# Red Drum in NJ?



## phillyguy (Aug 9, 2010)

Asked this question in another forum. Anybody ever catch or hear of reds being caught in the surf in NJ, recently. I have seen old pics of reds being caught in southern CM county, but it seems like a thing of the past. Is Delaware Bay some sort of dividing line? Is it a water temp thing, or just a numbers problem? I did see that a large red was caught in RI recently, so they must be around even if only in very small numbers.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Assateague Island in Maryland seems to be the last point you see them on a regular basis. That said, cobia have been caught in Raritan Bay and reds have historically shown up even further north. I wouldn't expect to catch one up near you, but you never know. One or two might show.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Have heard of one or two being caught, but that was a few years ago.


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## phillyguy (Aug 9, 2010)

Some great old pics from South Jersey. Notice what they were catching. Must have been some awesome fishing back in the day. 


http://strathmere.net/bossett.html


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## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

I have never caught one but my son caught two on consecutive weekends . . . One at Brigantine and one at Island Beach State Park. Both were about 20 inches. 










Yes, the bass "looks" small; this was 2003 when the NJ reg's were 1 fish 24-28 and 1 fish 28<


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## biggestsquid (Jan 6, 2010)

Those pictures from 1914 indicate that what Von Heilner stated in Call of the Surf may have been real. He said that Corson's or Townsends inlet was considered the red drum capital of the world. I didn't know if that was because he didn't travel further south (his writings focused on NY/NJ) or if it was true. 

Maybe the reds became scarce when the bunker were wiped off the NJ beaches in the 40s and 50s?


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## biggestsquid (Jan 6, 2010)

Some nice reds and some monster black drum ---- that 78 lber out of the surf must have been a blast!!!


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## phillyguy (Aug 9, 2010)

Someone on another forum cited an article that blamed a blight that wiped out eelgrass in S. Jersey. Apparently eelgrass is the Red Drum's habitat of choice, and still found further south.


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## biggestsquid (Jan 6, 2010)

I'm sorry to admit that I am old enough to remember the sturgeon fishery on the Delaware River. It actually didn't end until the 50s --- after thousands of sturgeon were harvested for their row and left for fertilizer on the banks.

If the eelgrass is breeding habitat for the reds, or just home to their food source, it makes sense that they may move to a friendlier place when the grass disappears.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

I think you guys have a good theory going here. The stripers disappeared up north when their spawning grounds in the Hudson and Raritan were wiped out. Given the right situation, they bounced back. There's no reason to believe the same thing couldn't happen with reds.

If you've never tied into one, it's worth the trip south. There's nothing like it.


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## biggestsquid (Jan 6, 2010)

I thought a 43" red was some kinda fun until I caught a 50" er. I never really understood the excitement about big reds until I caught one --- then I realized (and got into trouble for saying it) that the red drum will pull two stripers of the same size backwards --- and I enjoy big stripers as well.


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