If you and your family are shoreline fishing, you can randomly cast lines off the shoreline in the same way. Put some on the bottom, some with floats. Again, the successful pattern is the manner in which you'll want to eventually work all the rigs.

Another of my favorite family trips is to actually go to the coast and enjoy the fishing and crabbing opportunities there. Probably the area we've frequented the most over the years is the area around Folly Beach, just south of Charleston. There's a great beach as well as a big public boat-launching ramp just as you get onto Folly Island.

However, the basic idea of what I'm about to describe can be applied to practically any coastal area along South Carolina. The key is to fish for a smorgasbord of fish using shrimp as bait and to rig some crab lines with chicken backs. This is the double whammy approach that will generally keep the entire family busy either fighting fish or pulling in blue crabs. That's a perfect recipe for a great family fishing trip.

If possible, I'll use a boat simply because it does enable me to change locations if the fish are not biting at one spot. If you can anchor near the point of a creek and the river or along a shallow sandbar that drops into the river or deep saltwater creek, you'll be in business. You do need to note whether the tide is rising or falling and anchor your boat accordingly.

Rig some lines and cast the shrimp out around the boat in a fanlike fashion, generally toward the deeper water. I'll also drop some chicken backs, tied to some twine and just enough weight to sink the chicken to the bottom. Usually, we'll drop those under the boat or toss the lines toward the shallow water. Of course, tie the crab line to something in the boat.

Among the many species of fish that will bite the shrimp, which can include redfish and speckled trout, and the crabs on the hand lines, you'll have plenty going on. If you haven't crabbed like this before, it's simple. Simply give the chicken a few minutes to attract crabs, and if they're in the area, they'll be attracted to it. Slowly pull the line in, hand over hand, until you can see the piece of chicken and the crabs clinging to it. Use a dip net to swoop the crabs up and into the cooler. It's not unusual to catch a couple dozen blue crabs in this manner during a day, sometimes a lot more. For family adventures, it can be a great source of entertainment as well as great eating later on. Typically, with shrimp as bait, the fish will generally bite very well and between the two, along with the food, there should be fun for all.

If things do get slow, don't hesitate to pull onto a beach and let everyone walk and look for shells. That can be an excellent change of pace and it has always added good memories to our fish trips on the Folly River.

Lake Edgar Brown is a great destination for several reasons. One, it has excellent fishing for a variety of species of fish. Second, it's quite accessible and finally it offers great shoreline fishing opportunities.

Situated in downtown Barnwell, Lake Edgar Brown is a 100-acre lake managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). The lake provides outstanding bream, crappie and catfish action.

In fact, it's one area where family members, if they're all old enough to use bass tackle, can have a reasonably good chance to catch some largemouth bass on the family trip. This is especially true early and late in the day.