| Sciaenops ocellatus |
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Also known as the Red Drum. Known along the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts as "Redfish" and as "Channel Bass" along the Eastern seaboard. Red Drum can be found along the Atlantic Coast of the US from Massachusetts to Texas. Some weighing more than 50 lbs can be rare but many individuals taken weigh up to 40 lbs. and usually much less. The larger Red Drum are usually caught in the Carolina coast to New Jersey. The young Red Drum known as "Redfish" or "Puppy Drum" are on average 10 pounds and are taken in southern Florida and along the Gulf Coast.
The Red Drum can be distinguished from the Black Drum by the absence of the chin barbels and the presence of a black spot on the base of the tail. The Red Drum (Redfish) coloration is copper of bronze colored rather than a silvery or gray. Otherwise they are very similar in appearance.
There is little know of the life history of this gamefish. The Red Drum in the Gulf of Mexico do not undertake extensive coastal migrations; there is little movement between bays. great fluctuations in abundance have been caused in the Gulf by mass mortalities due to freezing weather, plankton blooms, and excessive salinity. In the Atlantic though they are apparently migratory and seasonal in abundance.
As a bottom fish the feed mostly on crustaceans and mollusks, although it consumes other fish mostly mullet at times. Red Drum are a favorite for surfcasters along the Atlantic coastline of the US. Most popular live baits for them include, Crabs, Clams, Bloodwarms, Sandbugs, Mossbunker, and Cut Mullet, and in Florida Shrimp and Chunks of Ladyfish.
Red Drum also hit Spoons, plugs, and leadhead bucktails. The smaller Red Drum also known as "Redfish" can be taken on fly, plug, jigs, and spin tackle. When fishing with artificials you need to make a steady slow retrieve by them. The Red Drum doesn't jump when hooked but will give you a good steady hard fight and will often make good hard strong runs. The smaller Redfish are good eating when using a blackened spice's.