Sciaenops ocellatus
Popular game fish with distinctive black spot near tail. Found in shallow coastal waters.
Year-round, with peak fishing in fall (September–November) for schooling fish and spring for spawning aggregations.
Sight-fishing on flats with gold spoons, weedless soft plastics, and popping corks with live shrimp. Best during dawn and dusk.
Slot limit 18"–27" (Gulf Coast), one fish per day. Atlantic Coast also 18"–27", one per day.
Look for tailing reds on low-tide grass flats. Approach quietly upwind. Gold spoons over grass beds and DOA Shrimp in potholes work best.
Curated picks for Red Drum fishing in Florida
Classic weedless gold spoon — the #1 redfish lure in Florida for 70+ years.
Runs over grass flats without snagging; redfish can't resist it.
Soft-plastic shrimp rigged weedless; devastates shallow-water reds.
Matches the bait in most Florida estuaries year-round.
Full metal body, HT-100 carbon drag — built for inshore abuse.
Handles 30lb braid with room to spare for big slot reds.
Thin diameter, zero stretch, high sensitivity for grass flat fishing.
Feel every bump in the grass before the red takes off.
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