Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Ravenel.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was raised an only child by a single mother and my Grandfather. My Mother was the only female commercial crabber in the area. This was and still pretty much is a male-dominated industry and it was hard back breaking work; so you can imagine how determined she was to succeed. Whereas most of my friends’ Fathers taught them how to run a boat, find fish and navigate through the vast rivers and waterways we call the Lowcountry; my Mother taught me. She gave me my first boat when I was 10 years old and turned me loose in the river. Most kids had boundaries consisting of the end of a street or the edge of a neighborhood; mine were giant inlets that led out to the open ocean. It was hard for her to make a living and take care of me but she did it her way and that inspired me to be a second-generation commercial fisherman. Now it’s become a full circle and I have twin two-year-old daughters, Adelyn and Olivia. I hope to show them how to be stewards of the water in a way that they enjoy it for themselves but also carry on the lessons of conservation my Mother taught me.
Edisto is just outside of Charleston and it’s the beach that time forgot. We don’t have large hotels and t-shirt shops but our wetlands and fisheries rival any along the entire east coast.
October through March are prime-time spot tail bass and speckled sea trout. April through September are all about large migratory tarpon and big sharks as well as sheepshead, black drum, and cobia. Inshore never disappoints and you never know what’s around the river bend.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My Mother struggled with other male crabbers cutting her traps and stealing her catch for a couple of years in the beginning. Sometimes she would come home with no catch because of this and she would be distraught. We leaned on one another to stay positive during those times and we got through it together. However, after a while, the local crabbers developed a mutual respect for her since she stuck it out. That stayed with me as I became a young man. There have certainly been folks that think it’s silly I fish for a living but I just can’t imagine doing anything else and it makes me feel like a kid every day of the week! I keep my head up and remember what my Mother taught me about perseverance. I want my daughters to be strong like their Mother and Grandmother and I know they will be!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We offer inshore adventures. By inshore we mean most of our charters and tours take place within the rivers and creeks and inlets we call the lowcountry. My family has been in and around Charleston for over 300 years so we take pride in knowing the best spots for what you are looking for. I still take great pleasure in exploring and finding new hidden places in the lowcountry because it makes me feel like a kid again. You don’t have to go far from the dock to step back into time and see what this place looked like before people settled the area. Wildlife and secret spots are my specialties. Whether it’s fighting fish, interacting with bottle-nosed dolphin, digging up buried treasure or walking secret shell beaches we have you covered for your specific adventure.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Treating each and every person like they are my next potential best friend! I want them to feel like I do when I see a strand feeding dolphin or a big shiny shark’s tooth on a hidden beach. If they don’t want to go back to the dock when the trip is coming to an end then I know I did what I set out for.
Contact Info:
- Website: ravenelfishingcharters.com
- Instagram: @Justin_Ravenel
- Facebook: Ravenel Fishing Charters
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCnjd2XO_YKC12WFbRWo4N-w
Image Credits
Justin Ravenel
Tyler Bowman
