This is worth a watch if you have the time. The committee unanimously approved the bill with lively and informed discussion. No political games whatsoever. A very big thank you to Sen. Campsen for introducing the bill and for the committee’s support. And thank you to those who traveled to the statehouse to give testimony.
Cliff Notes =
These new rules start July 1, 2026
gotta use a 4/0 non-stainless hook or larger (when live bait fishing)
cant offset the hook either
1 fish per day per man
2 fish per boat
18 inch minimum
25 inch maximum
grass carp…, ,…go figure. Thats good if you live along the coast and can go catch one or two ever so often to eat I suppose. But what about all the guys in Fort Mill and Orangeburg, just saying that’s a long way to go for a blackened redfish sandwich.
I blame Justin Wilson. Really. You might have to google him, but he’s worth the click, I gar-ron-tee
anyway, trust the science? just look at the ARS population now and it’s hard to argue with the barbawangs of the world. Really
thats all I got
I like Justin and Jacques
Now if we could only get some protection for the flounder
SCDNR could stop the outlaws if they were a little more aggressive towards the crabbers and illegal immigrants
Those guys keep everything
The old warden’s like Edward Mitchum and Victor Lincoln would not allow it
If you watch that video the “illegal” taking of fish by the tan man was addressed a couple of times. That Ravenel guy with the killer moustache layed it out pretty good . It’s towards the end of that video
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Good presentation on the sustainability of red drum, makes sense. @Optiker @barbawang do they not monitor flounder stock?
Thanks for the summary. I believe it is a non-stainless, non-offset hook. This is the same as has been required offshore for a while. Works fine.
Not a good inshore fisherman but clean a lot of fish and like eating it. No fan of overly restrictive regulations but redfish limits are pretty tight already.
An 18 inch red drum should weigh about twice what a 15 inch fish weighs and will yield double the meat. A 25 inch fish should be roughly 3x the food as 18 inch. Especially if you have a live well, should be able to get as much food with the new regs using fewer animals. Seems like a decent bargain.
Online Redfish Weight Calculator
You are correct, Justin Wilson was the man. Best garlic bread recipe ever.
New Orleans Cajun, Justin Wilson - Garlic Bread
Not fair to blame Justin Wilson for redfish declines. Paul Prudhomme at the great K-Paul’s restaurant was the inventor of blackened redfish.
Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Recipe
Here is the text of the legislation, quick read and much quicker than listening to the hearing.
2025-2026 Bill 961: Red Drum - South Carolina Legislature Online
I edited to correct my stainless to non-stainless mistake. I suck at proofredding. (see what I did there)
I blame them both, lol. but I stand corrected, PotBelly Paul was the man.
for me and my preferences , when you start measuring redfish in “feet” they are absolutely eatable, but no longer palatable. At 30 inches I find them to be worthless, but that’s just me maybe. Plus those bigger fish are more likely to be breeder females, so there is that.
I had no idea that three inches (from 15 to 18) doubled a grass carps weight, so that’s good info for sure.
I’m gonna try that garlic bread recipe soon too.
good stuff
The 4/0 hook requirement seems difficult to implement and enforce. Little creek shrimp on a 4/0?
The hook requirement has had some confusion. Its only if you’re using 4/0 or larger hooks and only if you’re fishing live or cut bait. It’s intended to help improve release mortality for bull reds.
Importantly, this is not law - it just unanimously passed the senate committee meeting. It now goes to the House for debate.
Flounder won’t be on the docket any time soon. That was addressed a few years ago where we reduced the creel, upped the lower slot to 16", and added the flounder stocking program. By the way, the first release of stocked flounder is happening soon in Murrell’s Inlet. It will be a big media event.
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Yeah I don’t understand people that fish for bull reds
They are illegal to keep
And they’re just killing the breeder stock
Dumasses
Go catch a jack or a reef donkey if you want to fight something
I wish they would make it illegal to bring an oversized spotail out of the water
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Most guides these days might starve without pictures of a big breeder drum under a toothy sunburnt smile for the guests to go home with to show off. They need that “money shot” for the bigger payday. I get it
Not all guides, you guys remember that hack that encouraged his dumbarse guests to gig snook under lights at night?
Crazy world we fish in
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Guides are a bunch of punks that can’t get a real job
What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?
A good start
Hahaha
so @sman, as the story goes… …
The fence that divides Heaven and Hell was falling down, in disrepair, and more insecure than parts of Texas and New Mexico.
So the lawyers in Hell got together and wrote a letter to Peter at the Pearly Gates and pretty much said The Saints were in charge of fixing the fence.
Well, as you can imagine, a few weeks go by with no answer. But then, guess what, a certified letter from Saint Peter himself arrives to the lawyers in Hell.
It reads like this…,.,Lawyers of Hell, We the Saints must accept full responsibility for fixing and maintaining the Fence due to the simple fact that we don’t have a single lawyer up here to represent us.
Signed,
St Peter and the Saints
true story,
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Correct. Or use DiezelEye 8/0 jigs if you’re slinging a Z-Man!