Carolina Fish and Hunt

What really happened to missing duck hunter Tyler Doyle?

Twenty-two-year-old Tyler Doyle of Loris, SC went missing during a duck hunt on Jan. 26, 2023 near the border of North and South Carolina. A massive manhunt began almost immediately, with rescuers reportedly on scene within 9 minutes of being called.

But as of Feb. 4, a full 9 days later, Doyle has not been found. This despite search and rescue teams from the U.S. Coast Guard, the SC Dept. of Natural Resources, the NC Marine Fisheries Division and numerous other local, highly-trained rescue teams with state-of-the-art technology looking non-stop. And that’s not to mention untold numbers of private volunteers also looking. From land, sea and air, it’s been a search of epic proportions.

As always, some folks jump to conclusions right away. It was the same in this case. Early on, some were calling it a hoax. All a conspiracy. His duck hunting buddy did it. He’s on the lam to escape an upcoming court date. He decided to start a new life. He’s safe at home, but staying hidden so that his wife can collect his life insurance money and hopefully collect some donations from the good people of the world.

But all the speculation has just been that – speculation and rumor. Started, spread and bolstered by those not on the ground, on the water, or involved in any way in the search for Doyle. Meanwhile, those organizations that have been involved in the search have tried to put those rumors to rest. Agencies like the SCDNR have released multiple statements saying this is simply the case of a boating/hunting accident and that no foul play is suspected.

GoFish@CarolinaFishAndHunt

For questions or comments, contact us at gofish@carolinafishandhunt.com

Arkansas lakes see new bass regulations

Some new bass fishing regulations are in order for two Arkansas lakes beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

Anglers in Arkansas should note some new bass regulations which began on Jan. 1, 2023. The changes are for two lakes in the Natural State.

On Norfork Lake, regulations for all three species of black bass have been changed. The new law states that largemouth and smallmouth bass must be at least 13 inches long to keep. The length limit on spotted bass (sometimes called Kentucky bass) has been dropped. Anglers can keep spotted bass of any length.

The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission encourages anglers on Norfork Lake to keep smaller, legal-sized bass of all three species. While this may seem counterproductive and a shift from a long-standing, nationwide push to release bass to fight another day, this lake is currently overpopulated with small bass, which stunts the growth rates of all fish.

The same problem has led to a change in Sugarloaf Lake’s largemouth bass slot limit, which has been removed. Anglers can now keep any size bass from Sugarloaf Lake. AGFC has stated that the slot limit has left this lake, like Norfork, full of stunted bass.

A third lake that anglers should take note of is Lake Monticello. This lake has been renovated and is currently slowly refilling to full pool. It is open for anglers, but all gamefish must be released immediately.

For full information on fish and game regulations in Arkansas, click here.

SC man sets bowfishing world record

Stuart Vandyke of Eutawville, SC set the new bowfishing South Carolina state and world record for catfish on Jan. 6, 2023 when he arrowed an Arkansas blue catfish that tipped the scales at 84 pounds, 12.8 ounces.

Vandyke’s catfish was 54 inches long, with a girth of 37 inches. And this fish tale has some twists and turns that make it a little more interesting than breaking a world record is to begin with.

First of all, 15 days earlier, Vandyke’s friend David Ard set the bowfishing world record for the same species with a fish that weighed a little more than 80 pounds.

Add to that, another of Vandyke’s friends that was in the boat with him on Jan. 6 took the first shot at the record fish, but missed. This gave Vandyke an opportunity, and he took full advantage of it.

Once his arrow pierced the fish, he knew it would be big enough to vie for the record. He and his friends wrestled it aboard, then called a friend with a certified scale. They weighed the fish and got it entered into the Bowfishing Association of America’s record book, ending Ard’s short-lived status as world record holder.

For other state and world bowfishing records, visit www.bowfishingassociation.com.

Luke Deal’s first crossbow buck

Luke Deal, an 8-year-old hunter from Cabarrus County, NC killed his first buck ever last year, and he shot it with a rifle. And he entered the 2022 deer hunting season with one goal. He wanted to kill a deer with his crossbow.

After lots of practice, the young hunter refused to hunt with anything other than his crossbow until he bagged a deer with it. He did just that, and did it in style, on an afternoon hunt in Mecklenburg County. A nice 8-point buck moved into range, and Luke pulled the trigger at 15 yards. It was a perfect shot.

Great job young hunter!

Mackenzie Alexander’s buck

Mackenzie Alexander of Lilesville, NC got her first hunting adrenaline rush on Nov. 19, 2022 when she shot this 8-point buck.

“It was a frigid morning at 7:54 a.m. She had already passed up two does when this 8-pointer came out. He flew up in the air when she shot him. He only made it about 10 feet from where he was shot,” said her dad, Justin Alexander.

“It was her first adrenaline rush. She’s ready for more already!” he said.

Team Hooked Up wins $2480

Team Hooked Up took first place in the Nov. 5, 2022 Southeastern Catfish Club tournament out of Lake Wylie. The team, made up of David Aycoth and Colby Nance, pocketed $2480 for the win.

Aycoth and Nance brought a limit of 2 fish to the scaled totaling 70 pounds. Their bag was anchored by the Big Fish of the Tournament, which weighed 51.67 pounds and netted them another $900.

Team SBG took second place. Mitch Williams and Wyatt Williams won $1380, weighing in 60.62 pounds of fish. They also walked away with another $380 check for their 45.35-pound fish which took second place in the Big Fish award.

Third place went to Team Carolina Blues, made up of Joshua Coggins and Kyle Hefner. They weighed in a total of 58.55 fish, winning $820.

In fourth place, and winning $560 for 55.81 pounds was Team Whoppy Jaw’d — Micah Chappell and Jeremy Jackson.

Team Craig, made up of Casey, Larry and Luke Craig, won $280 for their bag weighing 51.66 pounds.

Click here to see the Southeastern Catfish Club’s full schedule and other information.

Ethan Gilliland arrows NC state record tilapia

Ethan Gilliland arrowed the new N.C. state record tilapia in late July, 2022.

Ethan Gilliland of Mooresville, N.C. runs Blue Mountain Bowfishing, a bowfishing charter business. And he recently set the pending state record for tilapia.

Bowfishing records are kept by the Bowfishing Association of America. They currently list a 2.4-pound tilapia as the North Carolina state record. That fish was shot by Harold Brunner on Dec. 15, 2017. Gilliand’s tilapia, which he shot in late July 2022, weighed more than a pound heavier that Brunner’s.

The paperwork to put Gilliland’s fish on top for the Old North State has been submitted. Once approved, his fish will replace Brunner’s on the list.

Tilapia are not native to North Carolina, but have been introduced into numerous waterways across the state.

On a typical night of bowfishing, Gilliland’s clients usually shoot gar, carp and catfish. Taking a trip with him is a great way to experience the outdoors in a little bit of a different way. Bowfishing requires the right equipment and a boat that is correctly set up for it. Gilliland has all that is necessary to provide a safe, fun night of bowfishing. To book a trip with him, call 704-918-0454.

Click here to see a full list of bowfishing state and world records.

Santee Cooper catfish report – summer

Catfish in the daytime, catfish at night. They’re biting all hours at Santee right now.

The summertime catfish report on the Santee Cooper lakes shows many blue cats being caught. Capt. Kyle Austin’s anglers are catching plenty of them at night, which helps beat the heat. But the daytime bite hasn’t been bad.

This young lady had a big night of fishing with Capt. Kyle Austin at Santee recently.

Capt. Jason Wolfe of Wolfe’s Guide Service has a two-part strategy for summertime cats on Santee. First thing in the morning, he likes to anchor down in fairly shallow water. He baits up with cut baitfish, casts out a spread of six to eight rods, sets the rods in the rod holders, then waits.

Wolfe suggests anglers leave the rods in the rod holders until the rod is doubled over. Many anglers try to set the hook, which he said is a mistake. The circle hooks he uses will do their job once the fish commits. And the action of his Catch the Fever rods coupled with the reel’s drag will allow the catfish to swim away long enough for the hook to embed itself in the corner of the fish’s mouth.

As the fish continues to swim away, the rod finally doubles over. Sometime the drag begins to sing, letting you know that a true fighter is on the line

As the sun gets up and the day begins to warm, the catfish leave the shallows, so Wolfe does too. He heads for deep water, usually on the main section of the Lower Lake. Here, he replaces his weights with Drifting Stix, then casts all his rods again. And once again they go in rod holder.

Now, Wolfe suggests his anglers kick back and watch the rod tips. As they drift over humps and deep holes, the bait is being presented to catfish of all sizes. When one takes the bait, you’ll know it quickly.

NCWRC swears in 15 new wildlife officers

Fifteen new wildlife law enforcement officers were sworn in by the NCWRC on July 20, 2022.

Fifteen new NCWRC wildlife law enforcement officers were sworn in on July 20, 2022. These officers, commonly referred to as Game Wardens, completed their initial training, and now move on to 6 months of on-the-job training with veteran wildlife officers.

Once their field training is complete, the new officers will be assigned permanent duty stations across North Carolina.

The new officers are listed here in alphabetical order by their last name, along with their hometowns:

Cooper Abernathy, Morganton

Carson Billings, Elkin

Haywood Brantley, Spring Hope

Cole Burch, Sylva

Dern Crilley, Bladenboro

Hunter Gray, Valley City, Ohio

Spencer Hamilton, Sophia

Stephan Hawrysch, Loris, S.C.

Chance Herron, Troy

Nathan Kreitman, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Devon McGuire, Boone

Joseph Pepoli, Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Omar Petty, Kings Mountain

Nathaniel Schott, Pylesville, Maryland

Sam Sheppard, Indian Trail

Clarks Hill Lake stripers in the heat

If you don’t mind sweating while you fish — and you will sweat here — you’ll find your share of stripers (and hybrids) willing to make it all worth it at Clarks Hill during the heat of summer.

While some days can provide that “catching them on back-to-back casts” action, it’s usually less of a frenzy than that. But you’ll have enough action to keep coming back. And speaking of sweating, you actually want it hot enough that you’ll be sweating profusely. That’s because the hotter it is, the more water they release from the Lake Russell Dam, cooling the waters of Clarks Hill enough that the baitfish and stripers stack up there.

This concentrates the fish into several hundred yards of the dam, where the stripers constantly patrol, chasing and slashing at schools of baitfish. Topwater lures shine here, and can make it a day to remember for anglers.

It’s okay to sleep late

This is also the type of fishing that doesn’t require getting up early, so forget about beating the heat by arriving at daybreak. It takes the noon sun to get it hot enough for them to open the gates at the dam, which provides more energy to all the air conditioners in the nearby towns. Opening those gates allows the water from the cool depths of Russell to pour in, dropping the water temperature significantly and turning the bite on like a light switch.

A good strategy is to get your boat in an eddy or if you’ve got one, hit the Spot Lock on your trolling motor to keep yourself in place. Now just watch the water all around you. If you sit in that one spot, schools will appear close enough to cast to, but you can also quickly motor yourself to a lot of other schools that are just out of casting range. Just make sure you don’t get too close to the school.

Walk-the-dog type lures are great here. Spooks, Sammys, Cane Walkers, Skitter Walks — you name it — whatever your favorite brand of walking lure is, it will work wonders here. Whopper Ploppers are also killer lures here, and you will catch your share either burning it straight back or pausing during your retrieve.

Small boats are fine here

Schools will appear for just a minute or two, then go back down. Many anglers simply keep topwater lures tied on, waiting for another school to surface. Casting blindly can also bring some fish up, so that’s always good to try. Another good option when the fish go down is to cast Rat-L-Traps, allow them to sink a few seconds, then start your retrieve. The bites come fewer with this method, but you’ll catch them often enough this way.

Spend a day here and you’ll quickly pick up on exactly where the striper schools usually appear. You’ll learn a little more each time you go. One of the best things about this lake is it’s easy to navigate, even in small boats. It’s a big lake, surface-acre wise, but it’s small in some ways. It’s narrow in most places, especially at the dam, where you can almost have a conversation from one side of the lake to the other.