Drum
Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus — also called Red drum, Channel bass, Spot-tail bass
The Gulf and Atlantic's signature inshore gamefish. Redfish tail in 6 inches of water, school by the hundreds, and pull line like a freight train. Heavily slot-regulated — most states allow one over the slot per day or none. Verify regs before keeping a fish.
- Range
- Atlantic from VA to TX along the Gulf, with the Carolinas and Louisiana the heart of the fishery.
- Size
- Typical 18–30" (slot); trophy 40"+ (bull reds); world record 94 lb 2 oz.
- Spawn temp
- 70–80°F
- Best seasons
- Fall (peak), Spring, Summer
Best baits for redfish
- Gulp! shrimp on jighead
- Live shrimp under popping cork
- Soft-plastic paddle tail (3–5")
- Topwater (Spook Jr, Skitter Walk)
- Cut mullet / blue crab (bull reds)
Season by season
Spring
Reds move to grass flats and oyster bars on warming tides. Topwater at dawn, soft plastic the rest of the day.
Summer
Hot weather pushes fish into deeper cuts and dock shade in the middle of the day. Tail at dawn and dusk on the flats.
Fall
Bull reds (40"+) school up at the passes and beachfront. Cut crab or large soft plastic on heavy tackle. Trophy time.
Winter
Clear water and visible fish on shallow flats. Sight-fishing at its absolute best in LA and FL.
Local secret
Sight-fish tailing reds on shallow flats at low tide. A weedless soft plastic landed 3 feet in front of a tail will get eaten. Lead, don't crowd.
Top US waters for redfish
- Louisiana marsh (Venice, Cocodrie, Hopedale)
- Mosquito Lagoon, FL
- Charleston, SC
- Port O'Connor, TX
- Pamlico Sound, NC
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