Popular Crackerneck wildlife area opens to public scouting on Saturdays in May
The Crackerneck Wildlife Management Area, among the Carolinas’ most popular for deer hunting, will be open for scouting each Saturday in May.
The dates at the 10,600-acre site along the Savannah River in Aiken County, S.C, are May 7, 14, 21 and 28 and the hours are 6 a.m.-8 p.m. The public also may fish, hike, bird-watch, ride horseback and bikes during those Saturdays.
Visitors must sign in and out at the check station entrance. The latter is located off Brown Road, which is off S.C. 125 south of the town of Jackson.
There are no managed trails on the property, owned by the U.S. Department of energy and managed by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. However, there is a 50-mile road system and selected firebreaks for those riding bikes and horseback..
Fishing is allowed at Skinface Pond. Bringing a small boat along is recommended as access for shoreline angling is limited.
Detailed Crackerneck maps and brochures with regulations are available by emailing CaudellM@dnr.sc.gov and providing name and postal mailing address. Questions? Call 803-609-6997.
Wounded Warriors, vets make good catches
There were plenty of smiles last Thursday at the Pinnacle Access Area on Lake Norman during check-in time following a day of fishing for Wounded Warriors and disabled veterans.
Fish were caught in good numbers during the Top Shelf Fishing Festival.
The largest overall, a 43-inch blue catfish, was boated by Michael Bonnette of Hickory while fishing with volunteer guide Glenn DeTample of Catawba
William Penn of Winston-Salem caught the best largemouth bass, which scaled 4.68 pounds, and had the top five-bass aggregate of 14.84 pounds. Penn fished with Bob Furstenberger of Cornelius.
The largest striped bass was caught by Adam Williams of Belmont, fishing with David Clubb of Mooresville.
Bill Withrow of Harrisburg had the best crappie, a fish weighing almost a pound.
There were 72 wounded warriors and/or disabled veterans taking part. They were guided by area volunteers who devoted use of their boats and their fishing expertise to the event sponsored by Operation North State, founded by Terry Snyder of Winston-Salem.
Five similar events are scheduled this year, starting with a Fishing Festival on April 28 at Badin Lake. Information: snydert33@gmail.com or 336-764-5967.
Tom Higgins
Catches of the week
▪ Catfish weighing a total of 85.3 pounds by Josh Coffins and Lee Hardee to win an NC-CATS tournament at Lake Wylie. Coffins also boated the largest single fish, which weighed 47.2 pounds. John Terry, fishing alone, finished second with 82.6 pounds.
▪ Twenty sizable catfish in seven hours of fishing at Lake Norman by Bill Ward of Denver, N.C.
▪ A 25-pound flathead catfish at Lake Norman by Colin Miadenik of Denver while fishing from a pier.
▪ Five large flounder by Sammie and Betty Leonard of Calabash while fishing in Cherry Grove Inlet with great grandchildren Forest and Skye
▪ A 35-inch red drum in the Ocracoke Island surf by Tracy Daughtry.
▪ Blackfin tuna ranging from 21 to 25 pounds by the Richmond County party of Hilton Haines, Wiley Mabe, Harold Deese and Robert Yates while trolling from the Release off Hatteras Village.
This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 11:53 AM with the headline "Popular Crackerneck wildlife area opens to public scouting on Saturdays in May."