Photo by Robert H. Cleveland Jr.

Once school's out and the kids starting running around, most families are looking for something fun to do. Fortunately, South Carolina is chock-full of family fishing and outdoors opportunities. In fact, there's hardly anyplace better to plan a family adventure trip than in South Carolina. Whether you enjoy the coast, Lowcountry, Piedmont or Upstate regions, there are lakes, rivers, ponds, streams and an ocean that offer you a great family adventure.

If you haven't taken the time to plan a family fishing adventure, or you're looking for somewhere new to go, we have some great tips and starting points for you here. Whether you're looking for a day trip, weekend adventure or an entire vacation, there's no reason to leave our great state.

I've learned several things taking kids fishing for the past 30 years and that's to keep things basic and simple. Most of the time, they are not as much into patience and trophy fish as they are into "head count."

For example, a dozen 1- to 3-pound channel catfish are likely to be better for them than one 10-pound catfish. Veteran anglers would likely see it different, but for a fun-filled trip, keep a youngster's energy and attention span in perspective.

We're going to give you a list of opportunities where action and fast-paced fun rules. Season these youngsters with action now and they will likely become a fishing buddy for a lifetime.

Sometimes small water is absolutely ideal for family adventures. Just to the north of Spartanburg (and not too far from Greenville) is the 1,600-acre Lake William C. Bowen. While not a huge lake compared with some waters in the state, this water is certainly large enough to handle family adventures and has an ideal mix of size and opportunity mixed with convenience.

The lake is impounded on the Pacolet River and is operated by the Spartanburg Water Works. You'll drive over it on I-26 north of Spartanburg and public access is excellent through a public boat ramp and fishing pier. There's also room for family picnic faculties at the access site as well. The access point is right off Highway 9, near New Prospect.

The lake is teeming with bream and that's what makes this lake special. My first trip to this lake was for largemouth bass and the lake certainly measures up well in that department, too. But the bream were on the beds on that early June trip, and after the bass fishing, I enjoyed some great bream action. The lake is ideal for fishing shallow water with light tackle or even bream-buster type equipment.

Even when the moon is not full and fish not bedding, June is a prime time to bream fish at Lake Bowen. In fact, in some regards it's even better for family fishing when the bream are not bedding. The bream will be scattered out all along the shallow-water shoreline and are easy "pickins' " for a crew of anxious anglers.

By easing the boat along the shoreline and casting or pitching crickets or redworms along the bank and woody cover, you'll catch scattered fish all along the way. During the bedding periods, you'll need to keep moving, looking for a concentration of hefty male bream. Either way, you can certainly catch plenty of fish to keep the entire family involved in the action.

For anyone in the Upstate area, this is a close, easy, fun and productive adventure just waiting on a family to happen.

The Lake Greenwood State Park is another outstanding family opportunity. Lake Greenwood is a prolific fish producer and there are two species of fish that families can key on during June for great success: bream and channel catfish.