Red Drum

Season

Peak months: Sep, Oct.

SCDNR: present year-round, adults return nearshore in spring and spawn late summer/fall near inlets and beaches. Local: bull reds peak in October in inlets and off beaches; bulls at jetties in September and nearshore in November. (Our inference)

Where to find them

Deep troughs, cuts through the bar, the down-current side of cuts, and around inlets and jetties.

Often in the first trough, sometimes right at your feet in the wash.

What to look for

Darker water of a deep trough, a gap where waves are not breaking (a cut), mullet moving along the beach.

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Gold spoon (weedless style)1/2 to 3/4 oz, 2.5 to 3 in. Slow to medium wobble with occasional pauses near the bottom of the trough.

Topwater popper or walk-the-dog plug1 to 2 oz, 4 to 6 in. Popper: sharp pops with pauses. Walker: rhythmic side-to-side twitches.

Bait

Cut mullet or menhaden, Live finger mullet, Fresh shrimp, Blue crab (quartered). Fish-finder rig, 3 to 4 oz sinker, 18 in 40 to 60 lb leader, 5/0 to 8/0 circle hook (circle hook required with natural bait at 4/0 and up).

Leader

18 to 24 in of 30 to 60 lb mono or fluorocarbon, heavier for bull reds.

Common mistakes

• Casting over the fish into the outer bar when they are in the first trough
• Setting the hook hard on a circle hook; just reel tight
• Keeping a bull red: anything over 25 in must go back

Landing

Use waves to slide the fish up; for big fish keep it in the wash, unhook, and release quickly.

Handling and safety

• Heavy, strong fish; sharp gill rakers

Support big fish horizontally, keep them wet, release quickly. Do not hold up oversize bulls by the jaw.

Keep or release

Slot only: 18 to 25 in, 1 per person per day (new July 1, 2026). Large spawning bulls go back.

Recipes for red drum

Typical: About 18 in, 2.6 lb. Large: Bull reds 30 to 45 in. SC record 75 lb (1965).

South Carolina limits

• Minimum: 18 in TL
• Maximum: 25 in TL (slot)
• Bag: 1 per person per day
• Boat: 2 per boat per day
• Season: Open year-round
• Effective July 1, 2026 (was 15-23 in, 2 per person)
• Rod and reel and gig only; gigging closed Dec 1 to Feb 28
• Possession prohibited in federal waters
• Gamefish: cannot be sold
• Circle hook required with natural bait at 4/0 and up

Last checked 2026-10-07. A summary, not legal advice; the official rules win. SC DNR fishing regulations.

Sources

• SCDNR species profile: red drum (Official source)
• SCDNR Saltwater Fishing Trends (pier operator forecasts) (Angler knowledge)
• Fisherman's Post North Myrtle Beach / Little River reports 2025-2026 (Angler knowledge)
• Gregg Holshouser Grand Strand fishing reports, 2019-2020 (mirror) (Angler knowledge)
• SC finfish size and catch limits 2026-2027 (eRegulations, linked from SCDNR), last updated Aug 11, 2026 (Official source)
• WMBF: new red drum rules take effect July 1 (S.961) (Angler knowledge)

All the fish of Myrtle Beach