Red Drum (Redfish)
Sciaenops ocellatus
Copper-bronze inshore bruisers marked by a tail spot, redfish tail on shallow flats and feed hard around oyster bars and marsh edges.
Red drum, widely called redfish, wear a coppery bronze to reddish back that fades to a white belly, with a stout body and one or more signature black spots near the base of the tail. The downturned mouth is built for rooting along the bottom. Slot fish run to about 40 inches, while bull reds grow far larger.
Habitat and range
They range along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from the mid-Atlantic through Texas. Juveniles and slot fish haunt grass flats, oyster bars, marsh edges, and backwater creeks, while big bulls gather near passes and in the surf during the fall spawn.
Redfish tail and nose down in shallow water to feed on crabs, shrimp, and small fish, often pushing visible wakes on calm flats. Sight-fishing with cut bait, live shrimp, or gold weedless spoons is the classic approach, and fly and lure casters target tailing fish with crab patterns and soft plastics. Work offerings slowly along the bottom.