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Quick Facts About Red Drum
Do you know these red drum facts?
Red Drum Facts
- Red drum have also been called redfish, spottail, red bass, and channel bass.
- The life span of a red drum can exceed 40 years.
- Red drum inhabit inshore and offshore waters along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Key West and throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
- The majority of the red drum life cycle is spent in nearshore waters and estuaries.
- Since estuaries are such vital nursery grounds for red drum, we must realize that deterioration of water quality or loss of suitable habitat can have drastic effects on the number of young fish that survive into adulthood.
- Since red drum are not normally long distance travelers, they don't stray far from the areas in which they were born.
- In Florida waters, red drum can reach lengths up to 45 inches and weights up to 51 pounds.
- Red drum begin spawning in the fall when daylight hours decrease and water temperature begins to cool.
- Commercial harvesting of red drum is prohibited throughout the gulf coast states with the exception of Mississippi, which has a very limited inshore fishery.
- The red drum is an extremely popular Florida game fish due to its ability to fight for extended periods of time and to its popularity as a food fish.
| THE STATE RECORD FOR RED DRUM |
| Conventional Tackle |
52 lb, 5 oz, Cocoa:
George E. Hogan, Jr., 2/24/1996 |
| Fly Fishing Tackle |
43 lb, Banana River:
Greg Braunstein, MD, 5/7/1995 |
| CURRENT RED DRUM REGULATIONS |
| Size limits |
not less than 18 inches or more than 27 inches total length |
| Bag limit |
one per person per day | Remarks* Gigging, spearing, and snatching prohibited
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