ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE
for blackfin (above). These smaller tuna still grow to about 30 pounds or so off our coast, and in recent years some offshore crews have figured out how to fill their fish boxes with these sleek, hard-fighting fish. The blackfin bite seems to be hottest in spring, though they can be caught throughout the year. Some anglers troll ballyhoo with light leaders to compensate for the tuna’s great eyesight. Others drift-fish on the ledge using deep-dropping “knife” or “flutter” jigs. Still others cast top-water plugs to schooled up blackfin. Charleston also sports a healthy bonita population, though anglers generally consider them undesirable. Giant bluefin are rare, but wintertime catches do happen. Pro tip: Blackfin love to hang around structure, so stick to the ledge. Some say the blackfin bite turns on once offshore water temperatures reach 69 degrees.
such popular spots as the Georgetown Hole, Edisto Banks and the 226 Hole. Boats can and have achieved a “superslam” out of Charleston, catching blue marlin, white marlin, swordfish and sailfish all in one trip. The marlin bite gets going in late spring and runs strong through June and July. The sailfish bite stays hot throughout the summer; in recent years offshore anglers have reported a fall bonanza of sails. Trolling for blues and whites usually involves a mix of bigger trolling lures and standard lure-ballyhoo rigs. Sails prefer smaller lures or “naked” ballyhoo. Crews fish for swords mostly at night, dropping big rigged squid and other baits down into deep water. Though anglers generally keep legal swordfish, most other billfish are released (except a few blue marlin during big-money tournaments). Pro tip: Most crews serious about billfish run a number of teasers, including dredges that trail a collection of teaser baits and mimic a school of small fish.
They say horse racing is the sport of kings, but billfishing can’t be far behind. Most billfish trips take place about 50 miles or more off Charleston at 68 mycharlestononline.com
Wild turkeys Once a rare sight in South Carolina, wildturkeyshavereboundedthroughout the state. With huge tracts of protected lands,theLowcountryhaslongprovided a refuge for these magnificent birds. Every spring, the open piney woods and hardwood bottoms crackle with sound of early-morning gobbling. Turkey hunters take to the woods in droves, driven to test their calling skills and to match wits with crafty old toms. Turkey hunting is limited to a spring season, and hunters may only take gobblers or jakes (young males). Pro tip: You might not think it, but turkeys sure do love water. They often roost over swamps and cypress ponds, and don’t mind sloshing through wet hardwood bottoms all day. A great pair of water-proof boots may be the most underrated turkey-hunting tool.
Duck hunting Deer hunting
Billfish
Hunters can take deer with a rifle, shotgun or bow, and since its season starts so early, South Carolina is one of the few states where hunters can take a buck in velvet. Whentheseasonstartsinmid-August, bucks usually are still in their bachelor groups. They soon break up and start establishing individual domains. This pre-rut in early September is a great time to take a trophy buck. As the weather cools and days shorten in mid-October, the rut begins and hunting gets better and better. Pro tip: Prepare yourself for some serious bug action. The locals joke about mosquitoes being our state bird, but it’s not far from the truth. An added bonus: chiggers and ticks are voracious in late summer. Do yourself a favor and stock up on bug spray, Bug Tamer gear and a ThermaCELL.
A large whitetail population, liberal bag limits and a season running Aug. 15 through Jan. 1 make South Carolina a deer hunter’s dreamland. Hunters can dog-drive or still hunt deer, and in coastal areas, baiting is legal on private lands. Publ ic hu nt i ng oppor t u n it ies abound, including in the Francis Marion National Forest north of Charleston and other wildlife management areas to the south.
Though bigger ducks and geese sometimes make an appearance, most duck hunting around the Lowcountry revolves around resident and migrating wood ducks, ringnecks, and blue- and green-winged teal. Look for woodies in flooded timber, teal in coastal impoundments. Pro tip: Wood ducks are incredibly beautiful and relatively plentiful. Hunters all over the world would jump at the chance to bag one of these beauties. With a little research and a small investment in licenses and stamps, even a novice hunter should be able to find success in the swamps of the Francis Marion Forest.
More hunting Deer, ducks and turkeys not enough for you? You can also go after bobwhite quail, marsh hens, dove, wild pigs, coyotes and even alligators. For more information and regulations for all types of hunting and fishing, visit scdnr.gov. ✦