A feeding trial was conducted in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China to demonstrate growth performance of red drum from sub-market to market size in near-shore coastal cages with a high soybean meal inclusion feed. Red drum were stocked in three, 6.4-m3 cages at a density of 1,000 fish per cage. Red drum were fed a 43% crude protein, 12% crude lipid diet formulated with soybean meal at a 32% inclusion rate as partial substitution for fish meal. Red drum grew from 227 g to an average weight of 1,037 g per fish in 89 days of feeding. Gross production averaged 121 kg/m3 (775 kg per cage) in the three trial cages. The average survival rate for fish in the three cages was 74.9%. Average FCR was 1.77:1. Average net economic return was RMB 3,096 ($375) per cage, yielding a 26.6% return on investment. Red drum demonstrated rapid growth with the high soy-inclusion feed, growing to more than twice the 500-g target size in 89 days. FCR was significantly impacted by high fish mortality following a net change and fish handling stress after day 55 of the trial.