When we first conjured up the idea for an outdoors page, the primary impetus was fishing. It was a no-brainer, really. How many boats are there in Beaufort County? And how many of those boats are trailerables? And how many of that segment pass you by on their way to one of the boatramps with fishing tackle lashed and bungeed down, guy in the front of his pickup with a smile on his face?
Like I said, it's a no-brainer.
Boating and fishing have to be one of the greatest pastimes here in the Lowcountry. There's a good reason for that. We're surrounded not only by water, but great fishing. And a whole lot of different styles, too. Salt is king here, and whether you're 20 miles offshore scouting for marlin, plunking a Carolina rig at the end of Paradise Pier for spot tails, hurling chunks of squid off the beach for bluefish or sloshing through the spartina with a fly rod for trout, you've come to the right spot.
The only problem we see is the lack of a one-stop source for fishing information: tides, knowledge, what's biting and a place to ask and answer questions.
That's why we set up outdoorsc.com. See, a few of us here tend to spend our Saturday mornings with a hook and line in the water, and we've been doing it for awhile, too. The way we figure it, it can't hurt to share some local knowledge, stories and information. And, if you're like us, you'd appreciate the fishing clearinghouse, too.
We'll continue adding informative columns and tips, weather and tides, and even info on how to tie knots, where the boat ramps are and what the local catch is. Click on any of the buttons throughout this site, and you'll see what we're taking about.
And, of course, the best sites are the ones you help create. Check out our forums and blogs, and if you feel like sharing snapshots of your catch, stories about your last outing or info for fellow fishermen, get busy.
And remember, although fishing is king here in the Lowcountry, this is an outdoors site — there are pages from everything from hunting to kayaking to cycling, hiking and boating.
And we're always open for suggestions — blog or call. I'm at cpassante@beaufortgazette.com or 843-986-5503.
See you on the water.
CK Passante
Managing editor
The Beaufort Gazette