{"id":13856,"date":"2018-05-04T05:08:50","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T10:08:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/captivafishing.net\/?p=13856"},"modified":"2025-06-06T02:49:36","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T07:49:36","slug":"captiva-fishing-redfish-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/captivafishing.net\/?p=13856","title":{"rendered":"Captiva Fishing, Redfish!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Two<\/a>
Two Redfish, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, Thursday, May 3, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing: Big Redfish!<\/h2>\n

Please Click Here To See Rates & Book A Charter.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/h5>\n
Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, May 3, 2018;\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Captiva Fishing & Sanibel Fishing Report.<\/em><\/h5>\n

\"CaptivaRentals.org:<\/a><\/strong>Captiva Fishing Report,\u00a0 Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Thursday, May 3: Redfish, Oyster Bars, Catch & Release; <\/strong>water quality in relatively good shape;\u00a0(Caloosahatchee: no\/little freshwater runoff impact right now;\u00a0Red Tide Report, there is some spotty red tide impact right now<\/strong><\/a>; more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.<\/p>\n

Please click here to\u00a0Book A Charter<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or call\u00a0239-472-8658 <\/strong>and here for\u00a0Live Sanibel Traffic Cams<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Lamar,<\/a>
Lamar, Redfish, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, Sunday, April 29, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thursday, May 3,\u00a0Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Redfish, Sand Holes, Catch & Release.\u00a0 Please also visit the\u00a0Sanibel<\/a>,\u00a0Fort Myers<\/a>,\u00a0Florida Fishing Report<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Cuban Fishing<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>sites.\u00a0 <\/strong>Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.<\/p>\n

\"Little<\/a>
Little Girl, Redfish, Catch & Release, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Sanibel Island, Saturday, March 24, 2018, [File Photo: Sunday, October 15, 2017}.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\u201cThe\u00a0red drum<\/b>\u00a0(Sciaenops ocellatus<\/i>), also known as\u00a0channel bass<\/b>,\u00a0redfish<\/b>,\u00a0spot tail bass<\/b>, or simply\u00a0red<\/b>, is a\u00a0game fish<\/a>\u00a0found in the\u00a0Atlantic Ocean<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Massachusetts<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0Florida<\/a>\u00a0and in the\u00a0Gulf of Mexico<\/a>\u00a0from Florida to northern\u00a0Mexico<\/a>.[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0It is the only species in the genus\u00a0Sciaenops<\/b><\/i>.<\/p>\n
\"Redfish,<\/a>
Redfish, Oyster Bars, Catch & Release, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Sanibel Island, Wednesday, February 14, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The red drum is related to the\u00a0black drum<\/a>\u00a0(Pogonias cromis<\/i>), and the two species are often found in close proximity to each other; they can interbreed and form a robust hybrid, and younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor.[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"Redfish,<\/a>
Redfish, Oyster Bars, Catch & Release, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Sanibel Island, Friday, February 9, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Red drum are a dark red color on the back, which fades into white on the belly. The red drum has a characteristic\u00a0eyespot near the tail and is somewhat streamlined. Three-year-old red drum typically weigh 6-8 lb. The largest red drum on record weighed just over 94 lb and was caught in 1984 on\u00a0Hatteras Island<\/a>. Red drum and black drum both make a croaking or drumming sound when distressed.<\/p>\n

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\"Redfish,<\/a>
Redfish, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, Thursday, February 22, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most distinguishing mark on the red drum is one large black spot on the upper part of the tail base. Having multiple spots is not uncommon for this fish, but having no spots is extremely rare. As the fish with multiple spots grow older, they seem to lose their excess spots. Scientists believe that the black spot near their tail helps fool predators into attacking the red drum’s tail instead of its head, allowing the red drum to escape.[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"Redfish,<\/a>
Redfish, Very Cold, Hiding In The Mangroves, Catch & Release, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Sanibel Island, Friday, January 5, 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The red drum uses its senses of sight and touch, and its downturned mouth, to locate forage on the bottom through vacuuming or biting. On the top and middle of the water column, it uses changes in the light that might look like food. In the summer and fall, adult red drum feed on\u00a0crabs<\/a>,\u00a0shrimp<\/a>, and\u00a0mullet<\/a>; in the spring and winter, adults primarily feed on\u00a0menhaden<\/a>, mullet,\u00a0pinfish<\/a>,\u00a0sea robin<\/a>,\u00a0lizardfish<\/a>,\u00a0spot<\/a>,\u00a0Atlantic croaker<\/a>, and\u00a0mud minnows<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Redfish,<\/a>
Redfish, Oyster Bars, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Saturday, August 19, 2017. File Photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Red drum naturally occur along the southern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Aquaculture activities involving them occur around the world.[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Immature red drum prefer grass marsh areas of bays and estuaries when available. Both younger mature red drum (3-6 years of age) and bull red drum prefer rocky outcroppings including jetties and manmade structures, such as oil rigs and bridge posts. Around this type of structure, they are found throughout the water column.<\/sup>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>Please see more information here.\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Red<\/strong><\/p>\n

Image Credit: \u00a9 Diane Rome Peebles<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Red Drum:\u00a0Sciaenops ocellatus<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Florida Regulations: (Harvest in federal waters prohibited)
\n<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Regulations<\/strong><\/th>\nNortheast Zone<\/strong><\/th>\nNorthwest Zone<\/strong><\/th>\nSouth Zone<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Minimum Size Limit<\/strong><\/td>\nNot less than 18″ no more than 27″ total length<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Daily Bag Limit<\/strong><\/td>\n2 fish per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit<\/td>\n1 per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit<\/td>\n1 fish per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Remarks<\/strong><\/td>\nBag limits apply in areas adjacent to fishing sites such as docks and parking lots<\/p>\n

6 fish per person transport limit applies when traveling in a vehicle on land away from a fishing site.<\/p>\n

Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore<\/p>\n

Commercial harvest prohibited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Redfish,<\/a>
Redfish, Oyster Bars, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, Monday, March 6, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gear requirements:<\/strong><\/p>\n