red drum
Sciaenops ocellatus · Sciaenidae · predator
Large croaker of the beaches and estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern United States, caught for sport. No record in Brazil: it was introduced in the Bahamas and Ecuador, where it is exotic.
Also called: corvina-vermelha, corvinón ocelado, corvineta ocelada, red drum
- maximum
- 155 cm
- record/max.
- 45.0 kg
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the red drum
who is the red drum
The red drum is a fish of the family Sciaenidae, with a spindle-shaped body, reaching 155 cm and up to 45 kg, and can live up to 50 years. It lives on sand and sandy mud bottoms, in coastal waters and estuaries, and is abundant in the surf zone. It feeds on crustaceans, mollusks and fish. It is native to the western Atlantic and was introduced in the Bahamas and Ecuador, where it is exotic. It has a small commercial fishery, is raised in commercial aquaculture and is a recreational sport fish.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the red drum; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It can live up to 50 years.
identification
Large croaker, spindle-shaped, reaching 155 cm, with a common size of 100 cm. The most characteristic mark is the round dark spot, shaped like an eye, near the base of the tail, which gives the species its name (ocellated). It lives in coastal waters and estuaries, over sand and sandy mud bottoms, and is abundant in the surf zone. It has no record in Brazil.
where found
Native to the western Atlantic, from the coast of Massachusetts (USA) to northern Mexico, including southern Florida. It does not occur in Brazil. It was introduced in the Bahamas and Ecuador, where it is exotic.
Habitat: Coastal waters and shallow estuaries, over sand and sandy mud bottoms, abundant in the surf zone.
rules for the red drum
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It is harmless to handle. Large specimens need care when holding them because of their weight: support them under the belly.
in the kitchen
It is eaten fresh and frozen, and can be fried, grilled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00851, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Sciaenops ocellatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sciaenops ocellatusNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: