Fisheries Managers to Seek Input on Red Drum Regulation Change at Town Halls

February 17, 2026
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Georgia's Coastal Resources Division is firing up the town hall circuit in February 2026 to hash out tweaks to Red Drum fishing regs, sparked by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's grim 2024 stock assessment. The southern stock of these feisty black drum cousins—prized by inshore anglers for their acrobatic fights and buttery fillets—is officially overfished and undergoing overfishing. Picture this: miles of pristine Georgia coastline, from Tybee Island to Cumberland, where redfish schools once swirled like living silver, now demanding intervention to dodge collapse. DNR's dropping two public meetings to gather input, a smart move to avoid the top-down fiat that plagues so many resource regs. But here's the hook: while the feds and states play god with finned game, it's a stark reminder of how fragile our natural bounty is when mismanaged. Zoom out, and this isn't just about bait and tackle—it's a masterclass in regulatory creep that every 2A advocate should clock. Red Drum quotas echo the endless stock assessments bureaucrats use to justify gun grabs: declare a crisis (overfished? Try assault weapon epidemic), convene public input theater, then tighten the vice with bag limits, size restrictions, or outright closures. We've seen it with deer herds, duck stamps, and now reds—government wielding science like a blunt instrument to erode freedoms one species at a time. For the 2A community, the parallel is crystal: just as overregulation strangles sustainable hunting traditions, it threatens the armed citizen's right to self-defense. Show up to those town halls armed with facts, not just rods—push for harvest strategies that empower locals over D.C. desk jockeys. If reds rebound through targeted conservation (think slot limits and voluntary reporting), it proves markets and hunters self-regulate better than edicts. Fail that, and it's a slippery slope to rationing bullets alongside fillets. The implications ripple wide: sustainable fisheries bolster coastal economies, fueling marinas, guides, and tackle shops that overlap with the pro-2A heartland. Neglect them, and you erode the very culture of self-reliance that underpins our gun rights. Georgia anglers, mark your calendars—this is your Alamo for the cast-and-retrieve set. Rally, engage, and defend that heritage before the next assessment casts its net over more than just redfish.

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Georgia’s Coastal Resources Division is firing up the town hall circuit in February 2026 to hash out tweaks to Red Drum fishing regs, sparked by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s grim 2024 stock assessment. The southern stock of these feisty black drum cousins—prized by inshore anglers for their acrobatic fights and buttery fillets—is officially overfished and undergoing overfishing. Picture this: miles of pristine Georgia coastline, from Tybee Island to Cumberland, where redfish schools once swirled like living silver, now demanding intervention to dodge collapse. DNR’s dropping two public meetings to gather input, a smart move to avoid the top-down fiat that plagues so many resource regs. But here’s the hook: while the feds and states play god with finned game, it’s a stark reminder of how fragile our natural bounty is when mismanaged.

Zoom out, and this isn’t just about bait and tackle—it’s a masterclass in regulatory creep that every 2A advocate should clock. Red Drum quotas echo the endless stock assessments bureaucrats use to justify gun grabs: declare a crisis (overfished? Try assault weapon epidemic), convene public input theater, then tighten the vice with bag limits, size restrictions, or outright closures. We’ve seen it with deer herds, duck stamps, and now reds—government wielding science like a blunt instrument to erode freedoms one species at a time. For the 2A community, the parallel is crystal: just as overregulation strangles sustainable hunting traditions, it threatens the armed citizen’s right to self-defense. Show up to those town halls armed with facts, not just rods—push for harvest strategies that empower locals over D.C. desk jockeys. If reds rebound through targeted conservation (think slot limits and voluntary reporting), it proves markets and hunters self-regulate better than edicts. Fail that, and it’s a slippery slope to rationing bullets alongside fillets.

The implications ripple wide: sustainable fisheries bolster coastal economies, fueling marinas, guides, and tackle shops that overlap with the pro-2A heartland. Neglect them, and you erode the very culture of self-reliance that underpins our gun rights. Georgia anglers, mark your calendars—this is your Alamo for the cast-and-retrieve set. Rally, engage, and defend that heritage before the next assessment casts its net over more than just redfish.

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