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The Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus),
also known as
Channel Bass, Redfish, Spottail Bass or simply Reds, is a game fish
that is found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida
and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Northern Mexico. It is the
only species in the genus Sciaenops. The red drum is a cousin to the
Black Drum (Pogonias cromis), and the two species are often found in
close proximity to each other, they can interbreed and form a robust
hybrid, and younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor.
Red Drum usually occur along coastal waters. Three year-old red drum
typically weigh six to eight pounds. The largest one on record
weighed just over 94 pounds. When they are large they are called
Bull reds, although most people do not find the large ones good to
eat.
Mature Red Drum spawn in near shorelines. Juvenile red drum
typically inhabit bays and coastal marshes until they reach maturity
between 3 and 6 years of age. They will readily accept any bait but
prefer Menhaden, Shrimp, Mud Minnows and crabs. Red Drum are
relatives of the Black Drum and both make a croaking sound when in
trouble.
The most distinguishing mark on the red drum is one large black spot
on the upper part of the tail base. Having multiple spots is not
uncommon for this fish but having no spots is extremely rare.
Scientists believe that the black spot near their tail helps fool
predators into attacking the red drum's tail instead of their head,
allowing the red drum to escape.
Red drum are often found over sand and sandy mud bottoms in coastal
waters and estuaries. They feed mainly on crustaceans, mollusks and
fishes. Since they are bottom feeders, they are commonly caught with
bait either on the bottom or suspended within a couple feet of the
bottom. Shrimp is a typical bait that works well; squid can also be
used and is less subject to bait stealing by hardhead catfish and
Atlantic croakers which often frequent the same waters. There are
times when the older,larger fish are more readily caught on a half
or a quarter of a blue crab with the top shell removed and cut or
broken to fit on a 4/0 to 9/0 hook. Baitfish such as pinfish can
also be effective,along with a variety of other techniques.
A big adult drum grabs the bait, takes off with gusto, and can put
up quite a fight. An unsecured rod can easily be pulled into the
water. Landing these big fish on light tackle can be challenging,
and since drum are primarily scent-based feeders, there is little
disadvantage in using heavier line and tackle,especially in stained
or deeper water. A 40-lb braided line with a comparable weight
flurocarbon leader is a good compromise between castability and
strength. However, big drum are frequently caught with everything
from 8-lb monofiliment to 100-lb braided lines with heavy steel
leaders.
An effective strategy for fishing from a boat is to select a spot
with a sandy bottom or oyster bed where food is plentiful at a time
of day with some tidal movement. Pier or bank fishing should target
jetties, structure, or a boat channel near a rapid increase in depth
and some tidal movement. Because bigger drum can make a long, strong
run right after taking the bait, preventing broken line often
requires a relatively light drag setting early in the fight.
Information courtesy of
Wikipedia
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