Red Drum/Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
A popular inshore game fish with a distinctive black spot on its tail. Known for its hard-fighting nature and schooling behavior.
Taste profile
Mild, sweet flavor with firm, white flesh.
How to cook it
Blackened
The classic preparation, seared with Cajun spices.
Grilled on the half-shell
Grilled with the scales and skin on one side to keep the meat moist.
Fried
Smaller 'puppy drum' are excellent fried.
Tips to catch one
- ✔Sight-fish for them on shallow flats with soft plastics or flies.
- ✔Use live or cut bait like shrimp, crabs, or mullet.
- ✔Look for 'tailing' fish in shallow water.
Keep it fresh: bleed, spike & ice
🔪 Spike (Ike Jime)
Insert a spike into the brain cavity just behind and above the eye. The fish will shudder briefly then go still — this signals a clean kill that prevents stress hormones from degrading the flesh.
🩸 Bleed
After spiking, cut one or both gill arches at the gill plate junction. Hold the fish head-down in water for 2–3 minutes. Well-bled fish have whiter, cleaner-tasting fillets with a longer shelf life.
🧊 Ice
Place bled fish in an ice slurry (2 parts ice to 1 part seawater). The slurry cools 5× faster than dry ice alone. Keep the drain plug cracked and aim for core temp below 35 °F within 30 minutes.
Size & bag limits by state
| State | Size limit | Bag limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ≥ 16" | 3 per day | Slot 16"-26"; 1 over 26" per day |
| Florida | ≥ 18" | 1 per day | Slot 18"-27"; redfish tag required for over-slot |
| Georgia | ≥ 14" | 5 per day | Slot 14"-23" |
| Louisiana | ≥ 16" | 5 per day | Slot 16"-27"; 1 over 27" allowed |
| Mississippi | ≥ 18" | 3 per day | Slot 18"-30" |
| North Carolina | ≥ 18" | 1 per day | Slot 18"-27" |
| South Carolina | ≥ 15" | 3 per day | Slot 15"-23"; 1 may be over 23" |
| Texas | ≥ 20" | 3 per day | Slot 20"-28"; 1 over 28" allowed per day |
| Virginia | ≥ 18" | 3 per day | Slot 18"-26" |