# NIRL 2-15



## hardin083 (Nov 22, 2008)

Well even though there was a little ice on the grass this morning i was determined to catch some fish!!  I put in at the carbide flats around 730 and headed off in search of some black drum!! 
















The plan was to catch one on the fly rod, and i brought a dozen shrimp for backup just in case they didnt want the fly.. I found multiple schools of fish all morning and dont think there was any time between 8-1030 that i wasnt surrounded by fish!  heres a pic of one of the smaller schools..








Started out throwing a few different flies for about 45 minutes to some nice schools of tailing fish but just couldnt get a bite so i switched to the backup plan of shrimp cause i was buggin to hook into one of these fish, after about 3 cast with a shrimp it was game on.. ;D ;D
























So after a few fish were in the boat i was really hoping to get one on the fly so i broke out the long rod for about another 30 minutes and still couldn't get anything!!   and my time was runnin cause i had some stuff to take care of today, so back to the shrimp!! ;D ;D ended up with 8 fish to the boat and a few missed strikes.. the drum definately didnt mind the mid 30deg temps we had first thing this morning!!
































































anyone have any black drum flies they could recommend?? or any stripping techniques??


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

nice pics  if that one of the schooling drum wont get your heart beating then your probably dead  ;D glad you were finally able to score


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## Flyline (Mar 3, 2008)

Nice! Glad the fish still biting out there.


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## tgaud11 (Sep 30, 2008)

Good Job..I need to get up to that part of the IRL..


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## phishphood (Dec 15, 2006)

Looks like your back-up plan was money. Nice drummers.


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## MATT (Apr 30, 2007)

Are the Black Drums any good to eat? whats the size and limits?


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## phishphood (Dec 15, 2006)

> Are the Black Drums any good to eat? whats the size and limits?


Slot is 14-24"s and 5 is the limit with one allowed to be over 24. The one I've eaten was really good, but he was also a small guy at 15"s. I hear the bigger ones get a bit wormy.


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## MATT (Apr 30, 2007)

Let's go get some...That's one I have not cought yet.


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## phishphood (Dec 15, 2006)

> Let's go get some...That's one I have not cought yet.


You've come the the right place my friend as I am quite the expert(caught 1). Find them and throw shrimp at 'em. Just don't let that get out. ;D


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Black drum are a cousin of the red drum (redfish), and very tasty like their more popular kin. 

Smaller black drum, pompy drum where I come from, are better, the closer to the lower limit the better if you ask me.

They do tend to get a little fatty as they get bigger, and the bigger ones have a lot of red meat that needs to be trimmed from the fillets. 

Matt, bring that LT up here and let's go get some!


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## Yoreese (Oct 15, 2009)

Black clouser minnow with red eyes or Merkin crab.


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

> Black clouser minnow with red eyes or Merkin crab.


Grrr...  (Inside joke, so nevermind. :)

Great pictures and congrats on getting up close to so many big schools!


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## Yoreese (Oct 15, 2009)

Yep, he might share some waypoints for the schools! ;D


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

Cool pics!

we definitely release all of the bigger drum. Like the redfish, the flesh of those big drum tend to be tough and full of worms (might be a louisiana thing!). 

-As for flies? I like any weighted crab pattern. I normally see the bigger drum in deeper water and therefore allow plenty of time for the fly to sink. Strip in slowly...rinse repeat


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## hardin083 (Nov 22, 2008)

> Cool pics!
> 
> we definitely release all of the bigger drum. Like the redfish, the flesh of those big drum tend to be tough and full of worms (might be a louisiana thing!).
> 
> -As for flies? I like any weighted crab pattern. I normally see the bigger drum in deeper water and therefore allow plenty of time for the fly to sink. Strip in slowly...rinse repeat


Ya same here we only keep the smaller fish.. Im headin out again in the mornin so ill try the crab pattern and shrimp patterns again!! If that dont work ill have plenty of live shrimp ;D


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