Folly Beach
Fishing Pier
Ross with a Nice Red
Go ahead and take some leave from work for the holiday season. And since you’ve got the free time, go shopping… for red drum! Besides boats and tackle, material items are overrated anyway. Instead, give your family and friends the gift of a fun fishing trip.
Red drum aren’t as active with the cooler temperatures; but on a bright sunny day, they’ll be searching for food. Start at daybreak, preferably with an incoming tide, and get a cozy spot out on the pier diamond. Once there, rig up some shrimp on a bottom rig, and then cast, sit and relax. When they strike, smaller red drum will fight with sporadic motions and jerky pulls, whereas bigger bull reds have a more consistent solid pull in one direction. Once landed, one can see their dark reddish color gleam off the scales on the back all the way to the spotted tail. However, be conscientious of fish that are not within slot limit, as they are more prone to exhaustion in the winter water. As always, know your South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ (SCDNR) regulations for catch and release to help sustain our wonderful Charleston waters.
Joey Crawford
Folly Beach Fishing Pier
jcrawford@ccprc.com