Red Drum
Sciaenops ocellatus
Also known as: redfish, Drum,
red bass, channel bass
Avg. Size: to 40 Lbs
Where: Flats, grass, shell bars
Fishing Methods: Bottom, Cast, Drift
Fishing Methods: Bottom, Cast, Drift
Notes: Red
drum tag-returns by angler
Food Quality 
Regulations: Between 18" and 27"
total length,
1 per day, must remain whole until ashore, Gigging,
spearing, snatching prohibited. Harvest prohibited
by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction
with live or dead bait.
Catch techniques:
Bait: Live is best,
shrimp, minnows, crab.
Try pinfish, small mullet for deeper water.
For artificials try, weedless spoons, topwater plugs, plactic tail jigs.
Where: Many nice reds
are caught along Choctahatchee bay around
the flats and grass beds.
The majority of the Red Drum's life cycle is spent in near shore
waters and estuaries
they don't stray far from the areas in which they were born
Red Drum begin spawning in the fall when daylight hours decrease
and water temperature begins to cool
The state records for Red Drum are as follows:
* 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
Size Limits - Not less than 18 inches or more than 27 inches
Bag Limit - One per person per day
Remarks - Gigging, spearing, and snatching prohibited