Through our education and fundraising efforts, CCA Skidaway and CCA Georgia have partnered with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division, to establish and enhance a number of artificial reefs along the Georgia Coast. The Georgia coast underwater environment mostly consists of sand and sea water, with few rock outcroppings. Hard surfaces are needed to enable the establishment of thriving reef ecosystems; they can’t happen on shifting sands. This video gives a bit of insight into the impact of these projects!
A slideshow of photos from the May 28, 2023 Kids’ Fishing Derby. The Derby planned for Saturday May 27 was postponed one day due to a heavy tropical depression that had brought bands of heavy rain to the entire southeast coast for days. Fortunately, the weather cooperated for Sunday May 28 and a great derby was had by all!
“Always be Yourself Unless You Can Be a Turtle” was featured at the Saturday, Sept 24th Cast Away Club Event. The Skidaway Island Audubon Diamondback Terrapin Rescue program has a huge following here on the Island. The rescue program is led by an enthusiastic group of Audubon Volunteers who monitor the nesting, relocation of eggs and release of the baby turtles here on the island. There were live baby turtles for everyone to touch and hold. Kids also learned how the mama turtles dig their nests, lay their eggs, and finally cover up the nest to protect their eggs. That is when the rescue program begins. After the session kids and their parents had an opportunity to fish together from 9:30 until 11:00. Rods, reels and bait, were provided by Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Skidaway. Our Google Photos album for the event is below.
UPDATE – here’s some of the action at the event – Many thanks to all our talented and dedicated volunteers! Here’s a Flickr album of some of the action on 3/9/22 =============================== Volunteers Are Needed! This year we will be conducting our Electro- Fishing project on March 8th and 9th.Electro -Fishing is one of the tools we use to determine the health of our lagoon which we use for stocking in April. Using a boat that sends a a slight shock to the water we scoop fish, weigh, measure, and release. Anyone interested in watching or participating please send an e-mail to Rich Hackett at Richard.j.hackett@gmail.com or call 922-598-9185 and you will be included. We will meet at The Public Works building each day of the event at 8:30. We plan to shock 15 lagoons each day and will take most of the day. Please arrive in a golf cart if possible and bring your lagoon guide if you have one. You may watch or help scoop as time permits Rich Hackett Richard.j.hackett@gmail.com H 922-598-9185C 330-564-8971
The annual Fly-Fishing Film Tour is a traveling roadshow of the best fly-fishing films in the world. Through a submission process, films are selected to bring some of the best content to the big screen in your hometown. The F3T is more than just the film, our shows aim to create community, inspire, encourage and support conservation efforts worldwide. Each evening is complete with a live emcee, raffle & door prizes from our premium sponsors, local fly shops and more. Come for the action, stay for the camaraderie, all while helping to raise money for the waters we love. So, get ready to kick back, drink a beer or your beverage of choice, enjoy the cinematography that will get you stoked on the season ahead. Get tickets for the tour or find out more info on our Schedule & Tickets page Click Here or at a partnered fly shop. Stay tuned for news about exclusive benefits and perks offered to our Outside+ members Click Here . To Follow the F3T on social media @flyfishingfilmtour for more information Click Here
A SHOCKING TALE Professional fisheries biologists, Skidaway chapter Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) volunteers and Skidaway CCA chapter board member, Rich Hackett, recently created shockwaves in our quiet community, quite literally that is. It was all part and parcel of our annual electrofishing program, one of several science-based survey methods, along with salinity testing and seining, designed to help ensure healthy and growing fish populations in our freshwater lagoons. As the name implies, electrofishing uses electricity to temporarily stun fish so they may be weighed and measured. The process is not harmful to fish, which return to their natural state within a few minutes after being caught. The main purpose for conducting an electrofishing analyses is to determine the health of a lagoon based on predator/prey ratios. In our freshwater lagoons, the main predator species are largemouth bass and black crappie. Prey species include bluegill, redear sunfish, threadfin shad, and gizzard shad. A bass-crowded lagoon, for example, will contain larger numbers of small, skinny bass in the 12–14-inch range, experiencing stunting in their growth. Such waters become bass-crowded due to a lack of bass harvest. Despite this unbalanced state, bass will continue to reproduce and consume all […]
“CAST AWAY CLUB” TO KICK OFF ON SATURDAY, JUNE 19th CCA Readies 2nd Year of Youth, Nature/Angling Program Parents and youth leaders agree about the value of Skidaway youngsters not only spending time outdoors but also learning more about our island’s varied natural environment and our abundant fish and wildlife species. A great way to help achieve these goals is through The Skidaway Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA) youth nature and fishing program, the “CAST AWAY CLUB.” Inaugurated in the summer of 2019 and paused last year through the COVID-19 pandemic, this popular program is set to debut on Saturday, June 19th, 9:00 to 10:30 at our Kid’s Fishing Lagoon located adjacent to the Oakridge Fire Station, near Crossover Bridge on Westcross at Log Landing Rd. This first session will include hands on learning about local fish topped off with a session of Fish Bingo (with prizes!) and time for family fishing. Rods, reels and bait will be provided by CCA volunteers. Monthly programs through the summer will feature sessions on bees, bats, a variety of reptiles and hands-on nature crafts. Summer sessions are limited to 20 children (12 and under, accompanied by parent/guardian). Registration is […]
The January 2022 CCA Meeting discussed National Wildlife Refuges. Below is a YouTube video of the meeting: