They are found over all bottom types but they seem to prefer areas with submerged vegetation and soft mud. These fish are also commonly found around oyster reefs. Breaks in continuity of shorelines such as coves, points, jetties, old pier pilings, and guts attract them. One attractive characteristics of this fish is its willingness to take most kinds of bait, both natural and artificial. The best natural baits are live shrimp, small finger mullet, Atlantic croaker, and small live blue crabs.
Live fish are best on the bottom using a slip-sinker type rig where the fish can swim freely.
The bait fish are hooked through the lips or through the top of the back behind the dorsal fin. Small blue crab are fished on bottom and are hooked through one of the swimming legs at the rear of the crab. Stalking the shallow grass flats for red drum is the ultimate challenge for the wade anglers. A weedless spoon is used in areas of heavy submerged or floating vegetation. Shrimplike plastic worms and jigs are good and both are fished under corks or bounced along the bottom.