The Coastal GuyThe Coastal Guy

Beaufort SC Beaches Bay Point Island

Russ Fielden — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:33:49 +0000

Beaufort SC beaches extend from the north side of Port Royal Sound to the south side of St. Helena Sound. Many are only accessible by boat. Beginning at the Port Royal Sound are the beaches of Bay Point Island which curve around the island from the sound to the Atlantic Ocean and extend to Gale Break Inlet. The island is privately owned but the beaches are accessible for the public by boat up to the high tide mark. The shifting sand bars near the beach change some with each passing year. Just 2 years ago there was a channel between the closest bar and the beach. Now the channel is closed off at one end which has created a great mini-sound to nestle up next to the sandbar in. We enjoyed a day on the sandbar last Saturday.

Enjoying The Sandbar With Friends And Family In Front Of Bay Point Island

Surf Fishing Off The Bay Point Island SC Beach

When I was out off the beach of Bay Point a few days ago there was a boat anchored up behind the sandbar and a few fellows were trying out the surf fishing. One of the nice things about the sandbar off the beach is the boat can stay in relatively calm water while surf fishing off the beach. This beach is quiet and the Island is usually uninhabited, however the owners are rebuilding the small beach cottage on the south end so best to respect the private property and not venture into the interior of the island.

So if you get a chance to visit Beaufort SC and are lucky enough to be able to explore by boat then you might try the beaches of Bay Point. There is also a good beach to anchor on Bay Point just around the inside of Port Royal Sound. It is a popular spot in the summer for family outings and picnics on the beach.

Aerial photos of the beach in this area can be viewed on my main website by clicking on Beaufort SC Beaches Around Bay Point and see the Fripp Island Waterfront Video.

Bay Point Island SC Beach Cottage

Fishing Around Fripp Island SC

Russ Fielden — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:22:48 +0000

We had caught a couple of Sheepshead while fishing on Fripp Island, SC during the week between Christmas and New Years so we knew they were around. So we made plans to round up some fiddler crabs on New Years day and head over the the rocks along the Fripp Inlet at slack high tide in the afternoon. We had caught Sheepshead there before and we knew they liked the barnacle covered rocks which offer a good feeding ground. In the morning we went down to the hard marsh off Wardle’s Landing at the south end of the island to gather up some bait. The Fiddlers were not easy to find but there was one area we were able to get several dozen before heading back to the house at 707 Silverside where we were staying the week. This is a great vacation rental next to the Fripp Inn and Club with access to one of the best beach areas on Fripp.

Soon after we anchored off the rocks I caught a small Spot Tail on one of the Fiddler Crabs. My daughter Jane decided to try live shrimp we had bought from the Fripp Marina the day before. The cold water was doing a good job of keeping them alive for a couple of days.

Anchored Up Against The Rocks Along The Fripp Inlet

A few minutes late Jane caught the first “keeper” of 2012 which was also a Spot Tail Bass (Red Fish). So instead of going for Sheepshead we all switched over to live shrimp and caught several nice Red Fish. Both fish are great to eat so we had nothing to complain about. When it comes to fishing around Fripp Island you sometimes are pleasantly surprised on the catch. Fripp Island SC has great creeks and rivers to explore and fish plus a wonderful beach which can provide some very good surf fishing as well.

Daughter Jane With The First "Keeper" Of 2012

When the current picked up we headed down to the family camp dock just up the river to try for some Sheephead. My son in law Scott hooked a good size one and most of the rest were too small to keep.

We had plenty of fish for our last dinner on Fripp for the week and it was a great compliment to the home made Hop-In-John (collard greens and black eyed peas with rice and ham) we always have on New Years Day for good luck in the New Year.

Scott caught a very nice Sheepshead near Fripp Island

Flounder Fishing Around Hilton Head Island

Russ Fielden — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:11:05 +0000

You can fish for Flounder using a rod and real but my favorite way to go Flounder fishing is to go gigging for them at night. The waters around Hilton Head are full of Flounder in the spring through fall months. In the winter they move off into deeper waters offshore. Using a light mounted on my boat and a small generator I can light up the water enough to see the bottom along the shallows and spot not only Flounder but also Redfish and Sheepshead.

Great Catch Of Flounder And A Few Sheephead From Gigging

Usually the best time to start gigging is a couple of hours before low tide and fish through the incoming tide as much as you want. I have friends who say they have caught a lot of fish at high tide but my best catches have been at low tide.

There are numerous good Flounder fishing areas around Hilton Head and the water is more clear in the spring and fall months. The winds needs to be calm for gigging and the moon needs to be on the other side of the planet. It seems the fish do no like to get up into shallow water when the moon is out too much.

So get out on the water and try the Flounder fishing whether you fish from a bridge, river bank or can go by boat. The fish are out there. The best bait for Flounder is usually live bait in the form of shrimp or mud minnows and they are most often caught on the bottom. The limit is 20 flounder per person per day.

If you are fishing using a rod and reel you might try the mouth of small creeks and especially where there are oyster banks with a mix of live shell and dead shell.

Best to have a shallow draft boat for gigging like my cat boat.

Harbor Island SC Oceanview Homes Under $500K

Russ Fielden — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:13:07 +0000

One of the most reasonable single family home oceanview neighborhoods in our area is located on Harbor Island. Nautical Watch is a small neighborhood where many of the homes look out across the marsh to Johnson Creek Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. We recently sold a Nautical Watch home that is located next to the community pool (the pool is private to the Nautical Watch neighborhood).

Nautical Watch Harbor Island Oceanview

Harbor Island is a very nice oceanfront and soundfront private island with a great expansive beach and several amenities including a community pool, tennis courts, and clubhouse. A great family retreat for a vacation, a permanent home or second home getaway.

For the current listings available in Nautical Watch on Harbor Island SC click on this link to go to my full brokerage website NAUTICAL WATCH HOMES FOR SALE

Nautical Watch Pool And Marsh View On Harbor Island SC

Gathering Oysters Around Fripp Island

Russ Fielden — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:24:57 +0000

We were once again the only boat on the river as far as we could see. After a hard rain and high winds in the morning the sun broke through and it was time to get out on the river. About three o’clock in the afternoon my buddy Bruce and I headed down to the family camp to check on things. Heading back to Fripp Marina we decided to gather some oysters along the way. It was dead low tide and an unusually very low tide which is great for getting the best oysters at the water’s edge.

Russ gathering some oysters behind Fripp Island

Gathering oysters needs to happen in the winter months when the water is cold. Usually the oysters at the water’s edge are the best having spent most of their life under the water and not exposed to the sun higher on the bank.

A bucket of great oysters is a perfect appetizer before an evening meal

We roasted some of the oysters and saved the rest to put in the clam chowder. Nothing wrong with adding a few oysters to a clam chowder here in the lowcountry.

The waters behind Fripp Island

Russ Fielden — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Okay…..so it is a quiet day after Christmas day on Fripp Island SC and the breeze is cool but the sky is clear. So I put the removable windshield back on my boat which is docked at the Fripp Island Marina. After getting the windshield in place and checking to make sure my little propane heater is working I called Deb (my wife) for a slow boat ride along the back creek of Fripp. It seemed like we were the only ones on the river except for the lone oysterman on the banks of the creek. We turned and headed up the creek and I was able to catch a pretty good shot of this bird in flight.

A beautiful lowcountry winter site on the river

If you have never been to Fripp Island in “off season” you should really give it a try. The “off season” of course means no laying out on the beach in the sun…..but it means a peaceful escape and a quiet respite where you catch a glimpse of the lowcountry experience in the beautiful season that most folks miss.

If you go… I suggest you check out one of the best beach rentals on the island located just next to the Fripp Inn and CLub. Here is the link 707 Silverside It has a great and very short access to one of Fripp’s best beaches. 707 Silverside is the address ……just click on the address above for the link for a rental reservation. You will not be dissapointed.

I hope you take some time to experience Fripp and the lowcountry in the so called (and sometimes the best) “off season”.

Russ Fielden

Exploring Morgan Island Marshes Beaufort SC

Russ Fielden — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:37:03 +0000

The marshes, creeks and oyster banks extend for hundreds of feet from the main part of Morgan Island, Beaufort, SC in the Morgan River. Several creeks meander through these marshes linking some of the smaller islands near the St. Helena Sound. The afternoon light and vast oyster shell banks make this setting one of the best in Beaufort. These shells get deposited in high banks and swept into rows by the tidal currents.

High mounds of dead sun bleached oyster shells

The marshes are expansive and much of them are what we call “hard marsh” which means you can walk on it and not sink up to your eyeballs like much of the soft “pluff mud” we have in the area.

My buddy Bruce visiting from Alabama walking the marsh

Morgan Island is only accessible by boat and is not open to the public but access to the banks and smaller islands to the east are possible.

My wife Deb and buddy Bruce just hanging out in the river

These banks and the small islands are a haven for the sea birds. I usually do not see eggs just laying on the shells but it seems the mother bird thought these shells would offer pretty good spot to lay her eggs. I am surprised they survived the racoons.

Bird eggs blend in well with the oyster shells.

Clamming Around Fripp Island

Russ Fielden — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:09:32 +0000

Fripp Island Clams Ready For The Steamer

So it is a rainy day on Christmas and what else is there better to do than go clamming around Fripp Island. Looked like we were going to get a break in the weather so a boat ride out to Trenches Inlet in search of small clams was the plan for the afternoon. It was low tide and easy to anchor up to the beach. Within just a few minutes my son in law Scott found a pretty good bed of clams just the right size for steaming.

Scott Did Pretty Good With Just A Garden Rake

So in about an hour we had several dozen clams and finished up just as the rain came. The boat ride back to the marina at Fripp was a wet and cool one but with a good catch of clams it made it all worthwhile. Back at the great rental home 707 Silverside, next to the Fripp Inn, a couple of dozen of the clams were washed off and dropped into the steamer. I have to tell you….they were some of the best clams we have had in a while. So we will have plenty more to enjoy the next day or so and I am sure some will find their way into a nice clam chowder. Clamming around Beaufort SC in the winter months is always good. With so many rivers and islands in our area and the fact that there is not a lot of pressure from overfishing keeps the bounty plentiful.

Russ Clamming Near Fripp Island SC

Hilton Head Tidal Creek Property

Russ Fielden — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:23:01 +0000

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