Folly Current reporter gets some fishing tips before annual tournament returns to Folly Pier
by Jenny Peterson | Current Staff Writer
I had never fished in the Atlantic Ocean until a Tuesday in April when I arrived at the Folly Beach Fishing Pier and walked into the Charleston County Parks gift shop at the entrance of the newly rebuilt Folly landmark.
I arrived empty handed—no fishing rod, no bait, not even a fishing license—and within 10 minutes (and $30 later) I was casting out into the ocean just beyond the surf to start a relaxing day standing directly over the Atlantic Ocean.
Folly Beach has no shortage of things to do but, in my opinion, one of the most unique activities is fishing on the Folly Beach Fishing Pier which juts dramatically out from the shore.
As a Charleston resident for more than 20 years, I had been on my fair share of boats casting lines in our many waterways. But casting a line into the ocean with nothing but the horizon in the background? That was only something I had only seen other people do as I walked past them on scenic strolls down the 1,045-foot-long Folly Beach fishing pier, which reopened in 2022.
I have always been curious about fishing off the pier. When I learned how accessible it was for everyone—that you could rent a rod and buy bait and everything else you may need right there at the gift shop—I added it to my Charleston bucket list.
I’ll admit that over the years, the signs I read affixed to the pier regarding fishing and sharks was a bit intimidating: no fishing for them and no “chumming the water” to attract the predators.
While I do have fond memories of lake fishing in Mississippi with a cork and bobber growing up, the snarliest of the fish we’d hook was a small whiskered catfish.
As an ocean fishing newbie, the last thing I wanted to do was come nose-to-nose with a shark. Or a stingray.
This bucket list activity came to fruition on a beautiful April morning, prompted by an email I received from Charleston County Parks about its upcoming schedule of events for the Folly Fishing Pier.
On the schedule for the end of May was the return of the Cast Off Fishing Tournament, a morning of fishing with prizes given in several categories.
I noted that the Cast Off Fishing Tournament included a kid’s contest—surely, fishing off the pier couldn’t be that daunting if kids are encouraged to sign up. The email included photos of past tournaments with elementary school children showing off their ocean hauls, which sealed the deal for me.
I packed light—nothing but my wallet and sunscreen—and showed up at the gift shop. A day pass ($7 for adults; $4 for seniors and children, with yearly passes available) covers all-day fishing and takes the place of a fishing license. There’s a refundable deposit to rent a rod and it’s $15 to rent it for the day, or you can bring your own. While choosing your rod, you get to see photos of fishermen, some from the 1990s, and their record catches on the wall including black drum, cobia, pompano, King mackerel, Spanish mackerel, flounder and sheepshead.
Common catches off the pier are blue fish, sheepshead, spotted sea trout and whiting.
You can pick your bait from a menu, or you can bring your own. I was persuaded to choose frozen shrimp ($8) but there is also squid and chicken necks for sale—and I took the to-go container to the pier to find a spot to set up shop.
I could choose any spot on the side of the pier. Left or right, close to the shore or all the way to the diamond-shaped platform at the end. There are shaded options and long, open stretches where you can get plenty of sunshine and tables where you can clean your fish with a connected hose and trashcan for scraps.
The rods they have available to rent are 7-feet-6-inches long and come rigged with weighted double hooks. It was suggested that I cut a shrimp in half and put one half on the top hook, the other on the bottom. I then cast out into the ocean and saw the line effortlessly glide down to the water from the 22-feet-or-so perch from the top of the pier. I was told that some fishermen claim to have more luck dropping their lines straight down on the pilings.
The top of the pier is lined with white fishing rod holders every 15 feet or so, made of PVC piping. If you want more of a hands-off fishing experience, you can cast your line, place the rod in the holder, take a seat on the wooden bench and wait to see if the tip bends towards the water, indicating a fish on the line.
Or, you can hold onto the rod the entire time to try and feel for a bite. With these rods—and with ocean fishing in general—there are no bobbers. The goal is for a fish that’s swimming near the bottom of the seafloor to see your bait flowing with the current and chomp on it.
Noah O’Brien, the Folly Beach Pier Operations Manager II, is often outside on the pier excitedly checking out what fishermen bring up to the surface. He reassured me that sharks are generally a rare catch (he said bait should be no more than 2x2x2 inches to attract smaller and more desirable fish). O’Brien said a more recent accidental catch have been sea turtles over the past month, two which were caught and mended right away with the proper turtle watch groups alerted.
It’s OK if you need to cut your line if you catch a shark or stingray or get snagged on the artificial reef near the end of the diamond platform; the gift shop won’t charge you the first time. O’Brien said it’s a very dramatic scene when a fish is pulled up the tall pier and flops its way to freedom once it gets 20 feet up to the very top.
On the morning of my fishing adventure, I cast my line just past where the surf breaks, placed it in the holder and waited, chatting with O’Brien about fishing in general and keeping birds from stealing the bait—who knew they can use their beaks to pry open a to-go container!
My rod bent towards the water after a few minutes, pointing at whatever was on the line and I eagerly reeled it in. Other fishermen peered over to see what was on the line. My first Atlantic Ocean fish! I already pictured my photo on the wall of the store, adding to the hall of fame.
What happened next was quite surprising. I caught…a snail!?? It was a smaller version of a conch shell—but very much inhabited by a slug-like creature—a slug which had halfway devoured the shrimp and had been ensnared by the hook.
A lightening whelk? A knobbed whelk?
“I didn’t know these were just floating around out there!” I said as O’Brien took the creature off the rod and threw it back. Add that to the exciting things you can catch off the pier that you’d never find in a lake.
While that ended up being the only catch of my hour-long fishing morning, I’d like to say I’m hooked. I never thought that fishing could be so convenient; an all-inclusive activity where you just need to bring yourself and your wallet to start your fishing adventure in no time! I saw fishermen who had packed a lunch and sodas for the afternoon.
O’Brien said regular fisherman quite literally catch their dinner—a thought that makes me smile in the throes of deadlines and other laptop work.
A cold beer from the adjacent restaurant Pier 101 was very tempting post-fishing—especially with their chairs and tall tables overlooking the ocean.
Fishing on the Folly Pier is an activity where you really can’t beat the view, no matter how long you stay. Rent a rod for an hour or an entire day. Enjoy sunrise or sunset, or both.
If you need another reason to head out there, fishing in May is a good way to practice for the Cast Off Fishing Tournament set for Saturday, May 25 from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. No need to pre-register; sign up the day of the tournament at the gift shop. Another tournament will be held later in the summer on June 22 from 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The tournament will be just like my fishing morning—anyone can sign up and anyone can rent rods—or you can bring your own. The only difference is that the fish caught will be recorded and fishing-related prizes will be up for grabs, like coolers and fishing gear. The winners will almost certainly get their photo taken.
Whether at a tournament or on a random Tuesday morning, fishing off the Folly Beach Fishing Pier is a uniquely Folly Beach activity and thanks to Charleston County Parks, its couldn’t be easier to get set up and cast your line. Catching a whelk, that’s the hard part.
Tournaments offer awards for the Biggest 3 Fish by Weight, the Biggest Youth Catch (12 and under) and the Best 5 Fish (total weight). Participants are only eligible to win one category. Tournament registration fees are $12 for ages 13 and up, $9 for members of the military, $9 for seniors (60 and up) and ages 12 and under; $5 for all fishing pass holders. Adult chaperones are required for ages 15 and under. No pre-registration is required. On-site registration for tournaments begins the morning of the event. Parking fees are an additional charge at the Folly Pier.
Cast Off Fishing Tournament at the Folly Beach Pier. Saturday, May 25, 6 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, June 22, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. and Saturday, October 12, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
For more information, visit www.ccprc.com/2038/Cast-Off-Fishing-Tournaments.
