red drum – Sport Fishing Mag https://www.sportfishingmag.com Sport Fishing is the leading saltwater fishing site for boat reviews, fishing gear, saltwater fishing tips, photos, videos, and so much more. Fri, 05 Jul 2024 16:03:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/uploads/2021/09/favicon-spf.png red drum – Sport Fishing Mag https://www.sportfishingmag.com 32 32 Bass Fishing for Redfish https://www.sportfishingmag.com/howto/bass-fishing-lures-for-redfish/ Fri, 05 Jul 2024 16:03:55 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=56454 Target redfish like you would largemouth bass to increase your haul in brackish waters.

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redfish caught on spinnerbait
Gold spinners teamed with 1/4-ounce jigheads and soft-plastic paddletails are perfect for marsh areas with scattered aquatic vegetation. Todd Masson

On a rising tide, the remaining brown shrimp and growing white shrimp that fuel the Louisiana marsh ecosystem are scattered throughout the skinny-water marsh ponds, enjoying the hours of relative peace and quiet that accompany high water levels. To be sure, some get picked off by marauding hordes of redfish that scavenge around every grass bed, searching for any living morsel that might provide an appetizer before the entree really arrives.

This time of year, my strong bias is to fish the marshes of south Louisiana on a falling tide because that’s when Mother Nature starts her side-hustle shift as a Door Dash delivery driver.

That happens when the tide turns. As water levels begin to fall, tides stack the hapless shrimp on the conveyor belt of death, dragging them from back waters to the bigger lakes and bays. Redfish know this, of course, so they camp out at marsh drains, and let the food come to them. This puts the fish in an aggressive, feeding frame of mind, and makes them particularly susceptible to lures you’d find in the tackle box of a guy hoping to win the Bassmaster Classic.

One of my favorites is a Bill Lewis Echo 1.75 crankbait, a lure that’s obnoxiously loud and has more action than a salsa dancer. That’s what I had tied on during a trip in July that began just three hours before the sun would cross the western horizon. I intentionally started late, partially to avoid the suffocating heat but mostly because that’s when the tide was falling. While working the shoreline of a large marsh lake, I came upon a drain that was dumping gorgeous water from a pond choked with hydrilla and coontail. It certainly looked like a place that might hold a feeding redfish or two.

Crankbait for redfish
Crankbaits are super effective in areas that aren’t absolutely choked with grass. Todd Masson

Not all my casts are perfect, but this one was, landing just at the opening of the drain. I wouldn’t have to wait long to see if any feeding reds were there. I don’t think I got two full cranks on the reel before something clobbered the hard-plastic bait and I instinctively set the hook. The water erupted in a froth of copper-tinted foam as a 27-inch redfish became enraged at the baitfish that seemed to have otherworldly power. The fish thrashed its head back and forth, and in the process managed to dislodge the hooks from its gaping maw.

The lure flew through the air, reentering the water about 5 feet away. I was disappointed at having lost the fish but, as always, impressed by the power and tenacity of these trophic marsh dwellers. Then something crazy happened. Apparently super annoyed that its easy meal had gotten away without providing a little corner of contentment in its belly, the redfish charged at the bait and absolutely obliterated it while it was resting motionless on the surface. I again set the hook, and this time, the fish wouldn’t get so lucky. It would never again get to swim where it wanted without a yellow tag near its dorsal fin.

Would the ubiquitous soft-plastic paddletail have elicited the same reaction from this redfish? Who knows? But it’s not for novelty that my favorite redfish lures this time of year would work equally well on a cypress-peppered flat of an impoundment. Redfish just can’t seem to resist them.

redfish caught on weedless rubber worm
The author fishes a weedless ribbed worm in areas with dropoffs to fool redfish. Todd Masson

In addition to the crankbaits, I also regularly throw a gold-bladed spinnerbait teamed with a 14-ounce jighead and soft-plastic paddletail as well as a ribbed worm fished Texas-rigged below a 14-ounce tungsten bullet weight. The crankbait is my go-to in waters devoid of submerged aquatic vegetation or where there’s a hard edge to the grass that the fish use as a shoreline. When the grass is scattered, I’m more likely to reach for the spinnerbait, and in areas with drop-offs and ledges, the worm is hard to beat.

All are proving particularly effective this year. After a few meager seasons, the spawn of 2021 was especially robust, and those fish are all now in the 18- to 22-inch range. The marshes are absolutely crawling with redfish.

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Largest Redfish in the World https://www.sportfishingmag.com/largest-redfish-in-the-world-igfa/ Wed, 15 May 2024 02:10:59 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=47909 Ten world-record redfish catches that sit atop the IGFA record books.

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Louisiana record redfish catch
Christine Helms tossed a glitterbug fly in the waters of Grand Isle, Louisiana, to land this 13-pound red drum. At one time, her catch topped the IGFA world records as the largest redfish landed on 2-pound tippet by a female angler. In 2020, her redfish record was overtaken by an 18-pounder. COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG

Whether you’ve heard them called red drum, redfish, channel bass, or spot tail bass, you’ll be hard pressed to find an angler who doesn’t call it a premier game fish. These magnificent fish can be targeted in several inches of water with fly or lure, or caught in deep inlets with heavy tackle and natural bait. Their hard-fights, willingness to take a variety of natural and artificial baits, and beautiful coloration make the red drum one of the most highly sought after game fish species in the world.

A scroll through the IGFA World Records reaffirms the redfish’s popularity amongst the angling elite, with prominent names like Ballantyne, Hogan, and Werking listed alongside their respective records. But much like the largemouth bass, part of what makes the redfish popular is its availability to the masses. Million dollar boats and high-tech tackle are not required, which is evident by the fact that the largest redfish ever recorded by the IGFA were caught from shore or from piers, using basic tackle and a chunk of bait.

This compilation of red drum world records highlights a handful of records set for this species, and clearly illustrates just how diverse fishing for redfish can be.

All-Tackle World Record — 94 Pounds, 2 Ounces

all-tackle world record
David Deuel set the all-tackle world record Nov. 7, 1984. Adrian Gray, International Game Fish Association
  • Weight: 42.69 kg (94 lb 2 oz)
  • Angler: David Deuel
  • Place: Hatteras, North Carolina
  • Date: Nov. 7, 1984

It’s only appropriate, and no surprise, that the All-Tackle world record red drum was caught in the waters off Hatteras, North Carolina. After all, every redfish to hold the All-Tackle title has come from this area, not to mention the countless other monsters that these waters have produced over the years. David Deuel’s massive 42.69 kg (94 lb 2 oz) red drum was caught from shore, just as every other All-Tackle submittal for redfish. Deuel was rigged up the same way as many other surf-casters were on the morning of Nov. 7, 1984 as he hit the beaches of Avon, North Carolina. However it was his chunk of mullet that was picked up by the heaviest redfish ever recorded. Nearly an hour after hooking up, Deuel pulled the huge drum ashore and immediately knew it was a special fish. The fish measured 57 inches in length (to the fork), and sported an incredible girth of 38 inches. Deuel’s monster redfish replaced the previous record by more than 10 pounds, and also earned him the 24 kg (50 lb) line class world record.

Men’s 3 kg (6 lb) Tippet Class — 41 Pounds

redfish record
Jim Seegraves made his catch in 2004 in Houma, Louisiana. Adrian Gray, International Game Fish Association
  • Weight: 18.59 kg (41 lb)
  • Angler: Jim Seegraves
  • Place: Houma, Louisiana
  • Date: April 2, 2004

Arguably one of the more impressive redfish world records was caught by angler Jim Seegraves on April 2, 2004 while fly fishing out of Houma, Louisiana, USA. Seegraves battled this beautiful bronzed red drum for nearly two hours after the fish crushed the crab pattern fly he was casting from Capt. Dawny Ayo’s custom skiff. Why such a long fight? Seegraves was fishing with only 3 kg (6 lb) class tippet, and his record redfish tipped the scales at an impressive 18.59 kg (41 lb).

Women’s 3 kg (6 lb) Line Class — 44 Pounds

redfish record
Maureen Klause set the Women’s 3 kg (6 lb) Line Class record Nov. 11, 2008. Adrian Gray, International Game Fish Association
  • Weight: 19.96 kg (44 lb)
  • Angler: Maureen Klause
  • Place: Ocracoke, North Carolina
  • Date: Nov. 11, 2008

Angler Maureen Klause, a recipient of IGFA’s Bob Herder Light Tackle Award, set the women’s 3 kg (6 lb) line class world record for red drum on Nov. 11, 2008 with this gorgeous 19.96 kg (44 lb) specimen. Klause was fishing out of Ocracoke, North Carolina aboard the Drum Runner with local Captain Ernest Doshier when the fish ate the dead menhaden she was fishing on the bottom, right outside of the surf. Klause skillfully played the fish for approximately 45 minutes, before it could be landed. Once secured, the fish was quickly run to shore where it was properly documented and released alive.

Women’s Smallfry — 50 Pounds, 4 Ounces

igfa3274.jpg

Battle at the Bay

Kristen Dize holds IGFA’s female smallfry record after landing this 50-pound-plus red drum. COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
  • Weight: 22.79 kg (50 lb 4 oz)
  • Angler: Kristen Dize
  • Place: Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
  • Date: Sep. 15, 2001

Kristen Dize holds IGFA’s female smallfry record after landing this 50-pound, 4-ounce redfish in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. Dize was bait fishing with a croaker when the fish hit, taking her 20 minutes to land. The catch happened in September of 2001, making this record more than 20 years old.

Men’s 15 kg (30 lb) Line Class — 90 Pounds

redfish record
Elvin Hooper’s record has stood for more than four decades. Adrian Gray, International Game Fish Association
  • Weight: 40.8 kg (90 lb)
  • Angler: Elvin Hooper
  • Place: Rodanthe, North Carolina
  • Date: Nov. 7, 1973

At approximately 3 am on Nov. 7, 1973, angler Elvin Hooper hooked into an enormous red drum while fishing with a chunk of mullet from the Hatteras Island Pier in Rodanthe, North Carolina. After battling the stubborn fish for over an hour, Hooper had the fish alongside the pier, where it was eventually landed with a pier net. Tipping the scales at a whopping 40.8 kg (90 lb), Hooper’s fish became the biggest redfish specimen ever recorded by the IGFA at that time. Although the All-Tackle title has since been eclipsed, Hooper’s incredible catch still holds the men’s 15 kg (30 lb) line class record, and is the second largest red drum on record with the IGFA.

Women’s 6 kg (12 lb) Line Class — 51 Pounds, 8 Ounces

redfish record
Joan S. Dull has the oldest record on this list. She set her mark back in 1958. Adrian Gray, International Game Fish Association
  • Weight: 23.4 kg (51 lb 8 oz)
  • Angler: Joan S. Dull
  • Place: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
  • Date: Nov. 19, 1958

One of the longest standing world records for redfish is also one of the most impressive. Angler Joan S. Dull of Wayne, Ohio, USA set the women’s 6 kg (12 lb) line class world record with this 23.4 kg (51 lb, 8 oz) drum she caught on Nov. 19, 1958 while soaking a chunk of cut mullet in the surf off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA. Despite the large size of the fish and her light surf casting gear, Dull bested her record redfish in just 20 minutes — all done without the assistance of a boat and with only 15 inches of leader!

Men’s 2 kg (4 lb) Line Class — 52 Pounds, 5 Ounces

redfish record
George Hogan set the Men’s 2 kg (4 lb) Line Class in 1996. Adrian Gray, International Game Fish Association
  • Weight: 23.74 kg (52 lb 5 oz)
  • Angler: George Hogan, Jr.
  • Place: Indian River Lagoon, Florida
  • Date: Feb. 24, 1996

Light tackle expert George Hogan, Jr. has spent years pursuing IGFA world records for prestigious saltwater and freshwater game fish. However as Hogan describes in the testimony for his 2 kg (4 lb) line class record, “the day was planned to be a fun trip fishing with my sons.” But Hogan goes on to explain that “when the chance is there for another record catch, I’m always willing and prepared.” That was certainly the case on Feb. 24, 1996 when he caught and released this 23.74 kg (52 lb 5 oz) redfish while fishing Florida’s Indian River Lagoon. Hogan needed only 21 minutes to land the record fish after it ate the crab he was using for bait.

Women’s 10 kg (20 lb) Line Class — 65 Pounds

igfa18065.jpg
Lyn Gottert’s record 20-pound-class redfish weighed 65 pounds. COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
  • Weight: 29.48 kg (65 lb 0 oz)
  • Angler: Lyn Gottert
  • Place: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
  • Date: Nov. 11, 1983

North Carolina is renowned for its monster red drum, especially in areas such as Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke. It’s no surprise then that Lyn Gottert’s record 20-pound-class redfish came from these exact waters. Gottert was surf fishing in November 1983 when the 65-pound fish hit a mullet.

Men’s 3 kg (6 lb) Line Class — 51 Pounds, 8 Ounces

redfish record
Raleigh Werking has set more than 50 world records in his fishing career. Adrian Gray, International Game Fish Association
  • Weight: 23.36 kg (51 lb 8 oz)
  • Angler: Raleigh Werking
  • Place: Oriental, North Carolina
  • Date: Aug. 24, 1999

Light tackle extraordinaire and past recipient of the IGFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Raleigh Werking has set more than 50 world records over his incredible angling career, but few are as impressive as the 23.36 kg (51 lb 8 oz) redfish he caught on just 3 kg (6 lb) line. Werking was fishing with local guide George H. Beckwith, Jr. out of Oriental, North Carolina, USA on Aug. 24, 1999 when he caught this record redfish. Werking skillfully played the fish for just 20 minutes on his light tackle set-up, before the fish was landed, documented, and then released alive.

Women’s 6 kg (12 lb) Tippet Class — 40 Pounds

redfish record
Dotty Ballantyne is the most-recent record-setter, making her historic catch in 2014. Adrian Gray, International Game Fish Association
  • Weight: 18.14 kg (40 lb)
  • Angler: Dotty Ballantyne
  • Place: Venice, Louisiana
  • Date: Nov. 19, 2014

On Nov. 19, 2014 while fishing out of Venice, Louisiana with guide David Mangum, Dotty Ballantyne caught and released this 18.14 kg (40 lb) redfish. Ballantyne set the women’s 6 kg (12 lb) tippet class record after skillfully playing the fish for approximately 30 minutes. Not only a world record, Ballantyne’s fish is also one of the heaviest fly-caught redfish ever recorded by the IGFA.

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Waiting for a World Record https://www.sportfishingmag.com/game-fish/waiting-for-a-world-record/ Wed, 08 May 2024 19:07:23 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=55129 Why have IGFA records for the most popular inshore gamefish remained unbroken for decades?

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Look at the list of International Game Fish Association World Records for the most popular inshore gamefish and one thing becomes evident: time. The most recent all-tackle world record, Greg Myerson’s 2011 striped bass, is over a decade old. And the longest-standing record for common snook was set more than 50 years ago. Tired of waiting for these records to fall, we tracked down pundits and professionals to ask when they think the biggest inshore records will be broken.

Striped Bass: 81 pounds, 14 ounces

All Tackle World Record Striped Bass
Gregory Myerson’s All Tackle World Record Striped Bass Courtesy IGFA
  • Gregory Myerson
  • Long Island Sound, Connecticut
  • August, 4 2011

Who better to ask about the next World Record striped bass than the current record holder. It’s been over a decade since Greg Myerson caught one of the world’s most famous fish and he’s ready to set the next mark. “If they ever lift the slot limit, I’ll catch the next world record, too,” he says. His boasts aren’t hot air, Myerson holds the several striped bass records and striper tournament trophies. Myerson credits the deep ocean bottom and strong tidal currents off Connecticut and Rhode Island for bringing a steady stream of bait and big bass. “Big bass don’t like to move a lot so they are looking for a live lobster.” Myerson even predicts how the next world record bass will be caught; he has developed a rattling sinker that imitates the sound of a startled lobster. “The fish hears the sound and comes to investigate, that’s where he finds my eel.”

Red Drum: 94 pounds 2 ounces

All Tackle World Record Red Drum
David Deuel’s All Tackle World Record Red Drum Courtesy IGFA
  • David Deuel
  • Avon, North Carolina
  • November 07, 1984

Forty years ago, Frank Folb was working at the tackle shop that weighed the World Record red drum. Today, Folb has retired from tackle shops and taken up gardening, but he remembers the day the world’s biggest red drum was hanging from the scale. “Gosh, it was a fat fish,” he recalls. He says David Deuel fought the trophy drum down the Hatteras Island beach almost a mile before landing it. Due to the current slot limit on redfish, the red drum record will most likely never be broken. Back in the heyday of beach drum fishing, Folb rigged up a mobile scale to weigh a potential record on the beach. “We never had a fish large enough to break the mark,” he says. Folb has heard credible stories of redfish passing the length and girth test, but the fish were released. Despite the difficulty in setting a red drum record, Folb believes a 100-pound redfish is swimming somewhere off the Virginia or North Carolina coast.

Common Snook: 53 pounds, 10 ounces

All Tackle World Record Common Snook
Gilbert Ponzi’s All Tackle World Record Common Snook Courtesy IGFA
  • Gilbert Ponzi
  • Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica
  • October 18, 1978

The oldest record on the list is one of the most coveted. While Florida accounts for the largest population of snook anglers, Costa Rica holds the all tackle world record. Stuart-based Capt. Mike Holliday has landed snook up to 40 pounds, but beating the record in his home waters is almost impossible to imagine. “The next record will come from Costa Rica,” he says. Holliday explains the warm Latin American climate allows the snook to feed year-round and reach extraordinary size. Why hasn’t a bigger fish been caught in Costa Rica? Holliday says the fish in the 1970s and 80s were bigger. “People used to brag about the 40-pound club, now they brag about the 40-inch club.” Once again, fishing regulations are the biggest obstacle to breaking the record. Slot limits throughout the snook’s range keep the record safe from American anglers.

Spotted Seatrout: 17 pounds, 7 ounces

All Tackle World Record Sea Trout
Craig F. Carson’s All Tackle World Record Sea Trout Courtesy IGFA
  • Craig F. Carson
  • Ft. Pierce, Florida
  • May 11, 1995

Capt. Mike Holliday has personal experience with the World Record spotted sea trout. “I interviewed the guy who caught it,” he remembers. The long-time contributor to local and nationwide publications was on the beat when the fish was caught. “Craig Carson was visiting from Daytona and caught the fish on a Zara Spook off Dynamite Point.” Even though he didn’t witness the weigh-in or see the actual fish, looking at photos of the catch gives Holliday suspicions. “It doesn’t look like a 17-pound trout,” he insists. And the angler weighed the fish on a grocery store scale. And then there’s the incredible size. Holliday shakes his head, “I’ve never heard of a trout even close to 17 pounds.” The speckled trout record has stood for almost 30 years and Holliday thinks it will never be broken. “I’ve fished the same area for decades and caught one fish over 13 pounds,” he says.

Tarpon: 286 pounds, 9 ounces

All Tackle World Record Tarpon
Max Domecq Rubane’s All Tackle World Record Tarpon Courtesy IGFA
  • Max Domecq Rubane
  • Guinea-Bissou
  • March, 4 2003

Close your eyes and picture a 300-pound tarpon jumping through the air, diving under the boat and rolling on the line and you’ll understand the difficulty in breaking the silver king’s world-record mark. Zack Bellipigna, angler recognition manager at IGFA, is confident the record can be broken. “As sure as I’m sitting in my chair, there is a 300-pound tarpon swimming off the coast of Africa right now,” he insists. Bellipigna attributes the long-standing record to a lack of angler interest. “Hardcore tarpon anglers are more interested in setting line-class records in the Keys or along the Gulf Coast than going to Africa and catching a giant tarpon.” Bellipigna says IGFA’s Grand Slam awards are also seeing a lot of interest. “Catching a tarpon and two other trophy species in one day is a hell of an achievement but it is achievable.” Still, many of the line class records pale in comparison to the massive 286-pound beast.

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The Best Place to Catch Trophy Redfish https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/catch-giant-redfish-in-mid-atlantic/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 16:31:22 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=52360 Lower Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina's Outer Banks are producing big numbers of monster drum.

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Chesapeake Bay bridge red drum
Big red drum school along the shore and on shallow shoals and channels at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Captain Kenny Louderback, of Fish Freaks Guide Service, expects fishing to improve as water temperatures rise into the 70s. Captain Kenny Louderback

“The fishing was so good, I could only fish two rods and I was getting worn out,” reported Capt. Kenny Louderback after a recent trip where he landed 23 giant redfish between 44 and 48 inches. “The day before we caught redfish up to 53 inches!”

Capt. Kenny Louderback was fishing shallow shoals at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay and along Fisherman Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore

The day of the epic bite, he marked fish on his fishfinder in 30 feet of water and deployed the anchor. The deep hole was close to shore making a natural funnel for the redfish to travel into the surf zone. 

With two anglers steadily cranking in giant redfish, Louderback was busy baiting hooks, landing drum and reviving the released fish. “Before I release a redfish, I use a fish gripper to hold it in the water,” he explained. (Don’t hold a fish vertically with a lip gripper.) Once the fish swims on its own, he unclips the gripper and lets the red swim free. The captain laughed, “As soon as the bait hit the bottom, I’d have two more fish to release.”

How to Catch Chesapeake Bay’s Red Drum

Virginia red drum
Matt Shepard with a trophy redfish caught off Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Shepard caught the drum on a whole blue crab on a fish-finder rig. Ric Burnley

Fishing with a whole or half hard crab on a 9/0 hook and 50-pound leader, Louderback uses a fish-finder rig with 8 to 10 ounces of lead. To fish the heavy rig and big bait, he utilizes a 6-foot boat rod and PENN Squall 20 spooled with 30-pound braided line. He threads a fish-finder slide over the mainline and ties the line to a swivel. The swivel is connected to one to three feet of 50-pound monofilament and the 9/0 circle hook. 

Up until recently, red drum fishing has been slow. Louderback reports cold water and bad weather are putting a damper on the red drum bite. “A hard northeast wind has caused the water temperature to fluctuate.” He sees 68 degrees one day and 64 degrees the next day. Since the water temperature started to stabilize, Louderback has had consistent action on big red drum. With the slow start, he hopes for a longer season as the water warms into the lower- to mid-70s.

In a couple weeks, Louderback will turn his attention to sight fishing for cobia and red drum. He searches the mouth of Chesapeake Bay looking for the schools of redfish and cobia swimming on the surface. When he spots fish, he casts a two-ounce bucktail or live eel with a medium-heavy spinning rod and reel. He looks for sight fishing to continue through summer and into early fall. 

Outer Banks Redfish Fishing Techniques

bull redfish midatlantic states
For perspective, check out a 53-inch redfish next to a 46-incher. Recent reports of giant red drum have anglers flocking to Virginia and North Carolina for the best chance at a “bucket list” redfish. Ric Burnley

Farther south, North Carolina’s Outer Banks have been covered up with trophy red drum since February. “Red drum fishing is awesome,” said Capt. Tim Hagerich, from the Black Pearl Charters out of Hatteras Inlet. When I texted Hagerich for a fishing report, he replied, “I’m on a school of drum right now!”

Hagerich finds drum two ways. When the weather is clear and the seas calm, he heads into the ocean toward Diamond Shoals. Searching the shoals, he finds schools of drum in the clear water. “Sometimes the school has 2,000 fish,” he marveled.

Once he spots a school, Hagerich casts a 2-ounce bucktail toward the fish. “Jig the bucktail anywhere near the school and the fish will pile on,” he explained. 

Hagerich stopped using the ubiquitous rubber curly tail jig on his bucktail. “It takes too much time to fix the tail after catching a fish,” he complained. Hagerich said it’s more important to cast again while the school is nearby. “Bucktail color doesn’t matter, either,” he added.

Big Red and Black Drum Mixed Together

On a recent trip, Hagerich found big redfish mixed in with a school of large black drum. The water on Diamond Shoals was crystal clear and Hagerich spotted a school of black drum in 20 feet of water.

“Black drum won’t bite so I drove around the school four times and didn’t make a cast,” he recalled. Another captain took a chance and pulled a redfish out of the black school. Hagerich chuckles and said, “The moral of the story is don’t believe your eyes.”

Wind, What Wind? When the wind blows, Hagerich fishes behind the islands. “The harder the wind blows, the fishing gets better,” he said.

Focusing his efforts on Hatteras Inlet, Hagerich finds breaking waves on a shallow shoal and anchors his boat. He casts a chunk of mullet on a fish-finder rig into the breakers and along the deeper slough. Fishing in the wind is no problem: “We fished three days in 30-knot winds last week,” he said.

Hagerich expects drum fishing to remain good through the summer and into fall. As the water warms, he turns his attention to slot and over-slot redfish on the grass beds and shallow flats.

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Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs https://www.sportfishingmag.com/measuring-success-fishery-enhancement-programs/ Sat, 06 Apr 2019 00:32:26 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=45418 How scientists measure the effectiveness of saltwater restocking programs

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Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs
The overarching goal behind fishery enhancement programs is to ensure that there will be sufficient populations of fish for future generations of anglers. Courtesy CCA Florida

Saltwater restocking programs tug at the heartstrings of anglers and nonanglers alike. What’s not to love? You hatch and rear little cobia, flounder, redfish, salmon, snook, spotted seatrout, white seabass and other game-fish species. Then you release the juveniles to help bolster wild populations that have been reduced by factors such as habitat destruction, pollution, environmental catastrophe or overfishing. Hatchery fish integrate with native fish, reproduce, and fishery stocks rebound.

But do restocking programs really work? How does anyone know how many hatchery fish survive in the wild? Do they survive at all, and if so, do they reproduce? These are questions that hatchery managers and fishery biologists around the country strive to research, answer and document on an ongoing basis. It’s about economics as much it is science, for without evidence that saltwater-fishery-­enhancement efforts are effective, funding for such programs — though they tug at the heartstrings — might well be diverted or squashed altogether.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs
Stock-enhancement programs for marine species such as red drum are ongoing in Florida. Courtesy CCA Florida

Prove It
“If you want to have hatcheries, you have to prove they work,” says Robert Vega, Ph.D., adjunct professor with the department of life sciences at Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. He has specialized in marine-fish hatcheries and stock enhancement since 1983.

Vega points to examples of bygone federal programs in the 1940s to enhance cod, hake, summer flounder and winter flounder populations. “These were shut down by the feds because no one could prove they worked,” he notes.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs
Red drum restocking programs are also underway in Texas. Courtesy Texas CCA

Today, a number of saltwater-fish-hatchery and -enhancement programs exist in coastal areas around the United States. Restocking efforts are also underway in Australia, China, Japan and other countries.

In the United States, most programs rely on some form of public funding. In Texas, for example, the lion’s share of money comes from the federal Sport Fish Restoration Act, which taxes fishing tackle at wholesale.

In Southern California, a special fee for a marine enhancement stamp on annual saltwater-fishing licenses serves as one of the main funding tools for the white seabass hatchery and restocking program operated by the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.

Regulation of saltwater hatcheries usually falls under the auspices of state departments of natural resources (known in some states as departments of fish and wildlife). However, hatchery operations are often run by separate entities such as a university or nongovernmental institution. Nonprofit conservation groups such as state chapters of the Coastal Conversation Association can also play significant roles in providing financial support and volunteer assistance.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs
Staff members at Mote Marine Laboratory corral captive adult snook to assess reproductive status in preparation for brood-stock spawning. Mote Marine Laboratory

Sense of Urgency
Recent ecological disasters and mass-mortality events such as the influx of red tide in ­southwest Florida and algae blooms on the state’s east coast have lent even greater impetus for the need to restock affected fish populations. CCA Florida — working in conjunction with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Duke Energy — has led the charge, most recently with the release of 16,000 juvenile red drum and 200 adults into the waters of Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pasco and Sarasota counties earlier this year.

CCA Florida and Florida FWCC are also partnering with Sarasota-based Mote Marine Laboratory for a scheduled release of 5,000 hatchery-reared juvenile common snook along Florida’s southwest coast in May of this year with the goal of augmenting the number of young fish, whose numbers are down due to the adverse effects of red tide on snook-spawning aggregations.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs

Phillipi Creek Snook Release

Hatchling snook are meticulously cared for and fed in grow-out tanks at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. Mote Marine Laboratory

Species Specific
Fishery managers have successfully hatched and reared a wide range of fish species in captivity. Hatchery programs on the Texas Gulf Coast, which began 40 years ago, raise red drum, spotted seatrout and southern flounder.

In southwest Florida, Mote Marine Laboratory has perfected techniques for spawning, hatching and raising common snook. “It is one of the most difficult species to rear in captivity,” says Ken Leber, Mote’s associate VP of research. “In the past 20 years, we have released 66,000 juvenile snook into the wild.”

At the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in Florida, you can find ­experimental hatchery-research programs focused on cobia, goggle-eyes (scads), hogfish, mahi, pompano, red snapper, tunas and groupers.

However, the school’s experimental hatchery efforts are devoted to aquaculture, not restocking. That said, the lessons learned at the school can help optimize practices at other hatcheries focused on fisheries enhancement.

Pelagic fish pose the greatest challenges, says Ron Hoenig, manager of the school’s experimental hatchery program. “Mahi, for example, are very active and grow quickly, and this becomes an issue as the fish — ­especially brood stock — grow,” he explains. “They reach 25 to 30 pounds in six to 14 months, and at that point, the tank is just too small for them. Tuna are even more difficult to manage as a hatchery fish.”

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs

Phillipi Creek Snook Release

The survival of juvenile snook released into the wild hinges on the time year and quality of habitat in the release location, as well as the size of the fish. Mote Marine Laboratory

Viable Young
By staying on the cutting edge of science, hatchery managers learn more every day. “The more we learn about the life history and optimal conditions required for each fish species, the more successful we become,” Vega explains.

“There are a lot of ­variables between species,” says Leber, who has 33 years of marine-stock-enhancement experience. “Each species is different when it comes to the best size for release, the best season to release, the best location, and the magnitude of the release.” It can take years of research to figure out all of this, he has discovered.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs
Staff at Mote Marine Laboratory test the mucus slime of a hatchery snook. A healthy slime coat helps prevent infection among snook and other species. Mote Marine Laboratory

One constant, regardless of species, is the need to rear ­high-quality hatchery ­juveniles, Vega points out. “In the early days, hatcheries released fish when they were too small, but now we know that rearing species such as red drum to fingerling size or larger ­significantly increases survival rates.”

White seabass — a Pacific species of croaker that grows as large as 60 pounds or more — need to be reared to an even larger size, scientists believe. So, with the help of CCA California, a network of grow-out pens has been established in harbors and bays along the coast of Southern California. Fingerlings are transferred from the hatchery to the pens, where CCA volunteers feed and care for the fish until the white seabass reach about 9 inches, which is when they are released.

At Mote, snook are raised until they’re at least 10 months old before their release, so these fish are nearly a year old once introduced into the wild.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs
Properly nourishing hatchery stock, such as these red drum shown during one of their raucous feeding times, represents a critical component in producing healthy and viable young. CCA Texas

Measuring Success
Most people — anglers in particular — want to believe in the success of fishery-­enhancement efforts. And in the case of anadromous species such as king salmon, success is fairly self-evident and easy to document. The fish return as adults from the ocean to essentially the same place where they were released as part of their life cycle. This facilitates scientific surveys of survival rates.

Yet most saltwater-hatchery fish prove far less cooperative. Juveniles scatter with the tides with no regard for county, state or international boundaries, and no inclination to return to the release site. That renders the task of measuring long-term success not only problematic, but also expensive.

Fishery managers have figured out ingenious methods to measure the success of their restocking efforts. In the bays of Texas, for example, researchers capture red drum with gill nets and bag seines all along the coast, and then submit samples of fin clippings from fish in a predesignated slot size for DNA testing.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs
Mote implants small transponders into snook to track released fish. Mote Marine Laboratory

“Biologists have been doing genotyping to identify Texas hatchery red drum since the mid- to late 1990s,” says Shane Bonnot, executive director of CCA Texas. Back in a genetics laboratory, scientists look for a marker in the DNA sample that matches hatchery parents. Cost Analysis

Yet this methodology is not cheap. “To definitively measure success with DNA testing is pretty costly,” Bonnot explains. “To date, we have released 25 million red drum and seatrout, but the key to moving ahead is making sure everyone knows that it is working.”

The percentage of hatchery redfish in the Texas surveys has varied widely, says Bonnot. “There has also been some disagreement over limiting the sample fish to a certain slot size,” he admits. “This is primarily to cut costs.” Since the DNA testing is so expensive, limiting the number of samples helps keep down the budget.

“Returns have ranged from 1 to 17 percent from year to year,” Bonnot reveals, noting that the goal is 4 percent, which, on average, the program appears to be exceeding. “If 4 percent of the hatchery fish are surviving, the program is at break-even. That means it’s paying for itself in terms of the economic value of a red drum.”

Another benefit of DNA testing could be the ability to determine if hatchery fish are reproducing by looking for familial genetic markers, though no such study has yet taken place.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs

MAP Almaco Jack Tagging

The Mote Marine Laboratory has programs focused on a variety of species, including almaco jack. Here a researcher implants a tag to identify the fish. Mote Marine Laboratory

Forms of Identity
Some fishery managers employ less-costly means of identifying hatchery fish. In California, for example, juvenile white seabass receive tiny coded wire tags at the hatchery. These are implanted into tissue in the fish’s forehead, and can be scanned with an electronic wand to identify the croaker as a hatchery fish.

Though some netting surveys have occurred, most of the fish scanned for tags are those captured by sport and commercial fishermen. The program relies on fishermen turning in heads of fish to collection stations for ­eventual scanning.

In Texas, the southern flounder restocking program, which began in 2006, has employed a special nontoxic but indelible dye on the tail to ­identify hatchery fish, Bonnot says.

Mote uses passive integrated transponder tags for hatchery snook, allowing ­scientists to more easily monitor and track fish. “The smallest tags are about 12 millimeters long and look like small pills,” says Ryan Schloesser, staff scientist for Mote’s Fisheries Ecology and Enhancement Program.

“The PIT tags are inserted inside the animal’s abdominal cavity, and these trigger a series of strategically placed sensors in the water when a fish swims by,” Schloesser explains. To date, 1,100 snook have been implanted with the tags, and Mote has documented more than 100,000 pings over a 12-month period.

“This survey technique has indicated survival rates of 10 to 20 percent during the juveniles’ first year in the wild, and in the marine-hatchery field, that’s pretty impressive,” Leber notes.

Measuring the Success of Fishery Enhancement Programs
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute’s white seabass program uses pens along the coast to grow juveniles to about 9 inches in length before release. Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute

Under Scrutiny
Based on the emotional chord that fishery-enhancement efforts strike with the public, these programs almost always receive praise in the mainstream press and elsewhere. However, the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute white seabass hatchery in Carlsbad, California, recently has come under criticism.

The Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program was established with the goal of researching the feasibility of replenishing overfished stocks of the magnificent silvery croakers. Ongoing releases of hatchery white seabass has been taking place since 1986.

Read Next: Hubbs-Seaworld Receives Prestigious IGFA Award

Then in 1990, California voters passed Proposition 132, which banned the use in state waters of the commercial gill nets that had fairly decimated white seabass populations. Slowly, populations of white seabass rebounded, and many credit the hatchery program, as well as the gill-net ban. Capable of producing 350,000 juvenile white seabass annually, the hatchery has released well in excess of 2 million white seabass so far.

But an external evaluation of the program by a committee of scientists that began about five years ago indicates that less than 1 percent of the white seabass caught off Southern California emanate from the Carlsbad hatchery.

Differing Explanations
One scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Mark Okihiro, has been particularly vocal in his criticism of the program. “The total number of adult hatchery fish (28 inches or more in length) caught by fishermen for the entire life of the OREHP release program (1986-2013) is only 180,” Okihiro wrote in May 2014. He blames poor survival rates on the prevalence of deformities due to less-than-stringent hatchery practices.

Mark Drawbridge, senior research scientist and head of the sustainable fisheries program for HSWRI, acknowledges the low return rate but points to another ­explanation: “Fish surveys from Santa Catalina Island (one of the best fishing areas for white seabass in SoCal) were excluded from the evaluation.”

The report contains a long-winded discussion about the reasons behind this geographic exclusion, but also acknowledges that “a higher proportion of fish was recaptured at Catalina compared [with] releases along the continental coast.” This lends credence to Drawbridge’s explanation, and for many, calls into question the validity of the evaluation.

That said, Drawbridge emphasizes that this is a research program and that HSWRI is open to changes. “We could continue to focus on white seabass or shift to another species,” he says. “Or we could discontinue the program altogether.” Those decisions eventually will be made by the California Fish and Game Commission, which controls funding for the program.

In the meantime, OREHP staff and volunteers from CCA California have already been out collecting California halibut to serve as brood stock in case the HSWRI needs to switch to a species that lends itself better to hatchery and restocking efforts.

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Three Men Caught With 21 Redfish Over the Limit https://www.sportfishingmag.com/three-men-caught-with-21-redfish-over-limit/ Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:12:15 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=45237 Wildlife officials found the men with a truckload of oversize reds.

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Three men were caught with a truckload of oversize redfish in Grand Isle on Oct. 8.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) senior agent Norman Deroche pulled over a white F-250 at 6:48 a.m. on La. Hwy. 1 in Fourchon. In the truck bed, he found 25 overslot reds. Each drum measured between 28 and 40 inches long, all outside the state’s 16- to 27-inch slot limit.

Donisote Santos, 53, of Chalmette, Jose Goronci, 43, of Metairie, and Jose DiSalva, 49, of Kenner, were cited with possession-limit violations and taking red drum in excess of 27 inches.

Louisiana fisheries received the tip from an alert angler who claimed that three males were fishing over the limit for red drum at the Caminada Pass Bridge. A licensed Louisiana fisherman can keep one red drum in excess of 27 inches per day and possess two red drum in excess of 27 inches if fishing for multiple days. Since DiSalva did not have a fishing license, this put the other two men 21 fish over the limit.

According to LDWF, taking more than the limit of red drum brings a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Possessing red drum above the limit in excess of 27 inches is a $100 to $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail. In addition, red drum carry a $150 fine for each fish over the limit. Failure to have a saltwater license is a $50 fine and up to 15 days in jail. The men could also face civil restitution of $555 for the replacement value of the red drum taken.

Courtesy Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

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Research Examines Success of Stocking Programs for Red Drum, Seatrout Along Texas Coast https://www.sportfishingmag.com/species/conservation/research-examines-success-stocking-programs-red-drum-seatrout-along-texas-coast/ Thu, 28 Aug 2014 21:57:40 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=44259 Diversity of breeding pairs impacts recreational fishing

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Just like bluebonnets and the heat, Texas is known for fantastic bay fishing, but along with popularity comes problems for economically-important fish like red drum and spotted seatrout. Dr. John R. Gold, Regents Professor and Harte Research Institute (HRI) Endowed Chair for Genetics and Biodiversity at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and Dr. Robert R. Vega, Marine Enhancement Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) have led a team of scientists to assess restoration enhancement programs for both red drum and spotted seatrout.

“Saltwater recreational fishing in Texas is presently worth $2.2 billion per year and generates around 34,000 jobs,” said Vega. “The most popular species fished are red drum and spotted seatrout, collectively representing $570 million in economic revenue.”

Because of the economic value that saltwater recreational fishing brings, many people would agree with the philosophy that more fish in our bays and estuaries would mean stable fish populations. However, more does not necessarily mean better. In order to assess the health of both fish populations, Gold and Vega recently collaborated on two research projects that focused on the genetics of hatchery-released red drum and spotted seatrout.

Because of the large declines in red drum wild populations during the 1970s and the 1980s, the TPWD initiated a coastal stock enhancement program to help increase fish numbers. In 1975, state biologists initiated stocking red drum fingerlings to enhance the wild fish populations on an experimental basis and later began a large-scale stock enhancement program in 1983.

Gold’s and Vega’s first research project demonstrated that the red drum fingerlings released by TPWD survive long enough to make a difference in population numbers. The research team assessed how many hatchery-released red drum survived to at least one year of age.

They used genetic testing to compare fish caught from nine bays and estuaries along the Texas Coast to the breeding pairs kept in TPWD restoration-enhancement hatcheries in Flour Bluff, Texas, and Lake Jackson, Texas. About 78 percent of the fish caught were yearlings, but the remaining 22 percent were between two and three years old.

This was an important find because fish who reach this age are almost ready to reproduce and help increase the numbers of wild populations.

“To date, more than 650 million red drum fingerlings have been hatchery-produced and released into Texas coastal bays,” said Vega. “Partly as a consequence of the stock enhancement program, the red drum bay population has rebounded to near-record levels.”

Fisheries management is more than a numbers game for researchers like Gold and Vega. Although putting as many hatchery-released yearlings back into the ecosystem is important, it is also vital to make sure that they are genetically the same as wild populations.

When it comes to finding a mate, no one wants to be stuck in a room full of siblings, which is why the second project looked at the parentage of spotted seatrout produced at the hatchery. Many scientists agree that in order to ensure genetic variety, it is very important to make sure stock comes from many breeding pairs rather than just a few.

Early results indicated that not all female seatrout participated in reproduction, potentially causing many of the released fish to be genetically related to one another.

“If fish populations do not have any genetic variation they will have a harder time evolving,” said Gold. “In order to be able to respond to environmental changes like increasing water temperatures, water pollutions, and even oil, they need to have genetic variation.”

With the assistance of Gold, TPWD is now finding ways to detect non-contributing females. Through continuing genetic testing, Gold and Vega hope to identify the fish that are not participating in spawning events and replace them in order to increase the amount of genetic diversity.

The studies were supported by the Texas Sea Grant Program and the TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division.

Learn more about the Harte Research Institute’s Marine Genomics Lab involved in this research HERE.

_About Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi:___ Offering more than 80 of the most popular degree programs in the state, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has proudly provided a solid academic reputation, renowned faculty, and highly-rated degree programs since 1947. The Island University has earned its spot as a premier doctoral-granting institution, supporting a UAS test site, two institutes, and 13 research centers and labs. Discover your island at http://www.tamucc.edu/.__

__About the Harte Research Institute: ____The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, an endowed research component of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is dedicated to advancing the long-term sustainable use and conservation of the Gulf of Mexico. HRI provides international leadership in generating and disseminating knowledge about the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and its critical role in the economies of the North American region.__

Dr. John Gold / Seatrout

Courtesy of the Harte Research Institute

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Record Redfish Catches https://www.sportfishingmag.com/gallery/2014/04/record-redfish-catches/ Thu, 17 Apr 2014 00:31:33 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=47344 Ten redfish catches that sit atop the IGFA record books.

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Louisiana record redfish catch

Red Hot

Christine Helms tossed a glitterbug fly in the waters of Grand Isle, Louisiana, to land this 13-pound red drum. Her catch tops the IGFA records as the largest redfish landed on 2-pound tippet by a female angler. COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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A Classic Catch

Elvin Hooper, of Salvo, North Carolina, landed this 90-pound red drum near Rodanthe. His redfish catch is the second largest red drum in the IGFA record books. Hooper cast a mullet to the redfish using 30-pound tackle. COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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Battle at the Bay

Kristen Dize holds IGFA’s female smallfry record after landing this 50-pound, 4-ounce redfish in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. Dize was bait fishing with a croaker when the fish hit, taking her 20 minutes to land. Nice catch! COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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A Fair Fight

Smallfry angler Brandon Bartlett landed his record fish in 2001. Bartlett fought the 45-pound, 8-ounce red drum for 12 minutes after the fish ate a peeler crab in Chesapeake Bay. Who is bigger: the fish or Brandon? COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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Record Breaker

This 70-pound, 4-ounce red drum is the largest redfish ever caught by a woman angler. Elizabeth Pomory was bottom fishing off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, when the fish hit a mullet. She landed the fish on 50-pound tackle in a half-hour. Her catch actually trumps the current 80-pound-class redfish record by 26 pounds! COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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Redfish of a Lifetime

Pictured here is the biggest redfish catch of all time, well at least the largest recorded red drum. David Deuel was bottom fishing on Nov. 7, 1984 when he hooked this massive fish on mullet near Avon, North Carolina. Total weight of the fish was 94 pounds, 2 ounces. Yikes! COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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Dante A. Bustamante released his redfish and still landed his name in the the IGFA record book. His 117-centimeter (46-inch) drum is the all-tackle length record, a feat that doesn’t require a weight submission. He caught the fish on live mullet near Merritt Island, Florida. COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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Greg Braunstein landed the biggest redfish on fly ever while fishing the Banana River Lagoon in May of 1995. Braunstein’s 43-pound fish took 1 hour and 20 minutes to land in the shallow waters of Central Florida, especially since he was using just 16-pound tippet. COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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North Carolina is renowned for its monster red drum, especially in areas such as Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke. It’s no surprise then that Lyn Gottert’s record 20-pound-class redfish came from these exact waters. Gottert was surf fishing in November 1983 when the 65-pound fish hit a mullet. COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
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Target Practice

Kimberly Williams-Kirkendoll used just 6-pound tippet to land this record-setting 34-pound red drum. She cast a haley’s comet fly in front of the drum while fishing in Hopedale, Louisiana. If you’re looking for a lively debate, grab fishing guides from North Carolina, Florida and Louisiana and try to figure out who has the best red drum fishing in the country! COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG

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Video: Outer Banks Redfish Bonanza https://www.sportfishingmag.com/news/video-outer-banks-redfish-bonanza/ Wed, 30 Oct 2013 03:40:52 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=47998 Check out this clip of kayak fishermen chasing down a giant school of bull red drum.

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