May 11, 2016 — Anglers cast a wide range of opinions on assorted topics. For instance, some stress the advantages of live bait, while others hail artificial lures.
So it’s no surprise that anglers along the South Carolina coast don’t all agree that lower limits are needed to protect the red drum.
That species, also known as redfish and inaccurately called the spot-tail bass (it does have a spot on its tail, but it’s not a bass) in these parts, has long been among the most popular saltwater catches in these parts.
But as Bo Petersen reported in last week’s Post and Courier, a revised federal assessment could eventually mean tighter restrictions on how many — and what sizes — of those tasty fish you can catch.
That’s not just big news for anglers.
That’s big news for the big business of spot-tail fishing here, which has been pegged as a $600 million annual enterprise in South Carolina.