Red Drum populations along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast of the United States have declined significantly over the past thirty years. The cause of the decline in numbers of this beautiful fish is mainly due to overfishing by recreational and commercial fishermen. Federal and state governments have implemented measures to prevent this fish from being targeted and to ensure the population increases. Not only are these fish important to the fisheries in which they thrive, but they also contribute to the biodiversity of many different ecosystems. The red drum (Sciaops Ocellatus) gets its name from the drumming sound it makes. [3] Most of these fish, depending on where they are caught, are orange in color and usually have at least one black spot on their tail. Depending on where you are, red drum is also called redfish, bass, spotfish, red bass, and red bass. [3] Red drum have been captured as far north as Massachusetts, although they do not typically migrate that far north. In fact, the Chesapeake Bay is normally the furthest north they can be found, and they are caught as far south in the United States as the Texas Gulf Coast. [1]Red drum spawn between late summer and fall. Females lay their eggs in estuaries and creeks at night. A single female can produce up to two million eggs per season. The eggs then hatch between 24 and 36 hours after laying. As the fish grows, the area it lives in will change, as will its eating habits. A male is considered mature when he reaches between 20 and 28 inches. At this time, the fish is between one and four years old. Females are considered mature when they measure between 31 and 36 inches. A female between these lengths is usually between three and six years old. Red drum can grow to over 60 inches, which is equivalent to a 90-pound fish. [1]As juveniles, red drum feed on zooplankton and invertebrates such as crabs and shrimp. A juvenile will spend the first part of its life in estuarine waters, but as it grows it usually heads out to the ocean. When red drum move toward the ocean, their eating habits change slightly to satisfy their hunger. Not only will they eat zooplankton, but they will also begin to target larger invertebrates as well as fish. [2]Red drum fishing encompasses both recreational and commercial methods..