THE 



Drum: 



First in Fish for 

 North Carolina 

 Recreational 

 Anglers 



By P am Smith 



ention red drum to Jim 

 Bahen and you are certain to transport him 

 to that mystical place of all recreational 

 anglers: the record book. 



Bahen, Sea Grant recreational fishing 

 extension specialist, would love to be the 

 one who breaks the record set in 1984 when 

 a 59-inch, 94.2 pounder was snagged off 

 Hatteras. 



In those days, the angler could haul the 

 fish to shore and proudly pose for the 

 traditional trophy picture. Bahen knows the 

 "big ones" are out there. After all, the red 

 drum — the state's designated saltwater fish 

 — is believed to live up to 60 years or more. 



But to protect dwindling stocks, 

 today's regulations limit recreational 

 anglers to keeping one 18- to 27-inch red 

 drum on any single day. Bahen hopes 

 someone will be there to document the 

 moment he lands his dream fish before he 



Jim Bahen demonstrates the proper way to handle and release a catch. 



returns it to the water, and it becomes a 

 legendary "one that got away." 



Not that Bahen is complaining. He is a 

 staunch advocate of catch-and-release 

 techniques for recreational fishers. He also 

 sits on an N.C. Marine Fisheries Commis- 

 sion (MFC) advisory panel that is develop- 

 ing a red drum fishery management plan. 

 The idea, after all, is to protect the species 

 during its spawning years and, in time, 

 boost the numbers. More about that later. 



First, let's consider facts about the red 

 drum — also known as channel bass, 

 puppy drum, or redfish. 



Named the state saltwater fish in 197 1 , 

 red drum, not surprisingly, get their name 

 from their color. What's more, during 

 spawning, males produce a drum-like noise 

 by vibrating a muscle in their swim 

 bladder. Its scientific name, Scianops 

 ocellatus, means perch-like marine fish 



(Greek) with eye-like colored spot or spots 

 (Latin). Red drum bear black spots, on each 

 side near the base of their tails. These fool 

 predators into attacking the tails, not the eyes 

 — buying escape time for the fish. 



According to the N.C. Division of 

 Marine Fisheries (DMF), red drum live in 

 coastal and estuarine waters from Massachu- 

 setts to Mexico. Bottom feeders, they prefer 

 crabs, shrimp, menhaden, mullet and spot. 

 Reaching sexual maturity during their fourth 

 year, when they are about 30 to 37 inches 

 long, they spawn in the near-shore ocean 

 waters around tidal inlets in late summer to 

 early fall. Their eggs hatch and are carried 

 into the sounds and estuaries by the tides and 

 winds. 



The red drum depend on estuaries 

 during the early stages of their life cycle, 

 seeking quiet shallow water with grassy or 

 muddy bottoms. They remain in the sounds 



HIGH SEASON 2000 



