The Red Drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, is a popular game fish found in coastal waters from Massachusetts to Mexico. Also known as redfish, puppy drum, reds, red bass, spot tail, channel bass, bull red, rat red, and tropical sea bass, this iconic saltwater sportfish inspires fierce devotion among anglers of every skill level. Understanding their feeding habits is key to successful angling.
Introduction
Of all the inshore characters that nose around our Southern coast, Redfish have the most curious table manners. They don’t blitz like mackerel or sky like tarpon. They browse, they investigate, they work the bottom. This article explores the diet and feeding habits of the red drum, providing insights into their behavior, habitat preferences, and effective fishing techniques.
Red Drum Characteristics
The most distinguishing mark on the red drum is one large black spot on the upper part of the tail base. Having multiple spots is not uncommon for this fish, but having no spots is extremely rare. The color of red drum ranges from a deep blackish, coppery color to nearly silver. The most common color is reddish-bronze.
The body of the red drum is elongate with a slightly arched back and sloping head. It has a blunt snout with a large sub-terminal mouth, similar to most species in the Sciaenidae family. There are two dorsal fins, the first of which has ten hard spines and the second with one hard spine and numerous soft rays. Black drum can be distinguished from the red drum by the presence of barbels.
Habitat and Distribution
As a nearshore species, the red drum is distributed over a wide range of habitats including estuaries, river mouths, bays, sandy bottoms, mud flats, sea grass beds, oyster bottoms, surf zones, and continental shelf waters. Red drums prefer shallow waters (1-4 feet deep) along the edges of bays with submerged vegetation such as seagrasses. They are found over all bottom types but they seem to prefer areas with submerged vegetation and soft mud. These fish are also commonly found around oyster reefs. Breaks in continuity of shorelines such as coves, points, jetties, old pier pilings, and guts attract them. They prefer soft mud along jetties, pier pilings and jetties. They are often found in water so shallow that their backs are exposed while swimming. During cold spells large numbers of red drum can be found in tidal creeks and rivers.
Read also: Diet and Feeding of Freshwater Drums
Young red drums inhabit mainly estuaries, river mouths and shallow coastal waters until age three to four. At this age, they tend to leave the protection of estuaries, moving into open coastal waters. Drums can be observed solitary or exhibiting schooling behavior. They have been known to school with other species including black drum and tarpon. Adult drums travel back into estuaries and shallow waters to spawn.
Red drums can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, anywhere from 39-93°F (4-34°C). Reds can also tolerate wide ranges of salinity.
Diet and Feeding Habits
Red drum are generally bottom feeders that eat small crabs and shrimp but also will feed in the water column on small fish. Their mouth is slightly subterminal-aimed down at the buffet line-and they carry a powerful set of “crushers” in the back of their throats for cracking crabs and shrimp. Their lateral line is a pressure-sensing superpower that detects tiny vibrations made by scuttling crabs and flicking shrimp.
Young red drum feed on small crabs, shrimp, and marine worms. As they grow older, they feed on larger crabs, shrimp, small fish, and sometimes their cousins, the Atlantic croaker. They generally are bottom feeders but will feed in the water column when the opportunity arises.
A phenomenon called "tailing" occurs when the red drum feed in shallow water with their head down in the grass and the tail exposed to the air. Red drum can be found “tailing” with their head down in the grass and the tail exposed to the air when feeding in shallow water.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Factors Influencing Feeding
Several factors influence the feeding habits of red drum, including tides, temperature, and water clarity.
Tides
Tide is the conveyor belt that brings food to Redfish. It also tells us where they’ll station and how fast they’ll eat. Redfish push shallow with the rising tide to nose through grass for crabs and shrimp. As the tide falls, everything that lived up in the grass gets flushed out.
- Early flood: Reds lift off edges and start nosing onto the first shelf.
- Mid to late fall: The money window.
- Low slack: Slow-down mode.
Temperature
Redfish tolerate a wide range of salinity and temperature, but their feeding pace follows comfort and oxygen. The “happy zone” is roughly 70-85°F. Below ~55°F, they slow and school tighter. When water turns chilly or blazing hot, Reds slide deeper for stability.
Water Clarity
Reds don’t need clear water to chew. Lightly stained water hides them and favors vibration-based feeding. Ultra-clear days can make them spooky-dead-stick longer.
Fishing Techniques
Understanding the feeding habits of red drum is crucial for successful angling. Here are some techniques to consider:
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Presentation: Because Redfish feed down and often into the current, a presentation that starts up-current and drifts or crawls naturally toward the fish will out-fish cross-current skating almost every time.
Lure Retrieval: Cast upcurrent and retrieve with the flow. A lure that crawls along the bottom stays in their strike zone. Redfish reward anglers who think like naturalists and fish like chess players - patiently, one good move at a time.
Lure Selection:
- Flooded grass: 3-4″ shrimp or crab plastic, weedless.
- Shallow-running spoons: 1/4 ounce shallow-running gold, copper, or silver spoons are favorites.
- Topwater lures: Redfish WILL strike topwater lures mostly on late summer mornings when they are cruising the grass flats just after an incoming tide has raised the water level to around 2 feet, exposing delicious critters to crunch on.
Bait: Red drum is considered a great sport fish because it will hit on most kinds of bait. "Bull" reds are best caught with natural bait. Small live blue crabs are the best baits.
Fly Fishing: Use streamers or shrimp and crab imitation flies to "cruising" or "tailing" red drum.
Terminal Tackle: Use a slip-sinker type rig where the fish can swim freely.
Specific Scenarios
- A. 8 inches of new water, light wind, shrimp clicking: Reds rise off the trough. Cast 6-8 feet upcurrent of tails, let current carry, then one tiny twitch.
- B. Current roaring through, bait flickering: Reds stacked two feet off the heaviest flow. Cast 10 feet above the seam, count down, and tick bottom.
- C. Bluebird sky, chilly morning, sandy potholes in 3-4 feet warming in the sun: Small crab imitation, long pauses, subtle hops.
Life Cycle
Redfish begin life in estuaries and marshes, feeding aggressively as juveniles known as “Puppy Drum.” They grow fast, reaching trophy “Bull” status at 20-40 pounds, though giants over 50 pounds aren’t uncommon.
Females reach sexual maturity at age 3 and spawn at dusk in coastal waters near passes, inlets and bays, from late summer to early fall. Spawning happens when water temps hit about 65°F, varying by region, spring in Texas, late summer in Florida, and fall off the Carolinas. Big schools gather near inlets to release eggs that drift into the estuaries on incoming tides. Eggs incubate for 24 hours. Larvae are carried into tidal bays by the current. They move to quiet, shallow water with grassy or muddy bottoms to feed on detritus (dead or decomposing plant and animal matter). The oldest recorded red drum was 37 years old!
During spawning, red drum males attract females by producing a drum-like noise by vibrating a muscle in their swim bladder. Red drum are related to black drum, spotted seatrout, weakfish, mullets and croakers, most of which also make drumming sounds.
Conservation and Management
The red drum is a popular game fish in coastal waters. Where red drum is present, there is slot restriction as well as limits on the number of allowable fish per person. Check with your local fish and game to find out your state’s slot size and limits.