An S.C. Senate committee passed a bill aiming to improve sustainability requirements around an iconic game fish species that’s a favorite of local Beaufort fishermen. Yes, they are looking at putting limits on redfish.
The Fish, Game, and Forestry Committee unanimously voted in support of creating tighter restrictions on bag and slot limits for red drum (redfish).
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has determined the population has been overfished.
Two stock assessments were done, one in 2024 by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the other in 2025 by SCDNR. Both produced similar results, showing a need for a nearly 25% fishing reduction was necessary. Feedback from surveys, focus groups, and public meetings were also taken into account.
Ben Dyar, director of fisheries management for the DNR Marine Resources Division, described this bill as a part of their goal to proactively manage species instead of waiting until populations drop beyond repair.
“Even though they are overfished currently, we are kind of heading it off and being able to make changes now where we can course correct and make an adjustment so the population can rebuild itself and get to a sustainable level,” Dyar said. “We don’t want to wait any further and then have to make even further drastic changes down the line.”
The bill would limit one red drum per person and no more than two per boat on one day. As for the slot size, the fish would need to be between 18 and 25 inches long to be kept. Experts added it could take the species between seven to 30 years to rebound.
S. 961 heads to the House next, with hopes of it passing this legislative session after the S.C. Senate committee imposed limits on redfish.
Locals love redfish. Tourists who are looking for a good fishing vacation flock to the Beaufort area in search of them, and they’ve been one of the most abundant trophy fish in the area for a long time. Commonly known as red drum in scientific and many regulatory contexts, they are frequently called redfish, channel bass, or spottail bass here on the Southeast coast.
