One of Captain Tim Land’s favorite fish to target the Red Fish. These fish love to fight, and will keep the rod bent for long periods of time in an attempt to beat you at the game.Typically we will catch these beautiful fish on live bait such as shrimp, crabs, mullet, killifish, and pinfish, but during the fall months they can also be pulled in with artificial lures.
These slot fish come in all sizes, but to legally keep them, they must fall in the slot of 18-27 inches.The most distinguishing mark on the redfish is the one large black spot on the upper most part of the tail base. Having multiple spots isn’t unheard of in redfish, but having no spots is extremely rare. The color of the redfish ranges from a deep blackish, coppery color to nearly silver. The most common color of the redfish in this area is reddish-bronze.
The red fish inhabit the nearshore and offshore waters of the Pensacola area. The bull redfish which we typically see schooling in the fall months around Thankgiving time can reach lengths of 45 inches and weigh up to 51 pounds. The world record was caught in North Carolina’s surrounding offshore waters in 1984. It weighed in at 94 lbs, 2oz. The oldest recorded redfish caught in Florida was aged at 40 years.
Redfish make great table fare. They can be cooked up in a pan, or even grilled out over a hot bed of coals. One of our favorite things to do is simply leave the skins on them once they are fileted, and the dropping them on the grill. The skin acts a bowl once the meat is cooked, and are ready to serve. Fish cooks quickly, so direct flame will guarantee a burn meal. After you’ve spent that much time on the water gathering it, I’m sure the last thing you’ll want is to destroy this feast. There are a number of great ways to cook fish. If you aren’t interested in either of these, check out some of the Snapper recipes on All Recipes.
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