Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2019

35 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.ReadMPM.com spotted a massive seaweed line that spanned over a mile. “We could search all day and not find a line like this,” one crew member exclaimed as excitement heightened. Before I could ask any further questions, the team of anglers began dropping lines, teasers and outriggers off the back of the boat. We initiated trolling, and all sat anxiously eyeing the rod tips. Between sunflower seed spits, Culler chuckled, “You know, when we are 60 miles offshore and 1300 feet deep, in this boat you’re at the top of the food chain, but, in the water, you’re going to drop down a few levels!” Suddenly I heard “zzzzzzzzzzz” as an outrigger line popped and the rod tip began to bend. “Fish on!” the whole boat yelled simultaneously. From there, the group was like a well-oiled machine — reel fish to the boat, gaff the fish, throw it in the cooler, tie another ballyhoo to the rig, throw the line back in the water! Repeat. Within an hour, we had a dozen fish in the boat, and, within two, the fish total had doubled. Little time was left for drinking beer and listening to country music, but, hey, we still had a three-hour ride back to the dock! To truly get a complete Charleston fishing experience, I couldn’t limit myself to just a deep-sea trip. I had to fish the inshore rivers that surround our barrier islands. So, I called inshore expert Captain Ben Powers of Reel Time Charters. At 23, Captain Powers has fished more than most of us will in a lifetime. Fishing around 300 days per year and scouting most of the rest offers the angler a truly intimate concept of how the inshore Lowcountry waterways work. “It’s all about the tide,” said Captain Powers. “We will fish different areas, different bait or lures, based off what the tide is doing.” The Charleston tide rises and falls about 6 feet every 12 hours, causing the bait to constantly move, and, where the baitfish go, the game fish will follow. Like any avid fisherman, Captain Powers has his spots where he is confident fish can be caught. He elaborated, “When you’re fishing inshore estuaries, you’re always looking for the same sort of places — smaller tributaries dumping into the larger rivers, structures like docks and pilings, or oyster beds.” About an hour into our trip, we exited Folly River and headed toward Sandy Point (Kiawah) and the Stono River. “This spot looks fishy,” Captain Powers noted as we approached a riverbank with a smaller river feeding into the Folly. I tossed my line equipped with a live shrimp, 4-foot leader and bobber into the murky waters. About 90 seconds later, the line tightened, and my drag squealed. I was in for another fight! “Keep the line tight,” Captain Powers exclaimed. After a 10-minute battle, he reached over the gunnel and hoisted a 15-pound bonnethead shark into the boat. Looks like shark steak tonight! Captain Ben Powers and Mount Pleasant Magazine’s Cullen Murray- Kemp catch a bonnethead shark. feature Photo by Jeremy Bennett.