Side by Side

Black Drum Pogonias cromis

Typical: 14–30 in, 2–15 lb

Quickest tell: Chin barbels under the lower jaw are present on black drum and absent on both redfish and sheepshead; black drum also lacks the redfish tail spot and the sheepshead's incisor teeth.

• High-backed gray to silvery body, brassy sheen
• Several chin barbels under the lower jaw
• Young show 4-5 dark vertical bars (fade with age)
• Cobblestone-like crushing pharyngeal teeth, no canines
• Subterminal mouth
• No black spot on the tail

Full Black Drum guide — season, gear and rules →

Redfish Sciaenops ocellatus

Typical: 18–30 in, 3–10 lb; bulls run well over 40 in

Quickest tell: The black spot(s) on the tail base plus the absence of chin barbels separate redfish from the barbeled, bar-sided black drum.

• Coppery-bronze to reddish back, white belly
• One or more black ocellated (eyespot) spots at base of tail
• No barbels under chin
• Square-ish, slightly notched tail
• Subterminal (underslung) mouth, no large canines

Full Redfish guide — season, gear and rules →

When Each Is Running July — current month highlighted

Where Black Drum and Redfish Overlap

Both run in Gulf of Mexico, Southeast Atlantic — that is where telling them apart actually matters.

← All fish species