"Cold Weather Drum"

Cold weather is here! Water temperatures are cold and the action is hot. With the decreasing water temps most fish have headed for deeper and warmer water. Most of us are spending our time chasing trout and a few remaining redfish, but there is a big brute lurking in the water that is deserving of some attention. I am talking about the black drum. Often neglected, and sometimes shunned due to it's non-trophy status, but it can provide some additional action, and some extra filets in the box. In addition if you can find some of the big ones on light tackle, you will have your hands full.

Chris Lam discovered this while fishing the edge of the Intracoastal Waterway with me. We were fishing the deeper ledges of the waterway which most of us fondly call "The Ditch". Our standard setup was 12 pound test line spliced to a 3 foot long 30 pound leader. Above the leader I like to use a half ounce barrel weight that can move freely up the line so as not to tip the big brute off that there is something wrong with the bait he has just picked up. On the other end of the leader I use a 3/0 wide gap hook, no trebles.

Great care must be taken not to warn these big fish of impending battle. Chris noticed that these big fish seemed to pick up the bait even easier and more delicately than the smaller keeper sized drum. This has long been my observation. It is hard to believe that a fish that is so large and appears to be so clumsy could have such a sensitive way of picking up bait. Several hook sets were missed due to trying to set the hook too soon, and not letting the line move freely. The best thing to do is have the line ready to free spool. When you notice a slight tap don't confuse it with a hard head or a perch. Let the line free spool for a few seconds before you go for the set. These big guys seem to be very cautious about what they eat, and if they notice anything abnormal, they will drop the bait in a heartbeat.

My favorite bait for these king sized drum is a fresh shrimp that has been partially peeled. I will normally take a live shrimp out of the live well, and squeeze his head causing most of his internal juices to flow into the meat of the tail. Once squeezed, I pinch off the head and peel the first two rings before placing the shrimp on the hook. Using the wide gap or all around hook, I insert the tip of the hook in the bottom of the tail and worm it through till it protrudes through the peeled section of the shrimp. This aids in concealing the hook, and the drum will normally pick up the bait by the peeled portion, which will place the best part of your hook right inside their mouth.

As far as locating these brutes goes, there is about a 50/50 balance between luck and skill. They like deep water with a little current. Not too much current, but you have to have some to have any success. If you locate smaller drum, it is sometimes possible to get on the bigger ones by moving one direction or the other along the edges of The Ditch. You will normally find the big ones on one side or the other of the school of smaller fish. It has been my experience that you will rarely find the big ones mixed with the little ones. There have been days that once we start playing with these larger drum, that we can continue catching oversized fish for an hour or two without ever catching a smaller fish. Remember, the slot limit on drum is 14"-30".

This big drum of Chris's was 48 inches, and was not the only one of that size caught. Fishing with light or medium tackle, this size fish can give you a run for your money for at least 20 minutes. So when you are done playing with the trout and redfish, go have some more fun and look for those drum.

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