Lee Paramore, a biologist for the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries who specializes in red drum, said said they are a schooling fish for a variety of reasons and will school year-round, but they’re not as noticeable as in the winter.
Paramore said his experience has been that during the winter red drum tend to congregate in the surf, just inside the inlets and in shallow coastal creeks.
“I’ve noted a few similar features about these areas,” Paramore said. “Usually, they have an extensive shallow flat near an area of deeper water. During the day, red drum will move up on the flat. I have always associated this behavior with the warming effect of the mud flat. The water can be quite a bit warmer than the surrounding area. A few other reasons would likely be predator (bottlenose dolphin) avoidance) and obviously feeding opportunities.”
Paramore said he also sees schooling behavior in the winter in which red drum gather just inside inlets. This is especially true when these areas have large shallow grass flats; he said the waters inside Hatteras and Oregon inlets are excellent examples. The grass flats are shallow, usually hold bait and offer protection from larger predators. However, the activity and feeding in these areas seems to be more driven by tides than any other factors.
Paramore feels that red drum in the surf zone are similarly seeking out feeding opportunities or perhaps a little more warmer water than what can be found in the estuary in the winter. He said they are also a common prey for sharks in the surf zone, so schooling may act as a predator avoidance behavior.
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