On September 26, Capt. Tom Cushman of Capt Cush Calmwater Charters posted a Murrells Inlet trip that most South Grand Strand anglers would envy. It included a 42-inch redfish, several 15- to 18-inch reds and a 21-inch, 4-pound flounder, according to his FishingBooker report. Two weeks later, on October 9, he logged a 29-inch red, "a couple fat 18-19" flounder" and the "biggest bluefish we have seen in a long while."

Neither of those reds can be kept this year. South Carolina's keeper slot for red drum now runs from 18 to 25 inches. The 42-inch fish was 17 inches over the cap, and the 29-inch fish was 4 inches over. This is the first fall under the new law. At the Pier at Garden City and along the surf on either side of it, the reds people hope for in autumn are now mostly fish you photograph and let go.

What Changed on July 1

Bill 961, enacted as Act 231, was signed on May 19, 2026, and its red drum provisions took effect July 1, 2026. The eRegulations summary of South Carolina's finfish limits, last updated August 11, 2026, compares the two rule sets side by side:

The push came from the regional level. In October 2025 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved an addendum requiring South Carolina and Georgia to propose measures achieving at least a 14.4% reduction in fishing mortality to end overfishing in the southern stock. SCDNR's 2026–27 regulations guide states plainly that the state was "required to reduce overall harvest of Red Drum as the species is currently in the overfished category." In a South Carolina Public Radio report from May, SCDNR marine resources deputy director Blaik Keppler called the measure a step toward rebuilding a sustainable fishery.

The slot moved in both directions. The bottom rose 3 inches and the top rose 2. A 16-inch red that was legal last fall now goes back, and a 24-inch red that went back last fall can now be kept. Anything past 25 inches stays off limits, which describes most of the big reds in this fall's reports.

Why the Upper Edge Matters Most in Autumn

When the law took effect, WMBF talked to anglers in Murrells Inlet. David Rapp explained the reasoning behind the size change: "These red drum are breeder-type fish when they get over the size of 25, and we just want to make sure that we have these fish for future generations."

Fall is when those breeder-size fish move along this beach. SCDNR's seasonal outlook for the South Grand Strand says October surf fishing should include a mullet run along with bull red drum, weakfish, Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. Local charter reports from Murrells Inlet this season match that outlook:

• September 26: a 42-inch redfish plus 15- to 18-inch reds, from Capt Cush Calmwater Charters.
• October 9: a 29-inch red, with mullet "thick" at 3 to 5 pounds even as the run was "winding down," from the same captain.
• October 11: "a couple Big Redfish" among plenty of bait after a storm, from Catch 1 Fishing Charters.

These were boat trips inside and around the inlet, not catches from the pier deck. They show what is moving through the water a few miles south of the Garden City Pier. When the bait is mullet and the season is fall, the reds that come with it tend to be the big ones, and the 25-inch cap was written for exactly those fish.

The Hook Rule That Comes With Cut Mullet

The same law added a tackle requirement that pier anglers are most likely to run into. Any time you fish natural bait, cut or live, on a hook 4/0 or larger for saltwater game fish, the hook has to be a non-offset, non-stainless-steel circle hook. Smaller hooks and artificial lures carry no restriction.

That covers the standard fall red drum setup. PierCast's Garden City Pier guide recommends live shrimp or cut mullet for red drum, live minnows or mud minnows for flounder, and shrimp or bloodworms for whiting and spot. A chunk of mullet on a large hook aimed at a bull red falls under the circle-hook rule. A small hook baited with bloodworm for whiting does not.

SCDNR's own research explains the rule. Its red drum hook study found that non-offset circle hooks lip-hook red drum more than 90% of the time, and more fish are released alive than with J-hooks or offset circles. In a season when the largest reds have to be released, how the fish was hooked has a lot to do with whether it survives the release.

Getting a Bull Red Back Over the Rail

SCDNR's catch-and-release guidance for red drum is simple. Bring the fish in quickly, release it quickly, and don't hold it out of the water while someone gets a camera ready. For adult red drum, the agency says leaving the fish in the water and photographing it there is best. The agency also hosts a short red drum release video with tips for handling large fish.

The older introductory text on that SCDNR page still shows the pre-2026 limits. For current bag and slot numbers, use the 2026–27 guide.

Keeping a 40-inch fish in the water is easier from a boat than from a pier deck high above the surf. On the pier, a short fight on a circle hook and a quick release with the photo already planned give you the closest version of SCDNR's advice.

What Your Pier Wristband Covers

The Pier at Garden City's fishing page lists the current basics:

1. Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with 24/7 fishing during the summer season.
2. Daily pass: $12 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under. The pass runs 24 hours, from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. the next day, and you can come and go as long as you keep the wristband on.
3. Rod rental: $10 per rod.
4. Longer passes: weekly and season passes are sold in the Tackle Shop.
5. Rules: two rods per person maximum, shark fishing prohibited under South Carolina law, and all SCDNR size and limit rules enforced.

The pier pass also covers your license. The pier's page says "no fishing license required," and SCDNR's 2026–27 guide includes an exception to the recreational saltwater license for fishing on a licensed public fishing pier. The pier's page has no posted date and no winter schedule, so call the Tackle Shop to confirm hours before a cold-morning trip.

What Stays on the Stringer This Fall

With most big reds off limits, a fall day on the Garden City Pier has shifted toward the other fish in the water. PierCast lists red drum and flounder at peak season on this pier, with whiting and spot biting. On October 12, Capt Cush Calmwater Charters reported flounder, redfish, whiting and bluefish in Murrells Inlet, including a "Nice Flounder back in the inlet." Three days later, Catch 1 Fishing Charters reported Spanish mackerel back in the inlet. Angler's Headquarters put the South Grand Strand morning water temperature near 70°F in its Week 43 report, dated October 23.

You can still keep a red that falls inside the slot, one per person per day and two per boat. On a pier, the per-person limit is the one that applies. Charter boats are capped at two red drum no matter how many people are aboard, WMBF reported.

In that same WMBF story, Murrells Inlet angler Rayburn Poston pointed out what the law leaves alone: "We are still able to go fishing; this is not North Carolina, where they say you cannot fish at all or they give you two weeks. You can still go fishing." A captain identified only as Capt. Jack described the change in a sentence: "Fishing nowadays is more so of having fun and catching fish than what you can let go to catch tomorrow."

This post summarizes published rules as general information. It is not legal advice, so check the current SCDNR regulations before you keep any fish.

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