Red drum (redfish)

Copper-bronze body with one or more black spots near the tail; no chin barbels (black drum has barbels).

18–27 in ("slot" reds); bull reds 30–45 in.

About 60 in and over 90 lb.

Shrimp, crabs and small baitfish such as mullet, pinfish and menhaden.

Moves with the tide between grass flats, oyster bars, mangrove edges and deeper holes; feeds hardest when water is moving.

Found from Florida Atlantic Coast, Florida Gulf Coast, South Florida & Keys, Northern Gulf (AL–TX), Mexico Gulf Coast, Georgia & South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia & Chesapeake Bay and Delaware & New Jersey. Grass flats, oyster bars, marsh creeks, docks and mangrove shorelines; big bull reds school at passes and beaches in fall.

Grass flats, oyster bars, marsh creeks, docks and mangrove shorelines; big bull reds school at passes and beaches in fall.

Often in water so shallow their tails stick out ("tailing"), down to 20 ft in channels.

1–8 ft on flats and shorelines; 6–20 ft in channels, holes and docks.

Fishable all year in Florida and the Gulf; cold fronts push fish into deeper creeks, canals and holes in winter.

Dawn, dusk and the first hours of a moving tide are the best windows.

A moving tide — especially the last of the outgoing and first of the incoming — is best.

Calm to light wind for sight-fishing; a light chop helps in clear water. Fish slow after cold fronts.

Live or cut mullet, pinfish, blue crab pieces, and live or fresh dead shrimp.

Gold spoons, paddle-tail soft plastics on a 1/8–1/4 oz jig head, topwater walking baits, and shrimp imitations.

7 ft medium-light to medium spinning rod with a 2500–3000 reel.

1/0–3/0 circle hook for live bait; 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads for soft plastics.

10–15 lb braid.

20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 2–3 ft.

Sight-cast to tailing or pushing fish on the flats, or soak cut bait on the bottom near oyster bars and potholes.

Look for the copper flash, a V-shaped push wake or a tail waving in the grass — cast past the fish and bring the bait across its nose.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Slot-size reds are great blackened, grilled "on the half shell" (skin and scales on) or fried. Big bull reds are coarser — release them.

Watch the sharp gill covers and dorsal spines; use a lip gripper or wet hands.

Florida manages redfish with a slot limit and regional bag limits; Texas, Louisiana and other states have their own. Harvest is closed in U.S. federal waters. A Florida fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Florida rules are set by FWC (myfwc.com). Federal waters fall under NOAA Fisheries. Other states and countries set their own limits — check before you keep fish.

Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.