The East Coast is rich with history from Florida to Maine, and rich with beaches. Some of the most beautiful beaches lay south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and none are more beautiful than the beaches of South Carolina. With lush blue waters and white sandy beaches with green maritime forests as a backdrop, there is no resisting the beaches of South Carolina. Some of the top beaches to visit in South Carolina include Myrtle Beach and Huntington Beach, as well as Edisto and Hunting Island… not to mention several islands and inlets along the way. From Murrells Inlet to the Isle of Palms and even Kiawah Island, you’ll see some of the most breathtaking views on the East Coast.
The most well known beach in South Carolina is Myrtle Beach. It is considered a desirable vacation spot for many people – and with
approximately sixty miles of beautiful, sandy beaches, it is little wonder why. Over twelve million people visit this beach each year and enjoy all the things that Myrtle Beach has to offer. From live entertainment to water parks and amusement parks, as well as the specialty shopping outlets, golf courses, and incredible restaurants, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is teeming with things to do and see.
Part of the area known as the Grand Strand is Huntington Beach. It is situated in historic Murrells Inlet and is only a short distance from the
renowned Brookgreen Gardens. Here, in Huntington Beach State Park, you will find the sprawling Spanish-style castle known as Atalaya. This
castle was once the winter home, and the studio, for the American sculptor, Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband, Philanthropist Archer Huntington. It is here that several of Anna Huntington’s beautiful sculptors still reside, like the incredible Diana of the Hunt. While there, you can enjoy walking the grounds of Brookgreen Gardens and, if you visit in mid- to late-September, you can also enjoy the annual Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival.
The beautiful and historic sands of the Isle of Palms is a perfect place to stop and see a sunrise. Its shimmering sands and crystal blue waters are a majestic sight. Not far from the Isle of Palms is Kiawah Island, a small beach and golfing resort situated on a small barrier island just south of the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The island was named for the local Native American tribe of the Kiawah Indians, who led the English to Charlestowne Landing in 1720. Known as the a prime golf destination, the island of Kiawah offers five different award winning courses, such as the Turtle Point Golf Course, designed by professional golfer, Jack Nicklaus. There is also the Ocean Course, which was designed by golfer Pete Dye, as well as three other golf courses.
Hunting Island and Edisto Island are also very beautiful beach areas with incredible attractions. Hunting Beach has many different types of wildlife for wildlife watchers. The Great Blue Heron, as well as Osprey and Bald Eagles make their homes here and can be seen anywhere you go. The same is true of many different types of aquatic life like alligators and horseshoe crabs. Edisto Island is an island between the Edisto Rivers that are North and South of the Island. It offers many diverse recreational opportunities including golf courses and local restaurants. On your next vacation to South Carolina, be sure to check out these premier beaches and all that they have to offer.
Tags: Beach, South Carolina, Travel
Crappies are part of the sunshine family and they are known by several different names such as the speckled perch, goggleye and paper mouth.
South Carolina is very popular for its crappie fishing and it continues to grow as word spreads about the wonderful opportunities this state has to offer. In fact, just about all the lakes, rivers and ponds in this state have crappie in them, which is why so many anglers are drawn to South
Carolina to fish for this species.
Crappies are divided into two categories which are called Black Crappie and White Crappie. The black crappie is, of course, darker in color
than the white crappie but this is not the only difference. It has seven or eight dorsal spines and several spots on its sides. When fishing in deep water and large impoundments you will most likely find the black crappie because this is the type of environment they prefer.
White crappies are lighter in color and have only six dorsal spines. They also have eight or nine vertical bands on both of its sides instead of spots and the white crappie prefer living in more quite remote places than the black crappie.
The average weight for a crappie is one pound but it is possible to catch crappie weighing up to five pounds.
Lakes in South Carolina
South Carolina has many lakes where you can go crappie fishing with great success. If you are not familiar with this state and all it has to offer, then the list of lakes listed below will help to give you an idea of some of the options that are available to you.
Lake Marion
Lake Murray
Hartwell Lake
Lake Wylie
Lake Moultrie
Lake Greenwood
Lake Jocassee
Wateree Lake
Lake Moultrie
Lake Keowee
These are just a few of the options that you have when you go crappie fishing inSouth Carolina. You will find that there are many more areas where the crappie fishing is excellent. Talk to local bait shop owners and local fishermen to see where they would recommend you go.
If you are visiting friends or family in South Carolina they may be able to direct you to some remote ponds, creeks or lakes that have the potential for some great crappie fishing. These are places that you would probably never find on your own.
How to Catch Crappie
There are several ways to catch crappie as they are a fairly easy species to reel in. The most commonly used methods for crappie fishing are drifting, casting, trolling and still-fishing. Either of these techniques should render you some excellent results. Springtime fishing is the best time to go South Carolina crappie fishing because it is when the crappie are getting ready for spawning season. They will be migrating into the shallow, warm water to begin spawning.
In the summer the crappie will move out to deeper water during the middle of the day where the water is cooler and then back to the shallows during the night time hours. In the fall you need to fish in the shallow to moderately deep water during the late evening to early morning hours. However, they do still go out to the deeper water during the day when the sun is at its brightest.
Tags: Black & White Crappie, Crappie Fishing, Sunshine Family