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The South Carolina General Assembly passed a law reducing the daily catch limit for red drum from three fish to two per day and imposed a daily limit of six red drum per boat.
Size and creel limits for spotted sea trout, flounder, red drum, and gray trout taken in inland waters are the same as the recreational limits for those species in adjacent joint and coastal waters. What is bothersome to Bell is that the majority of red drum are released, as all states have a slot limit to abide. In South Carolina, the slot limit is 15-23 inches with a daily bag limit of. Redfish Season: All year redfish are in season. Redfish must be between 18 and 27-inches (slot limit). In the northeast section of Florida (see map below) by Georgia, you can take two fish per day. Everywhere else is one redfish per day.
The beaches of South Carolina’s Hunting Island State Park are a surf angler’s dream-come-true when bull redfish take up residence in the suds.
November 01, 2016 at 7:00 am Mobile Reader Print
| Phillip Gentry |
Many fishermen look forward to fall, when the crowds are gone and bull redfish begin showing up. |
Surf-fishing for bull redfish has a long and storied history and tradition along the North Carolina coast. Anglers outfit their trucks with brush guards featuring integrated rod racks and fill the beds with coolers, chairs and tackle to drive out on the beach to where giant redfish roll in the waves.
Despite regulation changes that have hampered beach access and restricted vehicular traffic, surf-fishing remains immensely popular in the Tarheel State. A few hundred miles down the beach in South Carolina, anglers can’t drive on the beach, but in certain locations in the Palmetto State, you’re likely to have the whole beach to yourself.
Ken Swartley has it made. He lives on Lady’s Island, just inland from Hunting Island in Beaufort County, S.C., and he spends as much time as he can surf-fishing on the deserted end of Hunting Island State Park. He fishes throughout the summer, and he really looks forward to fall, when the crowds are gone and bull redfish begin showing up.
“I’ve caught them all over Hunting Island, just out off the beach,” he said. “There is really no specific things to look for, other than you have to get your bait out past the second sand bar; that’s where they seem to be.”
Like any good surf angler, Swartley uses the tide to his advantage. He can pick out what little sandbar cover may be available, even though the fish don’t seem to care.
“I like fishing the incoming tide,” Hartley said. “Actually, more like an hour before is when I like to be set up. So I actually start fishing the dead low, right off the beach, which is kind of strange, because there’s no real structure. The fish just seem to wander behind the surf line this time of year.”
From September through October and into November, mullet runs will occur around most mid-sized to larger inlets along the South Carolina coast, often wrapping around to the front beaches, and bull redfish definitely key on this bait.
Swartley is a bit unconventional when it comes to terminal tackle. Many anglers prefer a Carolina rig with a big circle hook, but he chooses to use a more-common, commercially made rig.
“It’s the same sort of two-hook rig you can buy at K-Mart or any of the local tackle shops,” he said. “It has two dropper lines about 6 inches long to which I attach simple, J-style hooks. I use about a 4-ounce pyramid sinker to weigh it down.”
Swartley is just as practical when it comes to his tackle. He said he likes to keep the “surf” in surf fishing so he only uses rods of moderate length, at least by surf-fishing standards.
“My surf rods are 12-footers, medium to medium-heavy action spinning rods, and I usually spool the reels with 15 to 20-pound test line. I recently made the move from 15 to 20 because of the late-season sharks and the fact the pyramid often gets buried deep in the sand when the baits sit a while.”
Swartley is a big fan of cut mullet for bait and prefers fresh mullet, although he has used frozen mullet with some success. Fortunately, mullet aren’t too hard to come by.
“I have a couple of different holes I go to before I head to the beach where I cast-net bait,” said Swartley. “My preferred mullet range anywhere from 8 inches or bigger. What I’ll do is cut two pieces out of the mullet so I have one mullet per rig. I don’t use the head, and I don’t use the tail. I cut the head off and the tail off, cut the body through the middle, and there are my two pieces of bait.”
At the same time, whiting — common along beaches, near inlets, and the mouths of larger coastal sounds throughout the fall — become more active. A piece of cut whiting is the another good bait.
Although Swartley fishes from the beach most of the year, he said it’s the fall that seems to be most attractive to the bull redfish. At most any other time of the year, he explained — with the exception of winter — sharks are pretty thick and will not allow a piece of cut bait to soak very long.
“Those sharpnoses, they’ll just tear you up” Swartley said. “When the reds start coming around, the sharpnoses seem to be on their way out. You might run into a blacktip or something like that, but for the most part, your bait is just going to sit out there or you’re going to get a redfish.”
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DESTINATION INFORMATION
HOW TO GET THERE — Hunting Island State Park is on Hunting Island in Beaufort County; it encompasses all of the land mass east of US 21, including the beach areas. I-95 and US 21 are the main access routes. Most surf fishermen prefer the south end of the island, which get less beach traffic.
WHEN TO GO — Redfish, especially mature bull reds, start to make their way out of inlets into the nearshore ocean in October; they’ll stay there through November, offering a solid six weeks of great surf-fishing action.
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BEST TECHNIQUES — Surf anglers fare best using fresh cut bait like mullet, whiting, spot or croaker fished on a single- or double-hook rig outside the surf line. Incoming tide is typically best for finding adult redfish cruising outside the breakers. Anglers can keep three reds per day, but they must fall within the 15- to 23-inch slot limit. Most reds caught in the surf will be exceed 23 inches, so take care to release these fish unharmed.
FISHING INFO/GUIDES — Hunting Island State Park, Hunting Island, S.C., 843-838-2011, www.southcarolinaparks.com/huntingisland. A South Carolina saltwater fishing license is required.
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ACCOMMODATIONS — Camping is available at the northern end of the park. Each site has water and electrical hookups. Some sites accommodate RVs up to 40 feet, others up to 28 feet. Hot showers and restroom facilities are on site. For reservations, call 866-345-7275. Reservations must be for a minimum of two nights.
MAPS — Maps Unique, 910-458-9923, www.mapsunique.com; Sealake Fishing Guides, 800-411-0185, www.thegoodspots.com.