insurance claims files and speaking to countless boaters and marina operators about their hurricane plans, "We have learned that although it is difficult to prevent all damage from occurring, there are far more opportunities for hurricane damage to be lessened," says Bob Adriance, director of the BoatUS Marine Insurance Damage Avoidance Program. "We are talking about the difference between some gel coat scratches or a dinged rub rail, and the total destruction or sinking of a boat," he added.
     Adriance says boaters can rise to the challenge, but need to be reminded why they should spend time and effort to prepare their boats for a hurricane. Here are six potential reasons why that some boats may not make it safely through the end of the 2007 hurricane season:

You did nothing. Year after year, some boaters fail to make a serious effort at hurricane preparation. Whether you are new to boating or been on the water for years, doing nothing or making only a token effort will most certainly lead to a bad conclusion. If you are out of town during hurricane season, pay someone to prepare your boat if a storm comes. Many insurance policies provide coverage for professional evacuation or storm preparation.
The guy with the boat in the slip next to you, or out in the mooring field, did little or nothing. There is nothing worse than seeing a poorly prepared boat break loose and take down a dozen others that were properly prepared. Boaters need to come together to help ensure their slip or mooring mates embrace hurricane planning. Ultimately, the success or failure of your own hurricane preparation efforts depend upon the steps taken by your slip mates as well your marina or yacht club.
You didn't talk to your marina about their hurricane plans. BoatUS has found that hurricane damage prevention requires a full partnership with your marina or boat club. If you have not already coordinated a hurricane plan with your marina manager, do it today. As in the day before tomorrow.
Your boat or yacht club's leadership didn't go to www.BoatUS.com/hurricanes to review the best club hurricane planning guide ever, written by their peers at the Houston Yacht Club. HYC has developed the most comprehensive boat and yacht club storm planning guide - developed from years of storm hardened experience - and it is completely free to download and discuss at your club's monthly meeting. Finger-pointing after a storm won't get your sunken boat back.
You waited until the last minute. Did you see the weather forecast on the evening news? Chances are so did everyone else and if you've waited to buy hurricane gear such as extra dock lines, chafe protection, extra anchors and other gear, it will be long gone from the store shelves by the time you got there.

The new moon this week combined with the east wind has pushed tides to nearly 7-feet. I tried the reds in the grass on Monday night but no luck. From the reports looks like others have had better success. Reds are hitting Berkeley Gulp Crabs, natural crabs and weedless Johnson Spoons. Trout and flounder action has been good as well. The trout are hitting DOA shrimp, topwater baits, and mud minnows. Flounder are hitting grubs and mud minnows bumping them along the bottom during the outgoing tide. I fished the surf on Saturday, no luck on the Reds, but we did manage 8 sharks in the 10 to 20-pound range on fresh menhaden. Speaking of menhaden, they we so thick in Lighthouse Inlet the water was actually black. Spanish continue to school just off the beaches, in the harbor and inlets.
Offshore action has been good this week. I fished Sunday between 120-feet and out to the ledge. Managed to release two kings and brought home two nice gaffer Dolphin. Probably could have picked up a few more Dolphin, but had to cut our trip a little short. Multiple boats have picked up Dolphin in as close as 65-feet. Billfish reports continue good and there are still some large Wahoo being caught. Some nice Yellowfin were caught around Georgetown Hole over the weekend as well. Bottom fishing remains good for large black sea bass, snapper and grouper.

Tight lines…
Captain Tim Pickett
CharlestonFishing.Com