[Announcer] Coming up on this week’s Bob Redfern’s Outdoor Magazine: Bob heads to Lake Marion in South Carolina which is part of the Santee Cooper lake system. Joining Bob will be guide Ricky Drose, whose family has guided on Santee for over 40 years. Also on this week’s Sportsman’s Table: We feature a South Carolina certified grouper taco recipe. All this and a whole lot more. And it all begins right now.

Yes, it’s been a great day.

Who shot this?

Look at that! Wow, let me hold that thing.

Nice.

Get’ em Ricky.

Got’ em hooked.

All right. Yes, sir. Hmm-mm. Man. You know, you do well stylin’ and profilin’ on that thing.

I’m learning.

Yeah.

You’re a good teacher.

Yeah, right. Now I don’t have a net in here so you get him over here and I’ll get him up, first.

All right.

How ’bout that? All right. Santee Stripe. Oh, yeah. Come here, now. I’m just gonna… We’re gonna take your picture. We’re just gonna take your picture. And yeah, uh huh. Don’t do that, ’cause I don’t want my hook in my hand. Hold still. Hold still. Hold still. Ah, there we go. We got it. Mmm-mm-mm. Okay, there. Nicely done, my friend. Man, that’s a good start right there.

They got a better fish…

Well, we’re gonna let this one go! Let me get’em. Whoo-hoo! Oh, that’s on the free line, Ricky.

[Ricky] Yes, sir.

[Bob] Well folks, welcome to our show this week. Here on Bob Redfern’s Outdoor Magazine I have the distinct pleasure I have in probably if not the premier guide, the legacy guide on Santee, Mr. Ricky Drose with us, okay. And Ricky and his uncles, his dad, and I will tell you, they are just renowned guides here on Santee. And we are really very appreciative of having the opportunity to have him be on our show this week. He’s already pulled in one. Now, I tell you what, Ricky–

Yes.

[Bob] I really don’t…uh oh…

[Ricky] That’s all right, just gotta unhook the line.

[Bob] You got it? Okay. Ah, there we go, awesome. And I don’t mind dating this thing, ’cause to be honest with you, it’s December in South Carolina and it’s nice.

It is hot.

Yeah, it is. I’m telling you.

It is hot.

So, you know, you fish 200 days a year.

Right.

I mean, of course you’ve got all kinds of things, okay. I know you got two kids in college, bro.

I do, I do.

You know, so, you ain’t got any choice…

That’s exactly right. We’ve gotta work.

Thank goodness, I already got mine out.

Oh, mercy.

Tell everybody… Spend just a couple of minutes while I’m… I’m gonna let this fish dance a little bit. Everybody’s gonna say, “Redfern will you dial that thing in” But I really love striper fishing, okay. How exciting is it is for you to guide down here with these stripers that are coming back on Santee?

Striper fishing has gotten really good in the last couple years. We’ve had some good size limits as far as over the past few years, of getting the fish back to where they were years ago.

Yeah.

Catching some really nice fish now. Starting to, with those size limits. So they have helped tremendous amount. Caught some really pretty fish this week so hopefully it will continue… if the weather will cooperate.

Listen, I tell you, the weather’s awesome. It really is awesome, huh? Ah, there he comes. Okay. There he comes Ah, man. Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm. I tell ya, they’re difficult little hummers this morning. You know, we just passed over a bait ball and they just decided to hit.

That’s correct.

You know?

The bait… That’s what we’re doing now is hunting the big schools of bait. And fishing around those schools of bait.

Yeah. And…tell everybody. I mean, we’re rigged up, it’s not rocket science. I mean, of course we’ve got Abu Garcia and striper rods here with the ugly stick.

Right.

But I tell you what, that is picture moment on that fish. I gotta…let me get him up there. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, mm. Now, that fish is a good what? Twenty…

Twenty, twenty-one…

Twenty-six maybe, yeah. Well it maybe with the tip fish tail.

Of course. That’s a good fat striper right there.

Right, right.

You done good, okay.

Well, thank you.

Man, here it is. It’s foggy.

The fish did good.

The fish did good. Well, you did too, okay, all right. Here we go. We let him go, we’ll catch more.

[Announcer] Stay tuned. When we come back from commercial break, we’ll have more striper fishing from Santee Cooper.

[Announcer] Bob Redfern’s Outdoor Magazine is being brought to you today by these following sponsors: The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Life’s just better outdoors. By Berkley. Catch more fish with Berkley fishing products. By Ranger Boats. Still building legends, one at a time. By Browning Ammunition. Browning, the best there is. By Southern Woods Plantation. Offering the best in southern comfort & quail hunting. And by Santee Cooper Country. Discover the natural wonders of South Carolina’s great lakes.

Let’s see, my knee hit. Let’s do a switch here. Up, that one’s up. Oh, man. Listen, this one here is a lively hummer. Oh. Mm-mm-mm. Listen, you know what is so enjoyable? To see these stripers come back on Santee.

Right.

Folks, listen, you need to pay attention to this ’cause what was on Santee is no more. And this guy can show you the way, okay? Listen, 60 years of family history guiding on this lake. Talk to me while I’m reeling this fish in.

Right, my family moved here, my granddaddy moved to the lake in 1948. And opened up a bait and tackle store called “Joe’s Place”.

Joe’s Place, wow.

Joe’s Place. And so he started guiding, renting boats and running that and my father and two brothers grew up here guiding. So it’s been a family tradition.

Oh my goodness, Ricky.

So, I’m third generation from…

And you’re not that old, man!

I’m not that old.

I’ll tell you, it’s some good water down here on Santee. You hardly got no gray hair!

But, uh…

Oh my goodness!

I should have some gray hair.

Oh my goodness. Well, listen. I will tell you, years ago this was such a great fishery.

It was.

And then it kind of took a decline. Let’s just be honest about it.

Right.

And then, the DNR and all of the conservationists back here have done such great work to bring back the fishing in this lake.

Right.

Both the upper and the lower lake.

The size limits have done really well on the fish and we have a lot of fish, a lot of small fish in the past few years.

Man, that was caught on the free line back there too. Okay, ha ha! You know, he ain’t done yet. That is a good looking striper. Wow! Wow, Ricky, I’m so glad you talked me into coming this morning, okay?

[Ricky] Even though it’s 80 degrees in the wintertime.

Yeah, there you go, ha ha. Oh my gosh, ha ha. I tell you what, man, that one I tried to get out of there a while ago, he just wasn’t having it. There you are.

Just doesn’t want to open his mouth!

He just wasn’t having it! Aw, man! Mm-mm-mm. Wow, let me get over here and then I’ll get ’em from you. Show everybody this beautiful Santee striper. Wow, now that one… Gosh, that would almost go to, what 26, 28?

Right?

Maybe. Good fat fish. Listen, they are back, folks. Santee, it’s here, okay. Log onto to Bob’s Top 16, come on down, we’ll have Ricky on there, if you want to fish with him. Alright, tell ’em how to get a hold of you, now. Give ’em a number. My number is 803-460-7717.

Please, put that in your dial. ‘Cause I’ telling you, you want to come fishing on Santee, this is the guy to take you, right there. All right, let’s put this one back in here, we catch some more, bro.

I’m gonna go under this one right here.

[Bob] All right, here, let me get it out of the way. You got it? Okay. How ’bout the back one?

He gone under all of those.

Okay, all right, you set. That’s a nice hit right there now.

He’s taking some line.

Yeah. Well listen, while you’re doing all the work, let’s talk a little bit about… This is a unique fish now to Santee. Not in all the lakes that they stock and put and take, but this one, they reproduce here.

That’s correct. They go up, all the way to Columbia and reproduce. They spawn there. And their eggs float and come down the river. And so we do have natural reproduction.

Oh, wow.

For stripers here.

Now, does DNR still supplement?

They do occasionally stock a few fish, it’s not every year, but they do stock some from time to time. But a lot of ours are just natural reproduced fish.

Well, they just kind of help fine-tune. Look at…

He’s got around that.

[Bob] Do we got it wrapped?

He is.

[Bob] Let me see if I can get it out of there. Where am I? Over? Are we good?

Yep, got it now. One of ’em.

All right. Go ahead, bring him in. Let me see if I can get this thing off here.

I’m just taking my time. He’s just…

He looks like a nice striper. At least he’s giving you a head nod that he is.

That’s exactly right.

[Bob] Yeah. Get ’em up here. Well see if we can get ’em. Oh, yeah. Tell you what, let me move this one up here. And some strategery here. Yeah, there we go, come here. We’re just gonna take your picture, that’s all we’re gonna do. That’s all we’re gonna do. Wow, come on. Come on. Ahh, there we go. Now look, he wasn’t comin’ off there, either. He had that thing. Okay, there’s your fish.

All right.

Hey, I’ll let you hold it for everybody. Man, now that one’s the biggest of the day! Look it there! Whoo-hoo!

Beautiful fish.

[Bob] Yes, they are. And I tell you, they’ve got some good weight to ’em. Look at that. Now one’s a good 26?

Yep.

Twenty-eight inch maybe?

Yep.

Yeah.

Nice fish.

Man. Ricky Drose right there. Drose Guide Service, Santee. It’s back, brother!

It’s back!

It is back. Alright, ha!

Well folks, listen. I have a special guest today and I want him to talk about how we got where we are with the stripers coming back that you saw us catch today. And none other than Buddy Jennings, the former Director of the South Carolina Parks Rec and Tourism. We’re gonna talk about the legislation that got us where we are today and just how important it’s been. Buddy, I want to thank you for all you do for the resources of this state. But tell me, in 2014, a big change happened.

Yeah, you know we had lost the fisheries due to drought and a lot of other conditions but in 2014, with the work of DNR and the Santee Cooper Country, working with the stakeholder’s group across the state, we were able to come up with legislation that would help bring that fisheries back. What we ended up with was a 23 to 25 inch slot and the striped bass grow through that slot in a matter of a year. And there’s three different classes in that slot. So we were able to catch three fish in that slot limit. One can be over 26, so if you catch a truly memorial fish, it’s good to keep that one. But we closed the season from June the 16th through October the 1st. All of those, plus the fact that we’ve had more rain and we’ve had more stocking, have brought this fishery back to the world-class status that we once enjoyed.

Well, you know, one of the other key pieces too. I mean, Santee Cooper Country has done a wonderful job down there with the tourism, but this even helps their job even more to get more folks to come down there now and enjoy the lakes.

Absolutely. Their job is to promote and advertise the Santee Cooper area. Mary Shriner and her board do a great job working with the legislative delegation in that area. So, I’m real proud of all the work that they’ve done.

[Announcer] When we come back, we head to The Sportsman’s Table for another great recipe from Deck 383 in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

[Announcer] The Sportsman’s Table is brought to you by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Whether you live in South Carolina or out-of-state, be sure to buy South Carolina grown meats, vegetables and fruits. Make sure your food is South Carolina Certified. It’s a matter of taste.

Folks, welcome to this week’s Sportsman Table. I tell you what, Carol Panagos, she’s a sous chef with Strand Catering here in Murrell’s Inlet in Myrtle Beach. She’s got a great fish recipe for you today. Carol, thank you for coming in, okay.

Thanks for having me.

Beautiful setting here at Wacca Wache Marina, Deck 383. And it’s all about fish.

It is.

Okay, well let’s get started ’cause I love fish.

Well, today we’re gonna be using grouper. We’re gonna do some beer battered fish tacos.

Oh awesome.

But it’s very simple recipe so everybody can use this. We got our grouper from a local place here in Seven Seas Fishmarket.

Oh, wow.

They usually get it in the day of.

Yeah, that’s right here in Murrell’s Inlet.

It is.

Certified South Carolina, right there.

Exactly. So all you’re gonna do, you’re gonna take your flour, and then you’re gonna take a little bit of baking soda with salt and pepper.

Okay.

And then, you can’t have enough Old Bay. You can’t go wrong. I like to use the Old Bay with the garlic in it. And then we’re gonna use our Nut Brown Ale New South Beer which is local here as well. You just pour a whole can in there.

Really?

Yes.

No kidding, huh. Well, I have to look at this beer. A New South Nut Brown Ale, right there folks. I’m telling ya.

Locally brewed.

A new use for beer. That’s local.

It’s local as well. The only brewery in South Carolina.

Okay, that’s certified.

And in Myrtle Beach I should say.

There you go.

There you go. Alright, so once you have this stirred up here, you want to have a nice pancake batter consistency.

Okay.

You set that aside. You’re just gonna take your fish and you’re gonna just drudge them in there.

Oh, wow. So you don’t even have to kind of pre-do it with an egg wash or anything, huh?

No. Everything’s right in here for you.

Oh my goodness.

Then you just drudge it, and you’re gonna stick it right in your oil. And that’s gonna cook for 5 to 7 minutes, real simple.

That is easy.

It is.

Okay, Carol, what do we got now?

Now you want to make your cole slaw. While your dish is cooking, you can quickly make your cole slaw and let that rest. We’re gonna use thin sliced red cabbage and thin sliced red onions. Combine those together.

Oh wow.

You’re gonna take some thin sliced green onions and then some lime zest, throw that in there.

Mmm.

You’re gonna take some olive oil, just enough, like two tablespoons, three tablespoons is fine. And then you want to take a lime and you want to squeeze over it. Remember we use the mesh screen over it.

Yeah.

So that way you don’t get your seeds inside there. And then, let that settle there. And then all you’re gonna do is just mix it around.

The lime just smells good.

It does. The lime with the lemon and then once you… You know, a little salt and pepper if you need to as well. Once you massage it with your hands, it’s gonna make the cabbage break down a little bit so it won’t be so crisp to it as well.

I gotcha. Well, I tell you what, let me move this plate over here and we’re ready to roll.

Okay Carol, now what’s next?

We’re gonna take our pre-heated taco shell.

Okay.

We’re gonna take our cooked grouper, beer-battered nice big piece there. You take your slaw and put it right over top of this with the red onions, and see all the color in there? That’s really nice.

[Bob] Oh, yeah.

And then you take a little bit of your sour cream. A good way to spice up some sour cream or crema, is to take a lime and squeeze in there or put some lime zest in there as well. So that’s another option. And then you can also take some pineapple, a little sweetness to the spice, little pineapple salt, and then also some fresh cilantro.

[Bob] Oh my goodness.

[Carol] And there you go.

[Bob] Wow, that is fantastic.

Fresh beer taco.

Fish tacos, okay. Carol, listen, thank you so much for being a guest on the show today.

You’re so welcome.

And folks I will tell you, what’s fresh on your menu? Check out certifiedscgrown.com. And you too can have great items just like we saw today on the show. And, the next time you’re down in Murrell’s Inlet, stop on by Deck 383. Come on in, enjoy this beautiful backdrop. I tell you what, fishin’, it’s all about that and comin’ in for a great meal. We’ll see you right back here again next time, on The Sportsman’s Table.

[Announcer] To find out more information on food that’s fresher and tastier, go online at certifiedscgrown.com. Buy Certified South Carolina grown products. It’s a matter of taste.

[Announcer] Bob Redfern’s Outdoor Magazine is being brought to you today by these following sponsors: Chevrolet. The official vehicle of Bob Redfern’s Outdoor Magazine. By the South Carolina Agriculture Department. It’s a matter of taste. By Browning. Browning, the best there is. By Wacca Wache Marina and Deck 383. Located in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina. By the Old 96 District of South Carolina. Come discover the Unexpected Wonders. And by South Carolina Embroidery and Screenprinting. Your source for all your promotional product needs.

Got ’em Ricky, got ’em! Let me Oh, man! You know, we just came across that bait pod.

That’s right.

The sun’s come out, the fog’s lifted.

The fish were right behind that bait.

Look at him, look at him go. Bam! You know, we’ve caught some great fish today.

We have.

I’m serious. And I know you’ve caught some bigger ones. And I tell you what, that’s okay. But what you’re doing as a guide down here and what we want to show today is… Okay, okay.

Gotta chase the fish around the boat!

Well, you know, we try to play it real, here. I don’t want to give the false sensation that everybody’s gonna catch, you know, a 35 pound striper down here. Now, can you?

Yes.

You bet you can.

You can.

But what we want them to do is to come down, stay active, catch lots of fish with you.

Right.

And you know, Santee is back.

Yes.

From striper. I mean, it is back. Look at that. Oh-oh-oh! Yes, sir! Well folks, while I’m reeling this fish in we’ve had a great day on the water. Ricky, tell these folks… Let me come on back down here. Tell these folks, ’cause they want to come. Again, you can on to Bob’s Top 16 on our website at Bobredfern.com. Ricky’s gonna be on that top 16 list. Tell everybody your phone number again, how they can come down and fish with you.

It’s Ricky Drose at Drose Guide Service. And my number is 803-460-7717.

And folks, listen: Santee Cooper country, this is a beautiful place to come. Again, I know I keep saying, Santee, it never left. But it’s really back in a big way. And our DNR and all these great folks and these conservationists like the guides that are down here, have helped do this and bring these stripers back. And I will tell you all the great work that’s been done here is just awesome. And it is awesome. And that–whoa! You know, I may have got the big end today.

I believe you did.

Why man, look at that. Well folks, listen, as I always like to say each and every week, the outdoor’s my passion. I want it to be yours too. We’ll see you right back here again next week on another great episode of Bob Redfern’s Outdoor Magazine. Come on in here, striper! Yeah, man, look at here! Whoo! You got ’em Ricky?

I’m gonna get ’em.

[Bob] All right, Bo, get ’em. He’s not giving up!

He’s not quite ready yet.

[Bob] You know, you gotta be careful too ’cause not only do the teeth hurt, that fin hurts too. Oh, yeah. Oh my goodness. Look at there! Wow! Folks, we’ll see ya next week, on another episode. Ricky, you did good, my friend. All right. Alright!