 |
| 19" Red Drum |
The
Spotted Sea Trout were fun to catch, but once the January temps dropped, so did their bite. Heavy rains passed and cooler weather brought clear skies, improving water clarity. When the winds shifted to the north-east, the Red Drum started biting.
 |
| Hello! |
Red Drum, a.k.a. Redfish, Spottail bass, Spots, and Channel bass are probably the most popular inshore fish here in Florida, and with good reason. They bite and fight hard! I used live shrimp and set the drag light. After a couple of casts, my reel was a-screamin'.
The once-threatened Red Drum is making a rebound. Since it's classified as "bycatch" -- unwanted fish caught during commercial fishing for a different species
-- it holds little value for commercial fishermen. In this part of Florida, there are strict size limits (18"-27") with a possession limit of 5. Because of these factors, their numbers are back up. Lucky for me!
Redfish are a schooling fish. Here are a few small "cookie cutters" -- all were between 14"-15", which I released.
 |
| The unmistakable spot near the tail makes Red Drum easy to identify. |
Here's a keeper.
Spelled backwards, Red Drum = Dinner!
 |
| Redfish fillets ready to Broil... |
 |
| Ready only 5 Minutes Later! |
 |
Broiled Red Drum with Thai Rice & Broccoli
Not too shabby! We also made chowder with it. The firm white meat held up well in the soup. A local favorite is blackened Redfish, but I haven't tried it yet.
Tomorrow, we leave the Gulf Coast and return to Edisto Beach, South Carolina. Whatever bends your rod, right? Check back, and keep your lines tight!
|
No comments:
Post a Comment