Redfish, also known as Red Drum, Spottail, Red Bass, and Channel Bass, are a fun lighter-tackle species to catch. The name “Red Drum” comes from their reddish color and their drumming sound when they are caught and taken out of the water. Red drum are found in both inshore and nearshore waters along the Atlantic, from Massachusetts through Florida, and also the Gulf of Mexico.
Life Stats: Red drum spawn in inlets, estuaries, and near shore during the late summer and early fall when water temperatures start to cool off. I once read on the Florida Conservation organization’s website (www.floridaconservation.org) that newly hatched red drum spend about 20 days in the water column before venturing. Small juvenile red drum seek out and inhabit rivers, bays, canals, tidal creeks, boat basins, and passes within estuaries. Males mature when 1-3 years old, and females mature when 3-6 years old. During the first 4 to 5 years of life, Drum grow very fast. Pre-adults are found in these habitats as well and also on grass beds, oyster bars, mud flats, and sand bottoms. Adult red drum are found mostly in nearshore shelf waters. The Florida Wildlife Commission (www.myfwc.com) also states that the maximum age of Redfish is about 40 years in Florida, but there are reports of Red Drum being as old as 60 years in North Carolina waters!
What does it take to catch Red Drum? Match a light or medium rod with a light to medium spinner reel. Spool the reels with 15 to 20-lb test line. It’s also a great idea to have a net and ruler aboard. If you’re worried about people not believing you caught a big bull, take a camera too.
For rigs, we prefer Carolina-style. You’ll have a 3oz slip weight (heavier depending on the places you like to fish), swivel, leader (we use about 2′ of 80-lb fluorocarbon), and a 5/0 circle hook for better, quicker releases. Bait your hooks with live shrimp, cigar minnows, or pinfish. Reds will also hit frozen cigar minnows and cut bait. Redfishers can fish using artificials such as a gold spoon, jigheads with Gulp baits, and also Gulp shrimp under a popping cork. There are a lot of ways to hook a Drum – try different things and see what you yourself like best.
The better times for catching Redfish are during falling tides. You want to fish moving water. An hour after and an hour before outgoing tides are our preferences inshore. You don’t need clean water to find redfish either. Dirty water has bottom baits stirred up and around and of course that has redfish feeding on them. Some people fish by solunar tables. I look at readings from the solunar tables at www.Florida-Offshore.com to find moon & sun activity as well as major and minor bite times for the spots we want to fish.
Different states have different rules on Redfish, so check your own state regulations before heading out if you plan to keep any for dinner. Here in Florida, our Reds have to be between 18″ and 27″ to keep.
On a closing note, have you ever seen the Redfish car decals where their tail is sticking above the water? This is called “tailing”. When Red Drum in shallow waters are feeding, their noses are down and their tails will poke up out of the water.
There is only one perfect way to catch Redfish and that is to GO. You won’t catch one sitting at home. I’m not an expert, nor did I include every single detail to red fishing, but take the information and suggestions I have written here that works for us and go try it! Good luck!
