What Do Redfish Eat?
Have you ever seen what do Redfish eat? These popular sportfish, also known as red drum or channel bass, have specific feeding habits that vary by location, season, and life stage. If you love to read about what different animals and insects eat, take a look at the following:
What Do They has prepared this blog so you’ll learn the answer to what do redfish eat, how their diet changes throughout their life cycle, and what foods work best for anglers hoping to catch these prized gamefish.
What Are Redfish?
Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus) are a popular saltwater sportfish found along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Florida and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. They’re characterized by:
- Coppery-red to bronze coloration
- One or more black spots near the tail
- Downward-facing mouth designed for bottom feeding
- Size ranging from juvenile “puppy drum” to bull reds exceeding 40 inches
- Ability to thrive in various water conditions, from brackish estuaries to open ocean
Their adaptability and fighting spirit make them one of the most sought-after inshore gamefish.
Natural Diet of Redfish
What do redfish eat in the wild? Their diet consists of:
Crustaceans
- Blue crabs
- Fiddler crabs
- Stone crabs
- Shrimp (white, brown, and pink species)
- Small crayfish in brackish areas
- Mud crabs
Fish
- Mullet
- Menhaden (pogies)
- Pinfish
- Killifish (mud minnows)
- Juvenile spot and croaker
- Finger mullet
- Small flounder
Mollusks
- Small clams
- Mussels
- Snails
- Squid (for larger redfish)
Other Food Items
- Worms (various marine species)
- Small crabs
- Grass shrimp
- Marine insects
How Redfish Feed
Understanding how redfish locate and capture prey helps explain what do redfish eat:
Feeding Mechanisms
- Bottom grubbing with downturned mouth
- Powerful suction to draw in prey
- Crushing prey with throat plates (pharyngeal teeth)
- Quick bursts of speed for chasing small fish
- Tailing (feeding with tail exposed in shallow water)
Sensory Adaptations
- Lateral line to detect vibrations and movement
- Sensitive barbels to feel prey in murky water
- Excellent vision in clear water
- Ability to detect chemicals released by prey
Diet Changes Throughout Life Cycle
What do redfish eat as they grow and mature? Their diet evolves significantly:
Juvenile Redfish (Under 12 inches)
- Small shrimp
- Grass shrimp
- Worms
- Small crabs
- Tiny baitfish
- Marine insects
Adolescent Redfish (12-27 inches)
- Larger shrimp
- Small to medium crabs
- Various baitfish
- Small squid
- Mud minnows
Adult Redfish (Over 27 inches)
- Large crabs (particularly blue crabs)
- Menhaden and mullet
- Large shrimp
- Various fish species
- Larger squid
Seasonal Feeding Patterns
What do redfish eat during different seasons? Their preferences change throughout the year:
Spring
- Focus on shrimp emerging from estuaries
- Crabs beginning to molt
- Small baitfish schools forming
- More active feeding as water warms
Summer
- Peak crab consumption
- Heavy feeding on mullet and menhaden schools
- Early morning and evening feeding in shallows
- Deeper water feeding during hot midday periods
Fall
- Increased feeding activity as they fatten for winter
- Focus on larger baitfish schools
- Migrating shrimp
- Opportunistic feeding on abundant prey
Winter
- More selective feeding during colder periods
- Focus on deeper channels and holes
- Slower metabolism requires less food
- Continued preference for crabs and larger prey items
Regional Diet Variations
What redfish eat varies significantly by location:
Gulf Coast
- Heavy preference for blue crabs
- Gulf shrimp species
- Pinfish and pigfish
- Mullet and menhaden
Atlantic Coast
- Similar preferences but with regional prey species
- More fiddler crabs in marsh areas
- Greater variety of baitfish
- Seasonal influences of different migratory bait
Marsh and Estuary Areas
- Smaller prey items
- Abundant small crustaceans
- Juvenile baitfish
- More varied diet due to diverse habitat
Nearshore Ocean Areas
- Larger prey
- More fish in diet compared to crustaceans
- Seasonal migratory baitfish
- Occasionally squid and larger marine organisms
Best Baits for Catching Redfish
Understanding what do redfish eat naturally helps anglers choose the most effective baits:
Live Baits
- Live shrimp (perhaps the most universal bait)
- Blue crabs (cut into pieces or whole for larger fish)
- Fiddler crabs
- Mud minnows
- Finger mullet
- Pinfish
- Live croakers
Cut Baits
- Fresh mullet
- Menhaden (pogies)
- Crab halves
- Fresh shrimp
- Cut squid
Artificial Lures
- Soft plastic shrimp imitations
- Crab-imitating lures
- Scented soft plastics resembling baitfish
- Gold spoons (mimicking flashing baitfish)
- Topwater plugs in low light conditions
Feeding Behavior in Different Environments
How and what do redfish eat varies by habitat:
Shallow Flats
- “Tailing” behavior (tail exposed while head down feeding)
- Focus on crabs, shrimp, and bottom-dwelling organisms
- Visual feeding in clear water
- More tactile feeding in murky conditions
Oyster Bars
- Ambush feeding for prey moving with tides
- Crustaceans hiding among shells
- Small fish seeking shelter near structure
- Feeding heavily during moving tides
Deep Channels
- Schooling behavior
- More fish in their diet
- Suspended feeding during strong tides
- Ambushing prey being moved by currents
Signs of Feeding Activity
When trying to determine what do redfish eat in a particular area, look for:
- Mud puffs or cloudy water from bottom grubbing
- Tailing in shallow water
- Wakes or pushes in very shallow water
- Slicks (oil slicks from crushed prey)
- Birds working over areas where redfish drive bait to surface
- Popping or gulping sounds in marsh grass
So the Answer to What do Redfish Eat is…
As we’ve explored what do redfish eat, these adaptable predators consume a varied diet centered around crustaceans, baitfish, and mollusks, with preferences that shift based on their size, location, and seasonal availability. Their feeding behavior combines opportunistic scavenging with active hunting, making them both versatile and predictable for anglers who understand their habits.
Whether you’re an angler seeking to catch these prized sportfish or simply a marine enthusiast interested in coastal ecology, understanding the feeding patterns of redfish provides fascinating insights into one of our most popular inshore gamefish. By recognizing what redfish eat in different conditions and locations, you can better appreciate how these bronze battlers have adapted so successfully to diverse coastal environments throughout their range.
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