Communities along the South Carolina ocean coast have relied on the sea to provide what they needed to survive for centuries. Edisto Beach State Park continues to encourage this mindset with its weekly cast netting workshops.
“Cast netting is a recreational hobby that goes hand in hand with fishing,” explained Samantha Pettit, park Interpreter. “It involves throwing a net in a circular motion and it will open up over the water to catch shrimp, fish, and other bait.”
Pettit said the Thursday afternoon workshops are a popular program. These are available year-round, although the catches harvested in the cast nets vary depending on the season.
“January isn’t the ideal time for cast netting since it is quite chilly, but it is still a great program to offer,” Pettit said. “In warmer months, it’ll be much more successful for catching shrimp and other live bait. It usually coincides with good fishing, which is in the warmer months.”
Cast nets vary in size and are designed to be thrown over the water to catch whatever may be in the area. A large net can harvest up to 28 feet in diameter. Nets are easy to transport, easy to maintain and require minimal effort to use.
“There are weights at the bottom of the net that allow it to sink to the bottom,” Pettit explained. Nets come in a variety of sizes from 4 feet to 12 feet. Depending on your preference, you can cast on the shore, from a boat, or a dock. Being there are many techniques on how to throw the net, taking into account the person participating, the cast netting courses come in handy.
Most of the time, cast netting is used to mine bait for fishing. But the nets can also trap shrimp for eating.
The workshops are mostly attended by campground and cabin guests but are also open to the general public. Those who take advantage of cast netting usually find it fun and easy to do, Pettit told The Buzz.
Cast netting toss while standing in the shallows [Photo/Discover South Carolina]
“It’s been a common practice for fisherman,” she said. But some psychical strength is necessary in casting the net out into the water.
“The weights at the bottom are usually made of lead and it’s about a pound per foot,” Pettit explained. “For beginners, I would suggest a smaller, lighter net.”
South Carolina fishing regulations permit the use of cast nets to catch non-game fish. A fishing license is required and there are some restrictions on the type of aquatic life that can be harvested.
Edisto Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean between Charleston and Beaufort. As described on the Town of Edisto Beach website, it is part of Colleton County, “where the Edisto River, one of the longest free-flowing blackwater rivers in North America, completes its 206-mile journey to the Atlantic Ocean.” A blackwater river is defined as “a type of river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands.” As vegetation decays, tannins leach into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea. Hence the name.
“Edisto Beach is a place where people visit to get away and unwind,” Pettit continued. “If you want a slow, laid back environment, Edisto Beach is the place to go! It has a very quaint small-town feel. It is one of the few barrier islands left that hasn’t been commercialized.” There’s one grocery store and handful of restaurants that can be counted on hand.
There must be something to the charm that Pettit describes. An estimated 350,000 people visit the state park each year.
“Typically, our busy season starts to pick up in March with spring breaks. It will be full blown busy season in June and usually stays that way until about October,” Pettit said. “With the exception of the holidays, it’s pretty quiet from November-February.”
If cast netting is not your thing, the state park has other activities. These include 1.5 miles of beach, four moles of ADA accessible trails, a boat ramp, and a fishing dock. The Environmental Learning Center highlights Edisto Island and the ACE Basin, which refers to the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Basin. This is considered one of the largest undeveloped estuaries along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. It encompasses parts in Colleton, Charleston, and Beaufort counties in South Carolina, with the Ashepoo, Combahee and South Edisto rivers combining into the larger St. Helena Sound.
“Since Edisto Island is a place to unwind, our visitors enjoy walking along our beach, hiking our trails, fishing, kayaking, boating, and just being immersed in nature,” Pettit summarized. “Here at our Environmental Learning center, we also offer a variety of educational and recreational programs for guests.”
In addition to the cast netting program, the state park offers programs on reptiles and turtles that are especially kid-friendly. The park is a nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles. Other wildlife includes white-tailed deer, raccoon and opossum.
Edisto State Park is one of four coastal state parks. It encompasses 1,255 acres. Seven designated hiking and biking trails traverse the various habitats, from the beach through the maritime forest of live oak, hanging Spanish moss and palmetto trees. The Edisto Bike Trail connects the beach area of the park with the town of Edisto.
The park is also rooted in history, with a shell midden located on the park. It was created by the Edisto Native Americans. This dates back more than 4,000 years. Edisto Island was part of the seacoast measured in 1840 and landmarks from that survey are still present and accessed via one of the trails.
Edisto State Park was established in 1935 from land donated by the Edisto Company. It benefited from the Civilian Conservation Corps, part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, which built many of the park’s buildings still in use today. It is also listed as a National Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Town of Edisto Beach also maintains beachfront parks for the enjoyment of visitors and residents. These areas are dog-friendly but require dogs to be leashed from May – October and under control of the owner the rest of the year.
At the state park, dogs are not allowed in the cabins or cabin areas but are welcome throughout the park if they are under owner’s control or on a leash not longer than six feet. Owners will be asked to remove noisy or dangerous pets or pets that threaten or harass wildlife.
Park admission is $8 for adults; $5 for South Carolina seniors; $4 per child ages 6-15; and free for children 5 and younger.
Edisto State park has a beachfront campground and the Live Oak Campground. There are 115 RV sites with water and 50-amp electric that can accommodate up to 50-foot rigs. “We do not have full hookups, but we do have a dump station, Pettit added.
Edisto Beach State Park campgrounds are Preferred Properties with MobileRVing.com. Learn more about the campgrounds here.
Adventure, Camping, Education, Family Friendly, Outdoors, South Carolina, State Parks