Sciaenops ocellatus
Red Bass, Channel Bass, Drum, Redfish
Red drum are iridescent silvery-gray overall, with a coppery cast that is usually darker on the back and upper sides. They have a prominent ringed spot or several spots at base of tail fin. Occasionally they will be without the spot. The Red Drum is sometimes confused with the Black Drum, but can be distinguished because the Red Drum has no chin barbels and the Black Drum never has the tail spot.
The Red Drum is a bottom feeder and enjoy a diet crabs, shrimps, sand dollars, and fish such as menhaden, mullet, pinfish, pigfish, searobin, lizardfish, spot, Atlantic croaker, and flounder.
The Red Drum is found along the coast from New York to Florida, west to Laguna Madre, Mexico. They are most abundant from Florida to Texas.
Red Drum are a favorite target species for coastal and inshore species alike. They will live a long time in estuaries, mud/grass flats, and other shallow-water environments and then move to deeper waters as they grow larger. Many will migrate through inl
Red Drums are caught from less than a pound to 10 or 12 pounds, reaching a maximum in length of 5 feet and weighing up to 100 pounds.
94 pounds, 2 ounces (IGFA)