I have to admit that I often enjoy pancakes and tacos during breakfast time. No, not that kind of pancakes and tacos; pancakes and tacos which describe how a net is cast for the purpose of catching bait in the waters of the Lowcountry.

After reading the morning paper and eating a hearty breakfast, like many people, I check out the latest news on social media. And many mornings I will see an article by coastal charter captain Fritz von Kolnitz titled “Bait Report” – a video that can last a few minutes or go on for a while, depending on the abundance of menhaden.

Fritz has been doing the Bait Report for a number of years and customers and other anglers have come to expect a morning show. Viewers love to watch the process as Fritz comments on what he sees and does, scans the horizon for menhaden, walks to the bow of his boat, and does a casting. They cheer enthusiastically when a throw kicks, enough bait in one throw to last a trip. And they offer him words of encouragement when a cast is empty.

“Now people get on my boat and say, ‘Are we going to be part of the bait report? “Some are even asking if they can throw the net,” Fritz said. “I’ll go to a restaurant and ask people to say ‘You’re the guy from Bait Report.'”

Fritz, who has been charter fishing for 21 years, said he started labeling his Facebook videos as the “Bait Report” a few years ago, but in reality he’s been posting such videos for much longer. He said Facebook Memories will show up and he’s looking at them now and thinks “It was kind of a bait report.”

“It’s easy to do. I have a little magnetic phone holder and I slap it on my windshield,” he said, although sometimes he hands the phone to a customer to film the search for. menhaden. Fritz said his father recently asked him why he hadn’t posted a casting for the shrimp. But it’s easy, he explained.

“The menhaden is pretty much the bait of choice for guides. It catches everything we catch in the sun, from peanut menhaden in the spring for trout to the bigger ones we use for rockfish and sharks in the summer. “said Fritz.

His search for menhaden begins as he drives from his Mount Pleasant home to the Marina on Palms Island to meet his clients.

“When I cross the Isle of Palms connector, my mind is sailing. I’m looking at the flag on the connector to see which way the wind is blowing. I’m going to look down into the waterway (Intracoastal) and see if the birds are diving out. looking for bait. I look at the ocean and I see what it looks like and I see if I can possibly walk the beach to the jetties. I will look and see if there are any shrimp boats off the beach ”Said Fritz.

“One of the first things I look for when I catch bait are pelicans diving or appearing on the surface. in search of bait. “

Fritz said charter captains share bait information on VHF Channel 65. The menhaden can be found in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Marina on Palms Island, off Dewees Front Beach. Inlet to Morris Island Lighthouse. And not only do captains share information, but they also often share bait.

“I can only keep a certain number of live bait in my tank and if there is another boat throwing the net next to me I will wave them over and give them a few balls of bait”, said Fritz.

Although he didn’t have time to read people’s comments during his “bait reports” on Facebook Live, Fritz said he would come back to them later, read them, respond and share the video on d ‘other social media sites.

“People always text me and ask me where the bait is, especially king mackerel fishermen,” he said. “These guys will start calling me at 5:45 am on a Saturday morning. And if I haven’t published a bait report in a while, people will ask me about it. It helps people, something that people like to wake up in the morning. “

As for the reference to pancakes and tacos, he explained that pancakes are when you open the net and it lands on the water in a flat circle; tacos are when the fillet folds back on itself and looks like a taco shape when it hits the water.

“Pancakes are what you wanna throw away,” he said. “I backed up in front of a 7 foot net. I used to always throw an 8 foot net, but I tell people you should throw the net you can open it. If you can open a net. 7ft net and have to cast that’s twice to take the bait, better than trying to cast an 8ft net four times because you can’t open it. I can catch a lot of ‘bait in a 7 foot net. “

SC Duck Call Contest

The 2021 South Carolina Duck Calling Competition will be held on September 19 at Cook Mountain in the Wateree Heritage Preserve Wildlife Management Area in Eastover.

The SC Junior Contest, which begins at noon, is open to any appellant under the age of 17 as of November 26, 2021. The SC State Adult Contest will follow the Junior Contest and is open to all residents of South Carolina 17 or older until November 26, 2021. The winner of the SC State Contest will represent South Carolina at the World Contest in Stuttgart, Ark.

For more information, contact Jessie Tucker at 864-706-2545 or Marc Ackerman at 843-708-8869.

American Nautical Club

America’s Boating Club Charleston will be hosting boating safety courses October 2 and November 6 at 1376 Orange Grove Road, Charleston. Classes start at 9 a.m. and end around 4 p.m. Successful participants obtain the SC Department of Natural Resources Boater Education Card. The cost is $ 25 for adults and youth ages 12-18 are free. Call 843-312-2876 or email [email protected]