Sciaenops ocellatus
Illustrations and Copyright by Diane Rome Peebles
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Description: chin without barbels;
copper bronze body, lighter shade in clear waters;
one to many spots at base of tail (rarely no spots);
mouth horizontal and openng downward; scales large.
Similar Fish: black drum, Pogonias
cromis.
Where found: juveniles are an INSHORE fish, migrating
out of the estuaries at about 30 inches (4 years)
and joining the spawning population OFFSHORE.
Size: one of 27 inches weighs about
8 pounds.
*Florida Record: 51 lbs., 8 ozs.
Remarks: red drum are an INSHORE
species until they attain roughly 30 inches (4 years),
then they migrate to join the NEARSHORE population;
spawning occurs from August to November in NEARSHORE
waters; sudden cold snaps may kill red drum in shallow,
INSHORE waters; feeds on crustaceans, fish and mollusks;
longevity to 20 years or more.
This is one of the top recreational saltwater gamefish
in the state.
Redfish spawn from August
to November in the offshore waters near passes and inlets.
September is usually the peak month. Those that survive
the open water larval fish stage, move into the estuaries
as juveniles where they will live for several years.
Anglers sometimes encounter large schools of these young
fish, often called rat reds. The schools do migrate
although scientists believe that they do not move over
great distances.
At one time the fish was in danger of being overharvested
because of commercial activity. It's strong recovery
led to the recent change that eliminated the closed
season for this species.
The redfish's recovery from the brink of being wiped
out is a direct result of its designation as a "restricted
species" in 1989. This ended the commercial harvesting
of the fish, a move that ultimately saved the species
being wiped out by highly efficient offshore commercial
netters. With the change of the redfish's status to
a non-commercial species, stocks have been able to
recover and the fish is now abundant in many parts
of the state. Redfish are now common throughout the
coastal waters and nearshore areas of the state. A
stocking program in Biscayne Bay has also brought
redfish back to this lower southeast coast are for
the first time in nearly 30 years.
Redfish grow fast. In one year most are a foot long.
To grow that much redfish must do a lot of eating
and most of it comes from what they pick up off the
bottom. Stomach analyses reveal that their natural
diet consists of small crabs and shrimp. This explains
why shrimp is one of the most widely used baits.
Crustaceans may be what you find in the fish's stomachs
but anglers know that with a voracious appetite, redfish
will take a variety of other offerings. Small live
baitfish, just about any jig, gold and silver spoons,
and even topwater plugs are potential meals if they
are presented correctly. Of these, the topwater plug
is an interesting bait to use when fishing the flats
because the fish must come to the surface and rollover
to get its mouth in position to strike the bait.
