David Thomas
The Saltwater South: Charleston
Here are the stories of men and women who make their living working on the waters of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Shelley Chance
David Thomas has been fishing commercially for the past twenty-five years. He was born and raised in Conway, South Carolina, where his father ran a grocery store. He spent his summers in Ponce Inlet, Florida, where his uncle fished commercially and ran Timmons Fish Camp. David decided the only practical job for him was to fish, but today he say government regulations make his work difficult. He fishes with a standup rod known as a bandit reel, which drops a bungee cord directly into a current using circle hooks, which catch the outside of the fish’s lip. David and his crew set out for all kinds of catch, including grouper, snapper, triggerfish. When he comes back to the dock, he sells his catch to Crosby’s Fish & Shrimp on James Island in Charleston.
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