Black Drum Fishing in Florida

Black Drum are the largest of the drum family also known as Pogonias Cromis black drum get to 100 lbs. with the Florida record is 96 lbs. caught in Fernandina beach fl. On 4-12-2001 though most fish are found in the 5-30 lb. range. They are black or gray in color and the juveniles have dark stripes on the sides. Their teeth are rounded like cobblestones so they can easily crush oysters and other shellfish.

Black drum are bottom feeders and caught on or near the bottom using live or dead shrimp and a lite leader #5 circle hook with a small weight so it stays on the bottom or oyster bars. year round but better in winter with cool water very good fighter’s smaller black drums are caught in the backwaters while the largest are caught offshore. When they are feeding, schools of black drum often dredge up the bottom, creating muddy plumes in the water which can be easily seen from the air.

Black drum are not the most beautiful fish, but they have mystique, and they pull hard when they are hooked.

The big drum are generally coarse and wormy, while the smaller fish have light, succulent fillets comparable to redfish. Smaller black drum are good to eat but when they get over 20 lbs. the meat can get tough. One tip is to cut out the rib cage and barbecue it….very tasty.

(I get questions all the time about the spaghetti worms that the drum can have living in their muscles. To my knowledge there have been no reported cases of this parasite infected humans and that’s why I tell my Mates to be sure you cook the fish thoroughly before you eat it.)

Can catch 5 per angler per day 14” min

Did you know…..They make a “drumming” sound when they are mating.

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