Why fall changes everything
Water temperature is the single biggest driver of the fall bite on the Grand Strand. Once the surf drops through the mid-seventies, bait balls tighten up against the pilings and red drum follow them in.
Reading the tide
The two hours either side of a rising high tide put the most water over the sandbar. That is when cut mullet on a Carolina rig earns its keep.
Gear that holds up
- 8 to 10 foot surf rod
- 20 to 30 lb braid with a 40 lb fluorocarbon leader
- 5/0 circle hooks, always — they hook in the corner of the jaw and release clean
Keep it legal
South Carolina runs a 15–23 inch slot on red drum with a two fish per person limit. Anything outside the slot goes back.