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| Big drum fish make for an exciting day of fishing. |
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Black drum fishing is gobs of fun and can get you hooked up with fish pushing 100 pounds, so anglers who want a serious bend in their rods should consider giving it a shot. But drum sharpies also know that this is an intense fishery, which requires serious preperation and dedication.
When you’re hunting for drum, all of your lines and anglers should remain ready to drop their lines at a moment’s notice. Sometimes you only get a shot or two at these fish, and if you’re not ready it’ll pass you by. So when you arrive at the hotspot prep your lines, bait them, and be ready from the first moment.
Rods and reels can be either spinning or conventional, usually in the 40 to 60 pound class. Some anglers like to take on these beasts with light tackle, and this is an incredibly fun way to fight drum. But remember that long, drawn out fights are tougher on the fish (black drum aren’t the best eating in the world, so this is a 90-percent catch-and-release fishery) so after getting in a LT fight or two it’s a good move to change up to heavier gear.
Main lines should terminate in a fishfinder rig, which allows the line to slide through the weight. Drum have sensitive mouths, and they may feel the resistance of an in-line sinker and spit the bait. Leaders range from 50 to 80 pound test, and are tied off to a 10/0 non-offset circle hook. As with other circle hook scenarios, when a drum takes the bait freespool your line for five seconds or so, then slowly reel it tight; hook-sets aren’t just unnecessary, they’ll also yank the hook right out of the fish’s mouth most of the time.
You have three choices when it comes to effective black drum baits: soft crab, soft crab, and peeler crab, in that order. Yes, they fish for drum with clam, too, but for whatever reason, crab really turns these fish on. Some captains prefer peeler but in my experience, soft crab out-fishes it every time. The bad news: soft crabs are mighty expensive at times. Some seasons you can plan on dropping five bucks per crab, for small “hotels”. And you’ll need several crabs per angler. Baits should consist of a half a hotel, cut right down the middle. Make sure you thread your hook through a knuckle or two, to get the toughest part of the softie on your hook. The good news: if you strike out on the drum, at least you’ll have a great dinner at the end of the day.
So: you’re baited up and the lines are ready to drop, and you’re on the hunt. What now? Look and keep looking for those fish on the meter. Nothing spells disaster like impatient anglers who decide to drop their baits and drift around for a while. You’re simply not going to luck into one, so keep on hunting until you spot those big red marks. If you do a stop-and-drop and don’t hook up within five minutes and nothing is on the meter, pull your lines and start over again.
One other secret to drumming success is choosing your days wisely. Remember that on weekends hotspots can become very crowded, and this can turn into close-quarters combat fishing. You’ll be holding your rod in one hand, and fending off boats with the other. Another challenge comes from the wind: When it’s windy it can be tough to position your boat right over the school, and you may blow off the mark before your crew can even drop their baits down to the bottom. That can be mighty frustrating – especially when you know darn well that the fish of a lifetime lurks below, just waiting to eat your bait and prove that size does, in fact, matter.
Learn more about finding black drum - and stripers, blues, tunas, and other coastal gamefish - from Rudow's Guide to Fishing the Mid Atlantic!
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