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Net Worth
Kipling’s defines net worth as the value in dollars of all assets less liabilities. My brother Andy defines net worth as the number of shrimp caught in the cast net per cast on each shrimp pole. If you want a test of your sanity try shrimping with my dad and two brothers one evening. We work as team while shrimping. Dad makes the bait and helps head, Andy drives the boat, Vasco helps me shake down the net and heads, and I throw the net. The team effort works great. Most of the time when we return to the dock we have all the shrimp headed and ready to be packaged! However, this team will really get on your nerves if you let them. Just prior to throwing Vasco will make a comment like, “let’s get in the money” if the net is open and over the bait dad usually comments, “That’s a money throw,” and on a good night when the shrimp are on the bait, and I am throwing well Andy follows up after he sees me dump the net with, “his net worth is on the rise.”
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DNR Makes Red Drum Case In Charleston County
     Recent resource cases made by Law Enforcement officers have involved the catch of illegally sized saltwater fish. A notable case, in particular, involved S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) law enforcement officers Ben Duncan and Huger McClellan charging two individuals with oversized, undersized and over the limit catches of red drum in the Wando River. The fishermen also received tickets for conspiracy to violate Chapter 5 of the Marine Fisheries Code of Laws of South Carolina.
     After conducting a routine safety inspection to ensure the fishermen were legally compliant with all appropriate safety gear, the officers found them in violation of the recently enacted finfish laws and without possession of vessel registration. Duncan and McClellan stressed the importance of abiding by the new saltwater fish limits, going over the specific size limits for each of the species' regulations.
     The same anglers were found later in the afternoon along the same stretch of the Wando River, with additional illegally sized fish in their cooler. These anglers were clearly not ignorant of the new legislative fisheries laws that went into effect earlier during the summer, Duncan said "The anglers were keeping everything they caught, including over- and undersized fish. We had no choice but to cite them on this rather large mistake," Duncan said. Duncan and McClellan issued seven tickets for oversized red drum, two tickets for undersized red drum and five tickets for over the limit possession of red drum. Current regulations for red drum include a bag limit of three per person per day, and a size limit of 15 inches total length or greater, and equal to or less than 23 inches total length maximum. The anglers in violation also received tickets for conspiracy to violate the Chapter 5 laws. Restitution for each fish was granted to DNR.
     The new fisheries law went into effect June 15 of this year, and includes changes as well as new regulations on several saltwater species, including black drum, weakfish, hardhead and gafftopsail saltwater catfish, red drum, spotted seatrout, flounder, black seabass, and dolphin. For a complete listing of this information, refer to the saltwater section in DNR's Rules and Regulations booklet, which is also accessible online at www.dnr.sc.gov/regulations.
     Report violations of saltwater recreational and commercial fishing laws by calling the toll-free Coast Watch hotline number (1-800-922-5431), which was developed to help citizens report violations of saltwater recreational and commercial fishing laws.

The final word for this week is wind! Lots and lots of wind! The bad kind of wind, the northeast kind. Due to the less than adequate weather fishing reports are limited this week. Quite a few folks did ditch college game day on Saturday however to hit the water before the front. Those that went did well up the Copper and Wando on trout, reds, flounder and a few lady fish. Water temps are dropping pretty quickly and shrimp and mud minnows seem to be the bait of choice. I tried for the Tarpon myself on Saturday but only managed sharks. There were some real nice menhaden just off the beach at Morris Island. There are quite still quite a few Silver Kings being hooked around the North Edisto and up around Bulls Bay. Fish are hitting anything fresh. The deep holes are producing the big Reds currently on live finger mullet and bait shrimp on bottom rigs.
Offshore action has been pretty much non existent this week due to the seas. With the water temps coming down there should be a pick up on Tuna, Wahoo, Dolphin and Sails as they move back south. Some nice grouper and snapper are still being caught in 100-feet and beyond.

Tight lines…
Captain Tim Pickett
CharlestonFishing.Com