Tight lines: lowcountry fishing
Soaring fuel prices force anglers, captains to rethink strategies
By Abi Nicholas
Abi Nicholas
Tideline
Capt. Robert Olsen of Knot@Work Charters
Every somewhat serious fisherman has been there.
The sun is flirting with the horizon. The beer buzz is turning into an afternoon hangover. And the bites are few and far between.
That’s when numbers start whizzing through the head. The cost of a gallon of gas. The number of gallons in the tank. The hours spent running to and from your spot. The trip is quickly becoming an expensive way of drinking beer. And if there is just one fish on ice, it may well be a $1,000 catch. Economics — intangible oil markets, Middle Eastern geopolitics and commodity traders sweating in Chicago pits — have taken a lot of the “sport” out of Lowcountry fishing this year.
Mike Abel, owner of Haddrell’s Point Tackle and Supply, is staying close unless the forecast guarantees clear skies. “It’s not worth the risk,” he said. “Fuel prices are rising so fast it’s making my head spin.”
Captain Robert Olsen has no choice but to go offshore — he’s at the helm of Knot@Work fishing charters. But like many of the area’s charter captains, Olsen has had to increase his fees twice in the last six months: “A gallon of gas doesn’t go as far as it used to.”
In perhaps the strongest undertow the fishing fleet has felt in years, local anglers are struggling to find ways to keep their heads above rising fuel prices.
Just for fun
The mood on the water is different this year than in the past. Not necessarily gloomy, but not as spirited as usual.
Tired, you might say. Or troubled. A salty breeze carries weighted chatter up and down the docks of Lowcountry boating ramps and marinas. Phrases like “breaking the bank” and “getting hit hard” are among the most commonly used.
Although the cost of fuel is all anyone seems to talk about, these are tank-half-full kind of folk. They’re not complaining; they’re problem solving.
“It’s all about being more creative than you were before,” said Stevie Leasure, co-owner of Summer Girl, a 42-foot sportfisher out of Ripley Light Marina. “We’re having to do things a little differently.”
The most obvious plan of attack on record-high fuel prices: pack more people in the boat.
“Everyone who goes, pays,” Abel said. These days, the harbor looks a lot like a
bathtub with open cans of sardines zipping across the surface — the number of crafts hitting the water hasn’t ebbed much, but they’re noticeably more crowded.
In the good old days — last year — when regular unleaded and even diesel fuel were under $3 a gallon, you could get away with taking three, maybe four people on a trip. Now, with a 65-gallon tank holding about
$260 worth of gas, squeezing five or six people on that 21-foot boat doesn’t seem so bad.
Neither does slicing a few hours from either end of a trip, or staying a bit closer to the shore, heading 15 miles off instead of 20. And summer storms aren’t really raining on anyone’s parade.
“A storm doesn’t hurt my feelings like it used to; it saves me a couple hundred dollars in gas,” said Leasure, who estimates the cost to go out has doubled since last year.
“I’m starting to feel it a little bit now, but I think it’s really going to hit harder later in the season because people will have gone through their money,” he said.
Steep competition
In May, fishing was “red hot,” said Robby Beard, tournament director for the S.C. Saltwater Sportfishing Association.
Why wouldn’t it have been? Spirits were high. The dolphin, wahoo and billfish bites were good. Fuel funds were filled to the brim.
The number of entries for the sportfishing association’s first tournament of the season, the Early Bird Tournament on May 3, swelled above expectations, boasting 15 more boats than the 25 that Beard had predicted would come out.
And despite bad weather, 27 boats motored out for the opener of the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series on Edisto three weekends later.
The enthusiasm also surprises Gene Morrison, president of the S.C. Saltwater Sportfishing Association.
“I’m dumbfounded myself,” Morrison said. “I was thinking entries would be on the downturn, but people are sticking their hands in their wallets and pulling out the cash.”
Tournaments aren’t immune to the effects of steadily increasing fuel prices, though.
Many tournament veterans think smallerboat tournaments on the East Coast may start halving their two-day schedules to cut fuel costs for competitors.
“Only the really popular ones are going to be able to stay at two days,” said Olsen, the Knot@Work captain. “It’s just becoming unaffordable.”
Beard predicted in mid-May that participation in tournaments would taper by the beginning of July.
“July is going to be when we start to feel the $130 a barrel,” Beard said.
The deadly combination of a weakening summer bite and even higher fuel prices is what Abel, the owner of Haddrell’s Point, is worried about.
As a retailer, he gets hit when the anglers get hit.
“Between the combination of fuel and the overall economy, it gets difficult for us,” Abel said.
With merchandise constantly coming in, sometimes 10 to 15 orders a month, the increased freight costs and fuel surcharges are heavy burdens. Tack on disheartened fishermen because of a dwindling bite and soaring fuel costs, and Abel really feels the pinch.
But in the Lowcountry, fishing is a way of life, like skiing in the Rockies or surfing in Southern California.
“People who like to fish are going to fish,” Abel said. “They might not go real deep come the end of summer, but they’ll do kingfishing, bottom fishing, convert to tarpon fishing, go down to Beaufort for cobia.
“And you’ll see a lot more people consider inshore fishing.”
For hire
By August, the price at the pump may render offshore fishing more of a luxury the province of Blackbaud executives, not blue-collar building inspectors and police officers.
“Offshore is going to burn more fuel, and anything that’s going to burn more fuel is going to cost a lot more,” Olsen said.
To compensate, the Lowcountry’s charter fleet has substantially increased its offshore fees. The cost to go offshore on Knot@Work’s 31-foot center console has gone up nearly 20 percent since January. The latest fee increase was in May, when a full-day Gulf Stream trip went from $1,250 to $1,350 for up to four anglers; inshore charters have remained the same price.
Nevertheless, Olsen has seen a boost in business since the start of the season. He thinks most anglers are figuring that even with the hike in fees, it’s cheaper to charter a boat than to purchase one, or even maintain one right now.
Two-and-a-half years ago, George Saville sold his boat because, for him, chartering is a more comfortable and affordable way to get offshore. Now he takes five or six trips a year with Olsen.
In June, the cost of fuel was bumping $5 a gallon at local marinas, where managers say prices are higher than at gas stations on land because sales are seasonal. Marinas also have to employ dock hands and pay for extra equipment and environmental insurance to protect against spills.
Because of this, many boaters avoid marina fuel docks, but recreational boaters and charter captains with bigger boats have no choice but to pump at the marina, often surpassing triple digits in a single fill-up.
Olsen spends about $1,200 to fuel his 31-footer, and filling the tanks of a larger sportfisher can run many thousands more.
To survive the hike in fuel prices, charters in other areas have started charging a flat fee and adding on the cost of fuel as a separate charge. Some local anglers think it’s only a matter of time before Lowcountry charters do the same.
“The whole industry is hurting,” said Leasure, the co-owner of Summer Girl. “It’s the same on the water as it is on the street; the fun has been taken out of it a little.
“I’m just glad I don’t make a living out of it.”
Reach Abi Nicholas at 843-958-7375 or abi@tidelinemagazine.com.
KEEP ON FISHING, WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK
With fuel prices at an all-time high, getting the most mileage out of a tank of gasoline or diesel fuel is more important than ever. To help, Tideline asked some avid Lowcountry anglers to offer up a few tips for saving money while on the water.
Get a tune up
A properly tuned engine gets better mileage, runs better and has fewer emissions. “I have my engine tuned and do normal annual service to be sure everything is running at its most optimum ability.” — Mike Abel, owner Haddrell’s Point Tackle & Supply
Clean the hull
A fouled bottom with organic growth has more drag, making your boat work harder than it needs to. “Know which bottom paints are the best, and which marinas get the worst growth.” — Gene Morrison, president South Carolina Saltwater Sportfishing Association
Bring more bodies
It’s simple division: The more people you pack in the boat, the less money each person pays for the trip. “Try to find more people to go. Before you might have gone out with five or six, so now maybe take seven to offset the cost a little bit.” — Stevie Leasure, co-owner the sportfisher Summer Girl out of Ripley Light Marina
Run slower
Once rpms get in the 4,000-5,000 range, outboards turn into gas-guzzlers; you’ll save a ton of money just by going slower. “Go ¾ throttle instead of wide open and save 30-40 percent on fuel burnage. Run 8-10 miles per hour slower.” — Capt. Robert Olsen, owner Knot @ Work fishing charters
Limit trips to nicer days
You can’t control the weather, but you can control when you go out. Don’t waste fuel by going out on an iffy day. “The only thing I’m really doing is reserving my trips to nicer days so I don’t have to run 10 miles offshore and then turn around and come back.” — Mike Abel
Cut back
The farther and longer you go out, the more gas you’ll burn. Go 15 miles instead of 20 miles offshore or plan for a half-day trip instead of an all-day excursion. “Since last year, the cost to go out has just about doubled. You’re going to have to get more creative than you were before.” — Stevie Leasure
A few more tips
• USE GAS STATION PUMPS: If your boat is small enough to trailer, fill up at a gas station. There’s a stiff markup at marinas.
• CHECK YOUR PROPELLER: By experimenting with different props, you may find one that saves fuel and improves performance.
• LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD: Clear your decks and storage of clutter, keep bilges dry and top off water tanks only if you’ll think need it.
• AVOID EXCESS IDLING: Remember, even when idling in neutral, your boat is consuming fuel, not to mention producing potentially deadly carbon monoxide fumes.
Source: Boat U.S. Foundation
Comments
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)