Red Drum

SWEET, MEDIUM FLAVOR. FIRM WHITE FLAKES

NICKNAMES Puppy drum, redfish, channel bass, spottail bass
AVAILABLE March through December
LANDED AT Wanchese, NC
CATCH METHOD gill net

A GREAT SOURCE OF omega-3s
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Red drum is the state fish of North Carolina. It’s a favorite catch among commercial and recreational fishermen alike. Red drum live in coastal and estuarine waters, feeding on small fish and shellfish found along the ocean bottom.

Red drum are beloved across the Southeast as a food fish. The flesh is mildly sweet, with a firm flaky white texture. A popular way to cook this fish is “on the half shell.” Half shell implies a fillet of fish with the skin and scales still attached. By cooking the fish with the scales on, skin side down, the fish retains its moisture and flavor. You can also bake, deep-fry, and blacken red drum.