Red Drum Fish

Red Drum Fish Flavor Profile

Red Drum Flavor Scale

Flavor
Oil
Texture

Red Drum Fish have a mild, sweet flavor with firm flesh and large, moist flakes. It is comparable to Red Snapper. Very fresh Red Drum Fish have an emerald green tint to the raw flesh, while larger fresh Red Drum Fish have a red tint. The flesh of Black Drum Fish lack these hues of color and are simply white. The flesh of both species cooks up to pure white.

Both the Red Drum Fish & Black Drum Fish have similar flavors, but Red Drum has a finer texture and more tender flesh than the Black Drum. The smaller fish of both species tend to be sweeter and flakier.

Typical Cooking Methods

Alternate Names

Redfish, Channal Bass, Spottail Bass, Red Bass, Spotted Bass, Bull Redfish, Oyster Drum, Sea Drum

Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) Description

Red Drum Fish by Duane Raver USFWS

Red Drum general coloration is iridescent silvery-gray overall, with a coppery cast that is usually darker on the back and upper sides. The Latin name sciaenops ocellatus means “shady eye-like spot (on tail),” and indeed, most red drum have a single distinctive black spot at the base of the tail.

The common name “Drum fish” comes from their ability to make a drumming sound during courtship or when pulled from the water. they do this by rubbing special muscles against an air bladder thus producing the drum-like sound.

Wild Drum Fish can grow to nearly 5 feet and 95 pounds, but average size is 5 – 30 pounds. Farmed Red Drum is generally in the 2 – 4 pound range.

Fresh Red Drum Availability

Fresh seafood availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh. Wild Red Drum is commercially available in very limited supply. Although it is caught recreationally in many states, it is fished commercially in only a few states. Farmed Red Drum is generaly available.

Red Drum Butchering Yield % and Recovery

Range & Habitat

AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF

Red Drum are available along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast of the United States and Brazil.

Typical Wholesale Products

Dressed Head-On, H&G, Skin-On Fillets, Skin-Off Fillets

Additional Culinary Notes

Drum Fish carry Trematode parasites and so they must be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°. Do not use Drum Fish for sashimi or ceviche.

Red Drum Sustainability Info

Name	Alternate Names	Catch Method	Catch Region	Seafood Watch	Ocean Wise	Sea Choice	Mercury Concerns
Red Drum	Redfish, Channal Bass, Spottail Bass, Red Bass, Spotted Bass, Sea Drum	Wild, Bottom Gillnet, Hook & Line	US Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
		Farmed	US
Disclaimer: The sustainability info above is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, each program randomly updates their information without our knowledge. We therefore recommend that you verify the current accuracy of this information.
= Best Choice/Recommended       = Good Alternative      = Avoid/Not Recommended							Updated Jaunary 2015

In the 1970’s Chef Paul Prudhomme created a cajun-spiced red drum fish which became so popular on the national stage that stocks of the fish were dangerously depleted as everyone wanted this fish. As a result, commercial fishing for red drum is prohibited in federal and most state waters. Currently it can only be legally commercially fished in the state waters of North Carolina and Mississippi.

Comments from before Site Migration

MAGICOFSPICE    [ Aug 06, 2010  ]

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Anthony Arcodia

6 years ago

We love redfish. We make redfish almondine when we catch them. Anyone interested in how to catch these fish check out this blog post. https://wiseangling.com/redfish-fishing-tips-how-to-catch-redfish/

If you havent tried eating redfish give them a try there great.

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