On January 25, 1979 a self-addressed, prepaid postal card questionnaire was mailed to all 2,577 fishermen who had purchased one or more South Carolina gill-net licenses during Fiscal Years 1977–1978, 1978–1979, or both. These gill-net fishermen expended an estimated 19,293 days of fishing effort and harvested 348,600 kg of fish during 1978. The South Carolina gill-net fishery is primarily a noncommercial fishery. Fishermen utilize small nets, less than 30 m in length, to supply fish for home consumption. In all coastal counties, gill nets are most often fished along the ocean beaches during the fall months. Only 6% of the gill-net fishermen who fished in 1978 sold any portion of their catch. These fishermen sold less than 200,000 kg of fish, 84% being spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), and mullet (Mugil spp.).