Charleston Pier Fishing Tournaments in May 2026: Dates, Rules & Tips to Fish Smarter

Charleston Pier Fishing Tournaments in May 2026: Dates, Rules & Tips to Fish Smarter

Charleston’s pier tournament season starts in May, and there are two local dates anglers should have circled.

The 2026 Cast Off Fishing Tournament series opens at Mount Pleasant Pier on Saturday, May 9, then moves to Folly Beach Pier on Saturday, May 16. Both tournaments run from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., with registration handled on site the morning of the event. No boat needed, no complicated preregistration — just show up, register, fish, and see what the pier gives you.

May 2026 Tournament Dates & Official Links

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Cast Off Fishing Tournament — Mount Pleasant Pier

Time: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Mount Pleasant Pier

Official link: Mount Pleasant Pier Cast Off Fishing Tournament

Mount Pleasant Pier hosts the first Cast Off tournament of the 2026 season. This pier fishes Charleston Harbor water under the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, with old bridge pilings, current seams, shade, and hard structure all in play. Charleston County Parks notes that common catches around Mount Pleasant Pier include red drum, spotted seatrout, flounder, and sheepshead.

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Cast Off Fishing Tournament — Folly Beach Pier

Time: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Folly Beach Pier

Official link: Folly Beach Pier Cast Off Fishing Tournament

Folly Beach Pier hosts its May tournament one week later. This one is more of a surf-zone read: wind, swell, water clarity, bait movement, and tide timing matter a lot. Charleston County Parks lists common Folly Pier catches including bluefish, sheepshead, spotted seatrout, and whiting.

Entry Fees

For the May 2026 Cast Off Fishing Tournaments, listed fees are:

$12 for ages 13 and up

$9 for members of the military

$9 for seniors

$9 for youth

$5 for fishing pass members

Charleston County Parks lists the tournaments as open to ages 3 and up, with an adult chaperone required for ages 15 and under.

Registration

There is no preregistration required.

Anglers register on site the morning of each tournament. That makes these events approachable for families, newer anglers, and anyone who wants to fish a local tournament without making it complicated.

Prize Categories

Prize categories listed for the May Cast Off tournaments include:

Biggest 3 Fish by Weight

Biggest Youth Catch, ages 12 and under

Best 5 Fish Total Weight

Participants are only eligible to win one category.

Rules and Notes to Know Before You Go

A few practical details matter:

Tournaments are held rain or shine

Register on site the morning of the event

Ages 15 and under need an adult chaperone

Folly Beach Pier parking fees are additional

Mount Pleasant Pier parking is free but limited

Both piers offer amenities like equipment rentals, tackle, frozen bait, snack bars, gift shops, and restrooms

How to Fish These Tournaments Smarter

You do not have to overthink pier tournaments, but you do need a plan. A lot of anglers show up, throw bait in the same place all morning, and hope. The better approach is to fish the pier like structure.

1. Get there early

Tournament fishing rewards setup. Give yourself time to park, register, get bait, watch the water, and pick your starting spot. If you are rushing at 6 a.m., you are already behind.

2. Fish moving water

Slack tide can get slow, especially around structure. If water is moving around pilings, seams, or surf edges, fish have a better reason to feed.

At Mount Pleasant Pier, pay close attention to how current wraps around the pilings. At Folly Beach Pier, watch how the surf and tide create lanes where bait gets pushed.

3. Match the pier

Mount Pleasant and Folly fish differently.

Mount Pleasant Pier is a structure game. Think pilings, shade, current breaks, and fish holding close to hard edges.

Good tournament targets there can include:

sheepshead around pilings

redfish near structure

trout during cleaner moving water

flounder near edges and ambush points

Folly Beach Pier is more of a surf and bait game. Conditions change faster there, so watch clarity, wind, and bait movement.

Good tournament targets there can include:

whiting in the surf zone

bluefish when bait is active

sheepshead near structure

trout when the water cleans up

4. Bring two approaches

Do not rely on one bait or one rig all day.

A simple tournament setup might be:

one rod for bottom fishing

one rod ready for structure or moving fish

extra leaders, hooks, sinkers, and pliers

bait that gives you a shot at multiple species

The goal is not to bring the whole garage. The goal is to avoid losing time when the bite changes.

5. Watch what other anglers are catching

Pier tournaments give you free information. If people around you are catching one species more than others, adjust. If one side of the pier has cleaner water, better current, or more bait, pay attention.

The tournament is not just you versus the fish. It is you versus the clock.

6. Do not chase every bite

Since prize categories include Biggest 3 Fish by Weight and Best 5 Fish Total Weight, consistency matters. A few solid fish can beat a pile of random small ones.

If you find a repeatable bite, do not abandon it too fast.

7. Watch the weather window

These tournaments run rain or shine, but weather still matters. If radar shows rain building later, take the early window seriously. If wind starts dirtying the water or making one side of the pier harder to fish, adjust.

Which May Tournament Should You Fish?

Both are worth fishing, but they are not the same kind of water.

Mount Pleasant Pier — May 9

Mount Pleasant Pier is the harbor-structure play.

You are fishing around bridge pilings, current breaks, shade, and hard edges. This is a good tournament for anglers who like reading current and working structure.

The biggest thing here is tide movement. Slack water can be slow. Moving water around the pilings gives fish a better reason to set up.

Folly Beach Pier — May 16

Folly Beach Pier is the surf-zone play.

Wind, swell, bait, and clarity can change things quickly. A pretty day does not always mean an easy bite if the surf is stirred up. But when the water is cleaner and bait is moving, Folly can turn on fast.

At Folly, the better question is not just “is it sunny?” It is whether the surf is fishable.

Helpful Official Links

Mount Pleasant Pier Cast Off Fishing Tournament — May 9, 2026

Folly Beach Pier Cast Off Fishing Tournament — May 16, 2026

Charleston County Parks May 2026 Events

Charleston County Parks Cast Off Tournament Announcement

Bottom Line

If you want to fish a Charleston tournament in May 2026, the two dates to know are:

May 9, 2026 — Mount Pleasant Pier

May 16, 2026 — Folly Beach Pier

Mount Pleasant gives you the harbor-structure version of Charleston pier fishing. Folly gives you the surf-zone version. Both are easy to enter, local, and useful whether you are trying to win or just trying to learn what is biting.

Show up early, register on site, watch the tide, bring a flexible setup, and fish the conditions in front of you.