South Carolina Traveler

Saltwater Fishing Trends

For an overview of South Carolina trends read the weekly updated fishing report for the location you are interested in at http://www.scfishingreport.com/. Access it by clicking the desired location on the map. Second, for more details check the message board for that location by clicking the "Message Board" link beside the weekly fishing report. Here you can read the most recent updates posted by anglers. Logging in allows you to post questions and respond to topic threads.

S.C. Weekly Tidetable

Fishing Guides

For South Carolina marine fish regulations: http://water3.dnr.state.sc.us/dnr/etc/rulesregs/img/saltfishing.pdf
Visit the Saltwater Fishing License Program web site at http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/

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            Fishing and Hunting Licenses           Saltwater Game Fish Records 

For South Carolina marine recreational fishing regulations: http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/regs/pdf/saltfishing.pdf
Visit the Saltwater Fishing License Web site at http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov

         SOUTH CAROLINA SALTWATER FISHING NEWS

NEW STATE RECORDS FOR WHITE GRUNT, SHEEPSHEAD-One marine game fish
record was recently dismantled, and another record added to the list with recent catches of a sheepshead and a white grunt by two S.C.anglers. Sean Murphy, of Myrtle Beach, caught a 3 pound white grunt on February 2nd off of Murrells Inlet, which adds a record for this species to the marine game fish list. Jimmy Widener, of Hanahan, caught a 16 pound, 6 ounce sheepshead on March 1st in the Wando River to claim the new state record by a mere 10 ounces. For a current listing of S.C.'s
State Record Marine Game fish, visit the DNR website at www.dnr.sc.gov/fish/saltrecs/record.html , contact Program Coordinator Amy Dukes with the Office of Fisheries Management, DukesA@dnr.sc.gov , or call at (843) 953-9365.

TWO FEDERAL TAX DEDUCTIONS REMAIN FOR BOATERS

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 15, 2008 –When Congress adjourned for 2007, they left in place two federal income tax deductions of potential benefit to boat owners.

A boat is treated like a second home for federal tax purposes if it has a galley, a head, and sleeping berth. Mortgage interest paid on the loan is deductible from your federal income taxes. Taxpayers may use the mortgage interest deduction for one primary home and one second home and must itemize deductions on their returns.

Some boaters may be unaware of this potential tax benefit because not all lending institutions send borrowers an Internal Revenue Service form 1098 which reports the interest paid. Not receiving the form does not preclude taking the deduction. If a 1098 is not available, boaters should contact their lender for the amount of interest paid and should enter it on line 11 on Schedule A along with the lender’s tax ID number. If a form 1098 is sent, boaters should simply enter the amount on line 10 of Schedule A.

The other tax benefit is a deduction for state sales taxes. However, this may no longer be available after the 2007 tax year if Congress does not act to extend it. This deduction may be appropriate for boaters who paid substantial sales tax on the purchase of a new or used vessel last year. Boaters must choose either the state sales tax deduction or state income tax deduction on their federal tax return — you cannot take both.

In addition, to take the sales tax deduction, the sales tax on a boat purchase must be applied at the same tax rate as the state’s general sales tax. In order to claim the sales tax deduction, tax returns must be itemized. State sales taxes are entered on Schedule A, line 5b.

For those who fall under the Alternative Minimum Tax, most deductions are unavailable as taxes are calculated differently. Boaters are urged to contact a tax preparer or financial advisor for more information.

For more details on the mortgage deduction, go to http://www.irs.gov and download Publication 936 or the Fact Sheets. For state tax deduction information download Publication 600, which also includes state-by-state tax tables.

BoatU.S. – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 650,000 members with a wide array of consumer services.

 

MARINE EDUCATION PROGRAM EXPANDS TO WINYAH BAY-

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources' marine education program recently expanded efforts
to Winyah Bay, reaching students in Georgetown and Horry counties. The program expansion consisted of relocating the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Education Vessel Discovery to the Belle Isle Marina in November to enable educators to better reach students in the northern coastal areas. DNR's Carolina Coastal Discovery Marine Education Program has been conducting programs, both land- and boat-based, out of the Charleston Harbor and further south in the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Basin (ACE) since 2003. The Carolina Coastal Discovery Program has evolved into a multi-faceted opportunity for schools from a marine educational initiative that was first established by DNR in the 1960s. For additional information about the DNR's Carolina Coastal Discovery Marine Education Program, visit the Web site at www.dnr.sc.gov/ccd/. The South Carolina Saltwater Recreational Fishing License Program and the Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation funded the program expansion.

             REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED ON SEABIRD NESTING ISLANDS-

The South Carolina Budget and Control Board entered into agreements last year with the  S.C. Department of Natural Resources, enabling the state natural resources agency DNR to designate and establish three barrier island bird sanctuaries. Regulations for Bird Key Stono, Crab Bank, and Deveaux  Bank Islands will help protect nesting seabirds, which are undergoing population declines in South Carolina. For additional information, contact Felicia Sanders, DNR wildlife biologist, at SandersF@dnr.sc.gov. Also check the DNR Managed Lands Website at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/index.html  for more information on the islands.

APACHE PIER COOPERATIVE PROJECT ALLOWS ACCESS TO WATER, WEATHER
INFORMATION-Collaborative research has led to the installation of real-time water quality equipment and a weather station on Apache Pier in Myrtle Beach. Recent efforts by S.C. Department of Natural  Resources' (DNR) Cooperative Research Program, Coastal Carolina University and Apache Oceanfront Pier and Family Campground have given rise to a
monitoring station that allows anglers to check the water quality and weather conditions around Apache Pier prior to visiting.  Bottom-dwelling and surface water sensors transfer information such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen levels to an archival Web site every 15 minutes. Additionally, the weather station relays air temperature, wind
speed and direction, barometric pressure, relative humidity and  rainfall totals to the same site. To access the real-time data, visit DNR's Cooperative Research Web site: www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/coopresearch/Apache.html . For more information about the Cooperative Research Program, contact Jason Powers, program coordinator, at (843) 953-6608 in Charleston, or powersj@dnr.sc.gov .

             COMMERCIAL SHAD, HERRING FISHERIES NOW OPEN IN S.C.

State natural resources officials opened the commercial blueback herring and shad season in many areas for 2007 beginning Feb. 1.  A copy of the complete shad fishing regulations may be obtained by calling the S.C. Department of Natural Resources at the Marine Resources Center at Fort Johnson on James Island in Charleston at (843) 953-9309. Information on licenses may be obtained online at www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/pdf/nongamefish.pdf. Seasonal information and locations maybe obtained at www.dnr.sc.gov/licenses/pdf/SumLawsShad0607.pdf. Download a license application at www.dnr.sc.gov/licenses/pdf/ShadorHerringApp0607.pdf.

RULE CHANGE TO AFFECT SNAPPER, GROUPER FISHERY-A federal rule to the Fishery Management Plan for the snapper-grouper fishery has been published and became effective October 23. The new rules of Amendment 13C to the Fishery Management Plan will increase the recreational size limit of black sea bass from 10-inches total length to 11-inches total length and reduce the overall recreational bag limit to 15 fish, effective October 23. The new guidelines are for fish caught in federal waters. The approved regulatory actions are intended to reduce harvests and end over fishing of the snapper-grouper fishery. For additional information, contact Jack McGovern with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration at (727) 824-5305, or John.McGovern@noaa.gov. Answers to
frequently asked questions about Amendment 13C can be found at
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/grouper/FAQs%20092106.pdf.

Oyster resource update now online—A comprehensive coastal resource report updating and summarizing the status of South Carolina’s oyster resource is now available online. The report provides an update on the 2005 status of oyster resources in South Carolina, and is accessible at: www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/publications.html. The updates are the result of research and on-site resource assessments by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Shellfish Management and Research Programs. The DNR manages 255 shellfish growing areas, comprised of State Shellfish Grounds, Culture Permits, Mariculture Permits, Public Shellfish Grounds and grant areas covering over 2,000 oyster resource acres.

Deep-sea research produces reef maps Biologists and researchers with the Marine Resources Research Institute of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and other marine laboratories teamed up with the federal Office of Ocean Exploration to map areas of the outer continental shelf off of South Carolina using high-resolution sonar beams.

STATE OF SHRIMP REPORT IS NOW ON DNR WEB SITE-A 2005 update on the status of the valuable shrimp fishery resource in South Carolina is now available. The State of the Resource report on shrimp is accessible on the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Web site:
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/publications.html. The state resource reports inform the public on the condition of several important coastal species, determined through the most current biological research andanalysis. The condition of the shrimp stock, according to DNR biologist Larry DeLancey, is pretty good. "We have seen very good numbers of small shrimp in creeks this summer, and to date, the South Carolina coast has not been strongly impacted by tropical storms, which tend to move shrimp out prematurely," DeLancey said. "Overall, somewhat dry conditions in some coastal areas may have slightly delayed normal migrations of the shrimp toward the sea."

                REPORT MANATEE SIGHTINGS TO SOUTH CAROLINA DNR-

Did you know that manatees have been observed in South Carolina as early as 1850? The public can learn such facts about manatees, and can also report sightings of manatees in South Carolina, at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Web site http://www.dnr.sc.gov/manatee/. To report an injured manatee in South Carolina during normal business hours, you can also call (843) 953-9015 or (843) 844-2473 in Charleston. After hours, contact the DNR hotline at 1-800-922-5431. You can also use the Manatee Sighting Form at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/manatee/sight.htm.

DNR SAYS REMOVING OYSTER SHELL FROM RECYCLING AREAS UNLAWFUL

   The S.C. Department of Natural Resources reminds the public of the importance of recycling oyster shells for refurbishing oyster bed productivity.
   Several tickets have been issued recently by S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) law enforcement officers for violations of removing oyster shells from recycling drop-off locations. The 16 recycling locations that span the coast from Murrells Inlet to Bluffton enable the public to donate their shells as an incentive that directly benefits the DNR's Oyster Recycling and Restoration Program. The program oversees the collection of shells from these sites, and uses the donated
shells to refurbish existing oyster beds during late spring and summer.
   For more information, contact Andy Jennings, Oyster Recycling and Restoration Program coordinator, at (843) 953-9396 in Charleston, or Jason Comer, assistant program coordinator, at (843) 953-9397, also in Charleston, and visit http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/oyster.html for recycling drop-off locations.
   Under South Carolina law, it is unlawful to remove shells from these deposit areas, and anyone found in violation is guilty of a misdemeanor that incurs penalties ranging from $25 to no more than $500, and imprisonment up to 30 days. Oyster shells are critical habitat that attracts settlement of larval oysters and continued propagation of the resource.
   According to Ginger Pop, DNR law enforcement officer: "The public needs to realize that we monitor these oyster shell collection areas carefully, the Recycling and Restoration Program is taken very seriously. The resource is vital to shellfish production, and the regulation carries a no-tolerance attachment."
   DNR has gathered more than 6,200 bushels of donated oyster shells from drop-off locations so far this year. The 2004-2005 collection season tallied 10,494 bushels donated statewide. Jennings said, "Every shell recycled is used by DNR to enhance the Public Shellfish Grounds during the summer spawning months." Funding to accomplish shell recycling and planting is one of several projects made possible by Salt Water Fishing License revenue.
   The closing of oyster canneries and shucking houses a few decades ago, coupled with the more recent impact of Gulf Coast hurricanes affecting vendors in the Gulf, have furthered limited DNR's shell collection from sources aside from the 16 coastal drop-off sites.
   Comer said: "We are worried that the numbers of recycled oyster shell collected so far this year are slightly less than normal due to a public misconception that it is OK to remove shells from the drop-off areas. If more shells were recycled and collected from our drop-off areas, we would not have to purchase shell resources from outside of South Carolina."
   The DNR encourages large and small donations of oyster shells at the collection areas. All shells are transported throughout the summer, and once quarantined and cleaned, they are used to enhance existing Public Shellfish Grounds. It is important to remember that once donated, removing the oyster shells from the recycling areas is unlawful and
subject to a strict penalty.
 

  - Written by Anna Martin -

 

NEW DNR MONOFILAMENT RECYCLING PROGRAM HELPS WATERWAYS, WILDLIFE

   In an effort to heighten awareness of the detrimental side effects of marine debris, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources is implementing a Monofilament Recycling Program in coastal South Carolina.

   Monofilament, commonly termed single-strand fishing line, is a flexible plastic that is harmful to wildlife and a nuisance for boaters. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) program is designed to provide an outlet for recreational anglers, boaters, and the general public to recycle, rather than neglect, used fishing line. According to Jeff Mollenhauer, DNR's Saltwater License Program coordinator, "By placing used fishing line into monofilament recycling bins, it will no longer pose a threat to and pollute our waterways, and will instead be recycled into reusable plastic products."
   For more information and to volunteer to support the Monofilament Recycling Program, contact DNR program coordinators Mollenhauer, mollenhauerj@dnr.sc.gov, (843) 953-9809 in Charleston, or Sara Tuttle, tuttles@dnr.sc.gov, (843) 953-9354, and check out http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/.
   Outdoor monofilament recycling bins, constructed of plastic culvert pipe, are ideal sources for holding used fishing line. An important goal of the program is to create numerous partnerships with groups that will help with the installation and maintenance of these outdoor recycling bins. Currently, North Inlet Winyah Bay Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve, Keep Georgetown Beautiful, Edisto Beach State Park, and the South Carolina Aquarium have joined efforts with the DNR program to help with the maintenance and management of the bins.
   Mollenhauer said: "The importance of partnerships to the success of the Monofilament Recycling Program is paramount. We are thankful for the support we have generated with these groups, and are optimistic that additional support within the coastal community will be established." Bins can be found on fishing piers, near public boat landings, and around popular destination areas for anglers.
   Partnerships also exist with vendors maintaining indoor recycling bins. Local Charleston business Barton and Burwell manages a monofilament bin and supports the recycling initiative.
   Monofilament is collected from the bins and sent in pre-paid boxes to Berkeley(r), a major manufacturer of fishing line. Berkeley(r) melts the line into reusable plastic pellets which are then used to create tackle boxes, spools for fishing line, artificial fish habitats, and other plastic products.  Since 1990, this company has recycled more than seven million miles of monofilament.
   The urgency and importance of recycling monofilament has already been documented. Previous research in Florida has determined that between 1995 and 2000, about 35 dolphins in the Southeast have been fatally wounded from monofilament related injuries. The Florida Marine Research Institute documented over the course of four years 163 sea turtles entangled in monofilament. During the same study, more than 250 seabirds were rescued from hook and fishing line entanglements.
   Funding for the Monofilament Recycling Program is made possible in part by the South Carolina Saltwater Recreational Fishing License Program. Anglers who purchase an annual saltwater recreational fishing license support activities such as the stocking of important fish species in the wild, the restoration of the state's shellfish resources, improving fishing opportunities through construction and maintenance of artificial reefs, furthering research initiatives, promoting a strong
conservation ethic through the distribution of information, and conducting educational programs for students, teachers, and the general public.
   Support is also provided from the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve. The ACE Basin represents one of the East coast' largest underdeveloped estuaries, with 350,000 acres of protected land. The ACE Basin Project was established in 1988, and was designated as part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve in 1992. The National Estuarine Research Reserve system is a network of protected areas established for long-term research, education and stewardship. This partnership program between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the coastal states protects more than one million acres of estuarine land and water, which provides essential habitat for wildlife; offers educational opportunities for students, teachers and the public; and serves as living laboratories for scientists.
 

- Written by Anna Martin -

NEW FISH TAG REPORTING PHONE NUMBER FOR ANGLERS -- Anglers will have an easier time reporting tagged marine fish with the new reporting phone number implemented by S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With the click of a few buttons, anglers can dial 1-888-TAGS-4-SC to report information of a tagged marine fish. The new number is part of the Marine Game Fish Tagging Program, which has been a successful operation of the DNR since 1974. When calling the tagged fish hotline, anglers are reminded to provide their name, date, telephone number (and area code), location of catch, name of species caught, tag number, and total length of the fish.  In efforts to conserve and protect popular marine species, anglers are encouraged to catch and release the tagged fish. For additional information on the Marine Game Fish Tagging Program, anglers should contact DNR fisheries biologist Robert Wiggers, (843) 953-9363, or wiggersr@dnr.sc.gov, and visit the Program website, www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/pub/seascience/tagfish.html. 

PURCHASE HUNTING, FISHING LICENSES BY PHONE, INTERNET  Renewing or purchasing a South Carolina fishing and hunting license is now easier than ever, because you can do so over the phone and on the Internet. Licenses are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-888-434-7472 or on the Internet by visiting https://www.greatlodge.com/sc/welcome. (A convenience fee of $3.95 will apply.) Licenses for the 2005-2006 season may also be purchased from about 1,000 retail stores in South Carolina or from most S.C. Department of Natural Resources offices. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sells hunting and fishing licenses at its Columbia headquarters in the Rembert Dennis Building at  1000 Assembly St., DNR field offices in Charleston, Florence and Clemson and through many retail businesses across the state. Licenses for the 2005-2006 season are on sale now.

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