Charter captains bemoan high fuel prices

The Sporties are lined up at Charleston Harbor Marina on a summer afternoon, their golden reels sparkling — and holstered — under the Lowcountry sun.

Crews move around the decks of these boats slowly, cleaning and re-cleaning, putting together tackle, staring out at the waves. On the blue water, the fish are running good. And they are ready.

The problem is, it’s hard to catch anything tied up at the docks.

For Charleston’s offshore charter fishermen this year the luck, she is running bad. The high price of fuel has docked many professionals, cost them business at a time when they are normally riding the Stream every day.

"We’re probably running about two trips a week," says Carter Smith, captain of the Holley-Daze. "This time of year, we should be going nearly every day."

Gas prices have risen nearly $2 a gallon in the last year. Right now, many local charter captains are paying more than $5 per gallon for the diesel it takes to run a 50-foot Hatteras or Monterey.

While rising fuel costs have hurt just about every business, they have crippled Charleston charter fishermen. From here, it is about 60 miles to the Gulf Stream, the fishing superhighway. That’s two hours of running time, burning 20 to 40 gallons of diesel an hour.

Read more in Monday's Business Review.