Red Drum: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Florida Keys, FL.

Fishing region

Season in Florida Keys

Peak months: Nov.

JFMAMJJASOND

Keys Weekly: redfish in upper Florida Bay within Everglades National Park in winter (Horn) and a phenomenal bite there in November (Hastings). (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
South Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
Delmarva	JFMAMJJASOND
Virginia Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Outer Banks	JFMAMJJASOND
Southern NC	JFMAMJJASOND
Charleston	JFMAMJJASOND
Georgia	JFMAMJJASOND
Northeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Space Coast	JFMAMJJASOND
Southeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Florida Keys	JFMAMJJASOND
Southwest Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Tampa Bay	JFMAMJJASOND
Big Bend	JFMAMJJASOND
Panhandle	JFMAMJJASOND
Alabama	JFMAMJJASOND
Mississippi	JFMAMJJASOND
Louisiana	JFMAMJJASOND
Upper Texas	JFMAMJJASOND
Middle Texas	JFMAMJJASOND
Lower Texas	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Upper Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park backcountry, on live shrimp under a popping cork, crabs, mullet or pinfish (Keys Weekly).

Often in the first trough, sometimes right at your feet in the wash.

What to look for

Darker water of a deep trough, a gap where waves are not breaking (a cut), mullet moving along the beach.

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Gold spoon (weedless style)1/2 to 3/4 oz, 2.5 to 3 in. Slow to medium wobble with occasional pauses near the bottom of the trough.

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Popping cork with a soft plastic or live shrimp1/8 to 1/4 oz jighead under the cork oz, About 4 in soft plastic shad or shrimp (Cedar Key used a 4 in Sea Shad). Pop the cork sharply, pause while the bait settles, repeat; with tripletail, cast just past the target and reel back with a small pop.

Bait

Cut mullet or menhaden, Live finger mullet, Fresh shrimp, Blue crab (quartered). Fish-finder rig, 3 to 4 oz sinker, 18 in 40 to 60 lb leader, 5/0 to 8/0 circle hook (circle hook required with natural bait at 4/0 and up).

Leader

18 to 24 in of 30 to 60 lb mono or fluorocarbon, heavier for bull reds.

Common mistakes

Casting over the fish into the outer bar when they are in the first trough
Setting the hook hard on a circle hook; just reel tight
Keeping a bull red: anything over 25 in must go back

Landing

Use waves to slide the fish up; for big fish keep it in the wash, unhook, and release quickly.

Handling

Heavy, strong fish; sharp gill rakers

Support big fish horizontally, keep them wet, release quickly. Do not hold up oversize bulls by the jaw.

Keep or release

Florida rules apply; see the regulations file.

Recipes for red drum

Typical: About 18 in, 2.6 lb. Large: Bull reds 30 to 45 in. SC record 75 lb (1965).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the FL limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before you keep a fish.

Sources

Florida Keys Weekly (Bill Horn, March 2015): winter skinny-water anglers target cuda, sharks (Angler knowledge)
Florida Keys Weekly (Richard Hastings, Dec 2025): cold fronts bring hungry bonefish (Angler knowledge)
ASMFC 2017, Atlantic Sciaenid Habitats (Habitat Management Series 14): Red Drum chapter (Official source)
SCDNR species profile: red drum (Official source)
Fisherman's Post North Myrtle Beach / Little River reports 2025-2026 (Angler knowledge)
Gregg Holshouser Grand Strand fishing reports, 2019-2020 (mirror) (Angler knowledge)
SCDNR Saltwater Fishing Trends (pier operator forecasts) (Angler knowledge)

All the fish of Florida Keys

Red Drum