Outdoors column: McManus’ reef just one thing to remember him by
For well over a decade, Ron McManus relentlessly spent much of his time building the Jim Caudle Reef, which in turn provided a boon for tourism through fishing and diving in the Little River/North Myrtle Beach area.
The Jim Caudle Reef, a permitted artificial reef area located 2.7 nautical miles off Little River Inlet, was named in honor of McManus’ friend – Jim Caudle – a well-known member of the Little River fishing community who passed away in 2000.
After McManus passed away this year on Feb. 13 at the age of 70, his friends and cohorts in the area’s fishing and tourism communities wanted to do something to commemorate him.
It is now official – the Ron McManus Memorial Reef has been established as Permitted Area 04, or PA 04, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Marine Artificial Reef Program.
The reef already has some structure on it. In fact, the site for the reef was selected – and subsequently approved – because a 90-foot steel hull shrimp boat named Lady Geneva accidentally sank there several years ago.
Fittingly, the site is located about four miles straight off Cherry Grove Beach, within sight on a clear day of a beach house belonging to McManus and his surviving wife, Kathy, who worked tirelessly with her husband on his many projects.
“We wanted to do something to honor Ron for all the work he’s done not just for the reef program, but conservation and cleaning up the waterways also,” said Bob Martore, Artificial Reef Coordinator for S.C. DNR. “He really helped promote sportfishing in the Grand Strand area and he got people aware of and interested in marine conservation in general.”
With a centerpiece of the reef already resting on the bottom, plans are in place to start building up McManus’ reef.
On Oct. 31, a ceremony which is in the planning stages will be held on shore to dedicate the reef site and honor McManus.
After the ceremony, a bouy marking the reef site will be put in place on PA 04. Then, a yet-to-be-determined number of concrete reef cones, 5-foot tall concrete boxes and assorted other concrete material – in all a barge full, Martore said – will be placed on the bottom at the reef site.
“Everybody knows what Ron has done for the area,” said Martore. “There should be a lot of interest and a lot of turnout I think.”
Capt. Mark Dickson, operator of Shallow-Minded Inshore Charters in Little River, was a close friend of McManus and has been involved in getting the new reef established.
“He did more for the fishermen in Little River than anybody else has ever done,” said Dickson. “And, Kathy. The character, the charisma of Ron and Kathy – you can’t replace somebody like that.”
Rumble In The Jungle
The 12th annual Rumble in the Jungle king mackerel tournament this weekend out of Harbourgate Marina in Little River has been extended for a day.
The format now is Captain’s Choice, with boats able to fish either Saturday or Sunday. Boats must declare which day they intend to fish by 9 p.m. Friday when registration closes.
The Southern Kingfish Association-sanctioned event is staged by the Little River Inlet Saltwater Fishing Club.
Prize for the largest king mackerel weighed in is $35,000, guaranteed.
Captains meeting will be held at the marina on Friday at 7 p.m.
Instead of the typical under 23-foot boat division, the tournament will feature a Single Outboard Division.
Fishing boundaries for the tournament are from Georgetown to Masonboro, N.C. For more information, call Gore at 843-249-6167.
SALTT Tournament
The Student Angler League Tournament Trail staged its inaugural tournament on Saturday, with the competing teams facing less than favorable weather conditions out of the Carroll Campbell Marine Complex located off U.S. Hwy. 17 on the Sampit River.
Ben Cooper of Team Coward from Conway High School weighed in a pair of 19-inch red drum for a total weight of 5.77 pounds to win the high school division.
Jackson Denny and Hunter Vines of Team RED-iculous from Carolina Forest High School weighed in one fish at 3.24 pounds for second place.
No other boats in the high school division or the middle school division brought fish to the scale. All fish weighed in were released.
The next SALTT event is on October 18 in Little River. Registration is still open for any middle or high school student wishing to participate. For more information, visit www.salttfishing.com.
This story was originally published September 25, 2014 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Outdoors column: McManus’ reef just one thing to remember him by."