Every bit as foreboding as roofing nails are to car tires, the oyster bar beginning to appear on the falling tide revealed danger to my fishing line. But at the same time, it beckoned me to cast.

I knew a fish of some sort, probably a spottail bass, had to be hanging around this structure. The oysters, with their baitfish-hiding crevices, are an oasis for inshore saltwater fish roaming coastal creeks.

My raised rod whipped forward, sending a float rig setup hurling through the humid air toward the oysters.

Plunk.

Despite the pile of hardware and bait, the rig landed rather peacefully. I reeled in the slack, the monofilament line quickly became as taut as a radio antenna guide wire.

The float rig drifted with the tide on the outside of the oyster bar. The fluorescent float seemed like a warning beacon to anything that would stray near the knife-edged oysters.

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Within seconds of landing and barely drifting 5 feet, the float went under like something had swallowed it. The action surged through the line right to my hand already on the reel.

I tried to provide resistance and turn the fish, but all efforts were futile. The fish ran parallel to the marsh grass. Briefly, as if bowing up for another powerful run, the copper back of a spottail fish broke the surface. I was hooked to an inshore freight train.

With a swing of its wide tail, the spottail lashed another swirl of water. That would end the fight. My line went slack. The telltale clean slice of an oyster on the monofilament line allowed the fish to escape.

The fortunate thing about saltwater fishing in South Carolina is the action is normally fast paced. Within minutes, without moving the boat, I was hooked onto another spottail.

Whether you own a boat or not, the salt waters of South Carolina support a multitude of species that make saltwater fishing a 365-day event. Here's a profile of five species that can provide year-round action.

SPOTTAIL BASS
Spottail bass, as they are locally called, are also known as redfish, puppy drum or channel bass. They are by far the most popular inshore saltwater fish in South Carolina.

Their popularity is a result of a combination of brawn, beauty and delectable flesh. Spottail bass are tough looking fish. They feature a broad head with a chiseled snout, large scales and prominent fins. Spottails would definitely be the bully of the schoolyard.

For all their blue-collar looks, they are mesmerizing. A deep copper color lies along the sleek lines of their back. An aqua blue tinge fringes the fins, especially on the tail, and a marble-like spot, sometimes more than one, anchors the rearward section of the fish.

As if that wasn't enough, spottails also taste good on the table. The fish's firm white meat is yummy fried, grilled or baked.

With all of these attractive features one can easily determine why spottail bass are so popular.

There is another reason, however.

"Spottails can be caught all year," said Capt. Peter Brown, a Charleston-based fishing guide who plies several bodies of water annually. "In the winter when the water is clear, we sight-fish for them. Later in the summer, we're usually setting up in known areas.