How to Catch Big Bull Redfish(Everything You Need To Know)

Bull Redfish vs. Redfish 

A Bull Redfish, also known as an Adult Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), is a Red Drum that has reached a certain size and maturity.  The term “Bull Redfish” refers to the size rather than the sex of the fish. 

Size: Bull redfish typically measure over 27 inches in length. Redfish exceeding 40 inches are common. My largest is 45 inches. There is the potential of catching a fish for a lifetime.

Habitat: These fish are found along the eastern and southern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, ranging from the Carolinas to Texas. They inhabit various inshore environments, including grass flats, oyster bars, and around docks and bridges. They can be found in large schools and solitary settings. 

Lifespan: On average, red drum live to be around 35 years old, but they have been known to reach ages of up to 60 years in some cases. These fish must be handled with care. 

Time Of Year:

Here in Florida, Bull Redfish are around all the time. They can be caught in shallow or deep water.  These fish are inshore during the summer and hang out around various inlets. The water is hot, and the fish will be aggressive. The early fall months are the best time to target these fish.

In late August to October, these fish congregate in large schools in various rivers and inlets in the southern United States. These begin to spawn in massive schools. It is not uncommon to have multi-fish days in the fall. They spawn depending on the moon phase in August.  After they spawn, they disperse to deeper channels, and some bull reds head to offshore waters for the winter.   As springtime rolls around, the fish will begin to trickle inshore where they spend their summer. In the springtime, they are not in large groups congregated in the channels. 

Location:

I have caught these monster reds all over, in very shallow water, fishing oyster beds, to the deep channels, fishing for sheepshead and mangrove snapper. I have caught them by accident while fishing with artificial lures. One of the biggest fish I have seen was caught on a Gulp Shrimp while fishing a rock pile in the summer. From late summer to the end of fall is the best chance to target bull redfish specifically. These larger fish are located in 30 to 50 ft of water, such as inshore estuaries, creek mouths, and inlets. 

Redfish spawn in 30-50ft of water. These fish will leave shallow water and head to the deeper waters of the main rivers in your area.  When looking for them on the bottom machine, I start out looking at the drop off.  In Florida, some people believe that you have to be in 40 feet of water, but that is not the case. These fish will move, and there will be tons of big fish in a small area.  Some days, they will be in 50ft of water, other times they will be in 20ft of water. When looking at your bottom machine, it will be very clear when you see them, located just above the bottom. 

If you do not know where to look. Start out by looking at maps and where your channel edges begin. Once you have your fishing location picked,  idle or paddle around till you see them on your bottom machine, and once you find them, start dropping your baits. 

Current

I have caught most of the big reds in the last of the outgoing and the first of the incoming. In my little 14-foot jon boat, it is very hard to keep it still in heavy current, so I fish last of the outgoing and the first of the incoming. People have had success during all sections of the tide.

Baits 

There are multiple ways to catch bull redfish during the spawn. You can catch them on natural bait such as blue crab, cut bait, live shrimp, and even live bait or artificial lures. When targeting big reds, the best way to fish for them is to put your natural bait on the bottom. Red Drum and Black Drum are bottom feeders and eat the majority of their prey on the bottom.  One thing to remember, these are monster redfish, you are going to want a big bait. You would be surprised at what some of the bull reds would eat.

 Let’s talk about blue crabs. They are a favorite for all drum species. Blue crab is a must-have when targeting Red Drum during the spawn. You can either use them whole or by cutting them in half. Cutting them into halves and quarters allows you to get the scent in the current. The water in Northeast Florida is dark, and these big reds will find these baits by scent. I like to take the pinchers and legs off and remove the carapace. Split the blue crab directly in half. I place my circle hook into the joints of the legs. It tends to stay on the hook better. 

Now cut bait is a broad term. I believe that cut mullet is a great choice, it is oily, stays on the hook, and is one of a redfish’s favorite meals. This can be hard to get; you can either catch your own with a cast net or you can buy it at the bait shop. The bad thing about getting it at the bait shop is that you do not know how long the mullet has been frozen. I have found that the mullet in bait shops are small in size, which is what you do not want. 

You want large mullet chunks. I catch my bait with a cast net. I try to find at least 5-6-inch mullet or larger and cut them into chunks. I want my chunks to be 3 inches long, and hook them through the skin. Make sure they are hooked good, sometimes there will be smaller fish pecking at the bait. 

The second type of cut bait is ladyfish. Cut lady fish is great, it is very oily and gets the scent out in the water. I recommend that if you are using lady fish, try to get your lady fish that day. 

One of the mistakes I have seen is that people often forget that redfish are super aggressive. These fish are top predators in coastal waters. These fish will be super aggressive. Using cut bait and blue crabs is are passive but effective way to catch them.

Some people use artificial lures when fishing for big bull reds. This is a more active style of fishing.  I have seen people using bucktail jigs and bouncing them off the bottom on channel edges during the spawn. When using a bucktail jig, people use a Gulp trailer on the end of it to add some scent into the water. I have seen people use large swim baits like the NLBN and swim them around rockpiles in the channel. This is a great active way to fish for these big bulls. 

Tackle

The most important part of this entire post is the terminal tackle.  When fishing for giant reds during the spawn, you do not want to tire these fish out too much because they will die; these monster reds are old. Using heavy-duty tackle is the best way to fight these fish. My setup is an 8ft heavy Starrod Aerial. Paired with a Speedmaster 16 with 80lb Yozuri Braid. I have an 80-100lb topshot. My topshot is about 50ft long. I also have a Penn Fathom 2 paired with a Shimano Tallus Px. Another great setup is a Penn Senator Combo, which you can buy on Amazon. I like to use braid rather than Monofilament as my main line. Braid cuts through the water better and has less drag than Monofilament.  If you are curious about what line to choose, check out my other post about Fluorocarbon vs. Monofilament. 

From my topshot, I like to use a 3-way swivel. I connect my topshot to the first eye. I use about 8- 10 inches of 80lb Monofilament leader on the bottom swivel eye, and I tie a loop. I put the weight size needed, and you will have to gauge that according to the water current and depth. With the last swivel loop open, I like to put a 4-5ft 60-80lb Fluorocarbon leader to a circle hook.

Circle Hooks are a must-have when fishing for bull reds. Circle hooks allow you to just reel instead of setting the hook. Circle hooks are great because they make releasing the fish very easy. It puts less stress on the fish, and hooks are easier to pull out. Big Bull Red fish are great at bending and breaking weaker hooks. So it’s important to use a thick circle hook. 

Set Up  

Now, once you have all your rods rigged and ready, there is some strategy. Like all fish, these larger redfish will be keyed in on different styles of baits. It is very important to have multiple kinds. If I have 4 rods out, I’ll have 2 with blue crabs and two with cut ladyfish or cut mullet. I believe that blue crabs are the best bait because they will be fresh, and they are a favorite for red drum. Whichever bait gets the most hits,  I will change and use that bait. It all depends on the day and how the fish are biting the most 

These big redfish are powerful and can take a few minutes to get them in. When these fish surface, quickly net them. It is important to have a quality landing net; these big fish are super heavy and have built up lactic acid in their muscles. Big fish in general are fragile, especially bull reds. Try not to use bogo grips on them. Support their body weight. When holding the fish, if their stomach is firm, you might have to vent them; if not, these fish will not be able to swim down to the bottom. You might need a vent tool. Remember, these are trophy fish and highly sought after, so it is vital to revive them as much as they need and send them on their way. 

Shallow Water

I have covered fishing for them during the spawn, so now we are going to dive into fishing for them in shallow water. 

Fishing for bull red fish in shallow water is very fun.  A very popular way to fish for them is using popping corks. Taking long casts on shallow flats and “popping” the cork back to you. The pop will bring the fish in, and they will eat the bait under the cork. I use live shrimp under my popping cork. Gulp and Saltwater Assassins on a ¼ ounce jigheads are another favorite of mine. I recommend using a popping cork if you want to cover water when fishing tidal creeks and oyster bars. 

When fishing in areas where the water is relatively shallow, such as the mosquito lagoon and flats. In the summertime, you can find these fish congregating on the flats in a few feet of water. Sight casting for these Redfish is a local favorite. On the calm days, you will be able to see the tail of the redfish as they are feeding. I have had success using artificial lures, flies, and various live baits. You must be stealthy; it will not take much to spook these big fish.

In the Gulf of Mexico, just like on the East Coast, bull reds will school up and spawn. Since the Gulf of Mexico is usually shallow, these fish can be seen on the surface of the water. Just imagine a large, dark cloud moving through the water. I have seen this once in Cedar Key, and this was chaos. You could throw any bait at these fish. I recommend throwing artificial lures such as Gulp and Saltwater Assassin. 

Make sure once you land them, you give them plenty of time to revive. When using light tackle, these fish will take a while to recover. Give them all the time they need to make a strong recovery. 

Overall

Fishing for Bull Reds is very popular across the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. Big Red Drums are an excellent way to get people into fishing. If you are not familiar with where to find big bull reds in your area, read forums and fishing reports. If you want first-hand experience, hire a guide during the late summer and early fall. The big reds will be running, and you have the potential of catching a fish of a lifetime.  Make sure that you follow your state regulations. Finally, handle these fish with care so future generations can enjoy catching these monster redfish.