| In recent years the red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, has been raised to new prominence in the recreational fishing world. Series of tournaments such as the Redfish Cup Tour has brought glamour to the redfish. However, until 1977, the recreational fishery for redfish was unregulated. That year a combined daily limit of 50 was placed on redfish and speckled trout. Additionally, sport fishermen were limited to no more than two redfish over 36 inches in length. In 1984, the possession limit was reduced to the daily limit and a new saltwater angling license was instituted. A minimum recreational length of 14 inches was set in 1987. In 1988, the creel limit was reduced to five redfish with only one fish over 27 inches allowed, and the minimum size was set at 16 inches.
The redfish is the largest member of the sciaenid or drum family, which includes spotted seatrout, croaker, white trout, sand trout and black drum, to name a few. Like all members of the sciaenid family, redfish are estuarine dependent species. This means that they spend at least part of their life cycle in estuaries.
Redfish spawn in high salinity waters where there is plenty of current, such as around the mouths of rivers and bays where they meet the Gulf. Spawning occurs from mid August through mid October. Adult males congregatein and near the passes and are ready to spawn every night.
These large groups are called drumming aggregates, because of the drumming sound they make with their air bladders to attract females. Females, on the other hand only appear in these areas when they are immediately ready to spawn, which is only once every two to four days. On average, a mature female can produce 1.5 million eggs per spawn and approximately 20 to 40 million per season.
In higher salinities, the redfish eggs, like most estuarine dependent species’ eggs, are highly buoyant. This allows them to be carried inland by the tides as they hatch. They hatch and reach inland, fresher areas of the estuary and become mobile and seek out grassy edges and shallow marshes where they feed and seek shelter from predators. The juvenile redfish will remain in the estuaries until they reach sexual maturity at 4-5 years. At this time, they will migrate offshore to join the reproductive stock.
In recent years as the result hurricane storm surges occurring in the middle of the redfish spawn, many juvenile redfish were carried inland and became trapped in interior coastal marshes. These fish are able to survive in fresh water, but will not successfully reproduce.
Back
to Main
|
