Shem Creek fisherman – along with a lot of other ones – are traveling to Washington this month to attend a nationwide rally protesting new fishing regulations that limit bottom fishing.

That’s fine, but I consider it a waste of gas on their part. If all the fish are gone, what would they do then? Once there’s proof things are okay, the government will loosen their restrictions, and we’ll all be able to enjoy fishing again.

Legare Smith, captain of a private sport fishing boat, says “What if they come back and say dolphin or wahoo numbers are down?” Well, then it must be because their numbers are too low to sustain themselves, they’re certainly not trying to drive away our tourism dollars!   Read more...

When this bird-loving dog wasn’t gonna work out as somebody’s assistant, it found a new lease on life – riding waves!

An eight-year study funded by the Office of Naval Research and DNR Saltwater Recreation Funds created more than 77,000 video clips – with one included here – that were later used to identify and document the population of observed animals around an artificial reef.

The collaborative effort between SCDNR and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SKIO) to monitor fish recruitment and use of the small artificial reef with a remote video camera system was initiated back in 1999.

Analysis of videos for 16 fish species or species groups revealed several noteworthy findings which you can read more about on the SCDNR website – including length of time on site for certain “residential” fish and migratory patterns for others.

Shem Creek Master Plan
Courtesy: Moultrie News

If comments from some of the 3,000+ fans of Shem Creek on Facebook are any indication, people are not happy with the way Mt. Pleasant is proposing to develop the scenic area.

Fans immediately came out fighting, with some harsh words on how they really feel about plans to turn Shem Creek’s marsh land into a litter haven for tourist-mongers.

Whether you’re a fan of the Shem Creek modifications or not, for those that live here, take a look at the bottom line of that proposed master plan; I know a few carpenters that would love that contract!   Read more...