‘There’s nothing quite like it’: Fishing experts coming to Myrtle Beach to share tips

The longevity of George Poveromo’s Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series speaks for itself. Any venture that has endured for over three decades must have been worthwhile.

Poveromo and fellow Salt Water Sportsman Magazine writer Mark Sosin toyed with the idea of a seminar series before putting it in place in 1988.

That was the year, 33 years ago to be exact, that the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series debuted, combining national experts with local experts in the area of each seminar stop.

“It’s a unique blend of knowledge being dispatched by teams of nationally known saltwater pros and leading regional captains,” said Poveromo earlier this week. “It’s now into its 33rd year of touring and this longevity serves as the best endorsement for the caliber of the tour and the amount of pertinent fishing information divulged by our faculty teams. There’s nothing quite like it.”

This year, the seminar is making eight stops along the East Coast from Connecticut to the Florida Keys, and one of those is in the Myrtle Beach area. The local seminar will be held at The Conference Center at Barefoot Resort Saturday, Jan. 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Poveromo is a well-known saltwater fishing expert, beginning his media career at Salt Water Sportsman Magazine as a writer and editor in 1983.

He also is the host and producer of a national fishing show – George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing – which airs on the Discovery Channel and is in its 20th season.

Following are other members of the faculty for the Myrtle Beach stop and their topics:

• “Crazy” Alberto Knie: Knie is a truly legendary shallow water and land-based specialist on catching trophy redfish, trout, flounder and tarpon, among other exotic species.
• Capt Chris Regan: Regan, of Salt Fever Guide Service, is a local captain who specializes on fishing the offshore waters and the wrecks and hard bottom off Myrtle Beach and Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.
• Capt. Jot Owens: Owens, of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., is an expert on catching trophy sea trout, red drum and flounder, and wreck and hard bottom-fishing for cobia, grouper and snapper off the Carolina coast.
• Capt. Robert Olsen: Olsen is a Charleston-based guide with Knot@Work Fishing Charters and has over 25 years experience at fishing South Carolina’s coastal and offshore waters.
• Capt. Paul C. Godbout: Godbout is an authority on fishing South Carolina’s coastal waters and a noted bottom-fishing specialist.
• Capt. Jon Fuss: Fuss is a Charleston-based inshore, live-bait fishing specialist with Holy City Fishing Charters.
• Capt. Chris Ossmann: Ossman, of Fine Catch Fishing Charters in North Myrtle Beach, is adept at fishing the Intracoastal Waterway, inlets and near-shore reefs in the Little River area.
• Capt. Ned Campbell: Campbell is based out of Murrells Inlet Outpost, specializing in offshore trolling, live-baiting for near-shore pelagics and fishing the local wrecks and bottom.
• Capt. Debbie Hanson: Hanson is a Florida-based light tackle inshore fishing specialist and award-winning outdoor writer.
• Capt. David Wicker: Wicker, based out of Wilmington, N.C., is a king mackerel tournament pro and specialist at using marine electronics to locate and catch more fish.
• Capt. Alan Wenzel: Wenzel is a South Florida-based authority on offshore live-baiting and trolling as well as conventional- and deep-drop bottom-fishing.

Each session of the seminar features elaborate visual support to help the instructor get the point across.

Tickets are $55 per person. Aside from the seminar, attendees receive numerous additional tidbits including a course textbook, a one-year subscription or extension to Salt Water Sportsman, one Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecast Analysis, bottle of OrPine Wash & Wax, bottle of Startron fuel treatment, bottle of Star brite Boat Guard and a bottle of Corrosion Block.

There will be numerous door prizes plus a Grand Prize of a Florida Keys fishing trip given away to conclude the seminar. Two weeks after the 2020 series concludes, another grand prize will be awarded – a new Mako Pro Skiff 17 center console.

Seminar attendees are also invited to an After-Seminar Party at the Myrtle Beach location of Bass Pro Shops, from 4-6:30 p.m. Seminar badges will be good for entry to the party, which will feature free food, drink and live music.

To register for the seminar, call (800) 448-7360 or visit www.nationalseminarseries.com.

Capt. Roger Wahoo Challenge

The crew of Game Hawg claimed an extremely close win in this event out of Ocean Isle Fishing Center which spanned from Nov. 22 through Jan. 3.

Game Hawg had a four-fish aggregate of 208.35 pounds, including a 71.15-pounder, to win $10,125. The 71.15-pound fish was the largest weighed in during the tournament, with the team’s other three wahoo weighing 54.3, 41.9 and 41 pounds.

Main Event finished narrowly missed winning the challenge, finishing second with a 208.3-pound aggregate. Main Event’s four fish weighed 65, 58.65, 42.35 and 42.3 pounds.

That’s My Dog was third at 188.65 pounds.