CaptEco
2nd Mate
Joined: Feb 13, 2008
Posts: 25
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 Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:00 pm Post subject: Coastal Eco-Charters: Myrtle Beach Fishing-Eco Tips |
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The Environmental Angler: Myrtle Beach Fishing Charter Guide Tips
by
Captain Rutenberg
www.CoastalEcoCharters.com
You do not have to be a Myrtle Beach Fishing Charter Guide to practice a sound environmental ethic on the water. Environmental stewardship is everyone’s responsibility in order to ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy Myrtle Beach fishing.
Based on my experiences as a Myrtle Beach Fishing Charter Guide, and Biology Teacher, here are four simple Myrtle Beach Fishing Tips that will help protect the inshore fishery.
Myrtle Beach Fishing Tip #1: Regulate & Report
Before dropping in a line, it is essential you are familiar with current SCDNR saltwater rules and regulations. That means having the current slot sizes and bag limits with you at all times. Fishing regulations change every year, so knowing the current laws is the key.
Measuring fish is not the same for all species. Certain species; like, Flounder are measured according to Total Length (TL) meaning that the measurement is taken from closed mouth to the total length of the compressed tail. In most cases, but not all, TL applies to fish with squared tails. Forked Length (FL) is measured from the tip of the jaw or tip of the snout with closed mouth to the center of the fork in the tail. Also, review bag limits to clarify person vs. per boat limits.
Lastly, do not hesitate to report violations you see on the water to SCDNR. Programming their number in your cell phone is helpful to save time. Anything you see that is suspicious from gill netting to shellfish harvesting needs to be reported right away. Use channel marker numbers to reference the location and try to get registration numbers from suspicious vessels to the SCDNR dispatcher.
Myrtle Beach Fishing Tip #2: Don’t Litter
This may seem obvious to some, but it easy to get in the habit of thinking just because a piece of trash is small that it is ok or less harmful to throw overboard. For example, fishing line trimmings damaged soft plastic baits, rusted hooks, and cigarette butts should go in the trash, not overboard. I see countless numbers of soft plastic baits littering the estuary. Since many plastics are scent impregnated they will attract predators and can be eaten by anything from birds, fish, sea turtles, or even dolphin, resulting in blocked pyloric valve or GI tract and death. Even fragments of small plastics like a tail should not be thrown overboard. Always keep trash bags aboard, so there is no excuse not to use them.
Myrtle Beach Fishing Tip #3: Use Circle Hooks
The introduction of circle hook technology has had positive results for catch and release numbers. The resulting “circle†shape and shortening of the hook shank means that the fish is less likely to swallow the hook. Circle hook sets are more often in the mouth.I use circle hooks for every application from live-baiting mullet to fish finder rigs.
The key to fishing circle hooks is to let the fish take the bait with minimal resistance and it will hook itself. Getting a strike then forcefully pulling back the rod, as with traditional hooks, does not work as well.
Myrtle Beach Fishing Tip #4: Fish Handling & Release
When releasing fish it is important to minimize the stress by following these simple steps. First, handle the fish with wet hands. Wetting your hands will not remove the fish’s mucus/slime layer. When handling large fish, support the fish by holding it horizontally. A fish’s body structure is not designed for the weight of gravity; therefore, holding a large fish vertically will cause its internal organs to contort and crush.
Prior to releasing the fish take time to resuscitate it by allowing water to flow over the gills. Never throw the fish back in. Remember, the larger the fish the more exposure it has to chemical contamination and the bioaccumulation of toxins. In addition, large fish are reproductively viable and their DNA it vital to sustaining local populations. Make it a rule of thumb to release the big ones and keep the fish that are at the minimum slot requirement instead. |
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