This fish hit three or four feet from the bow of my Hobie Outback kayak.  A great example of how stealthy a kayak can be.

It’s not all that rare to catch a redfish with more than one spot, although fourteen spots on a fish of this species is not so common either.  The characteristic is passed down through the family lineage of the fish, determined by combinations of dominant and recessive genes.  The most common is for a redfish to display one spot on each side, at base of the tail.  One spot on each side of a redfish can be compared to the most common eye color for humans being brown.  More spots, on the other hand, can be compared to the small percentage of blue eyed humans through combinations of dominant and recessive genes passed down through family DNA.Leopard redfish are beautiful creatures, and I’m thankful to have been able to spend a few minutes up close and personal with this one.