# Black drum worm fly



## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

Recently encountered some 10-15# black drum nose down in the grass and had my favorite shrimp fly rejected. Does anyone have a go-to worm fly for these guys?


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's what we use up in a river or two on the Gulf coast of the 'Glades for fish up to 30 lbs (and bigger)..... but only after we couldn't get a bite with anything else... We were fishing big tarpon, working deep, using big, black Tarpon Snake flies (six to seven inches long with big bead chain eyes, like a monster Seaducer, all saddle hackle pattern....) so in desperation we simply dangled the fly in front of the fish, up close, the way we did as kids with an earthworm on a big cane pole.... The fish looked at it for a moment - then just ate it , like it was a regular deal.... (who knew?).... 

This was after tossing crab flies, shrimp flies, and everything else - stripping slowly, stripping quickly - nothing worked.... Since then we've taken more than a few of the big fish by just flopping a big black fly in front of their faces, then without stripping it at all, just wiggled it a bit at six inches or less in front the fish. Most of the time the big things will just eat the fly like it was a normal part of their diet....

I know it sounds ridiculous - but that's exactly how we finally got them to bite (after trying for two or three years) during summer when giant tarpon are in the rivers and we constantly see the big drum ghosting along under overhanging branches right next to us... (like I said, "who knew?".....).


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## bonehead (Dec 9, 2016)

Here is a fly that would work... Let us know if you have any success!


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## bonehead (Dec 9, 2016)

In case you wanted some more ideas. In order are 1/0 Maulers with large beadchain, then a Drunken Shrimp. I would add a weedguard so you reduce getting hung up on grass...
Hope this helps...

View attachment 3893
View attachment 3894
In case you wanted any more ideas...


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Typically in Texas bays, when we see some black drum, there are usually redfish lurking near by, so we do not cast at the black drum. There are exceptions, but black drum also tend to be lethargic,
like me after a big plate of BBQ.


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## bonehead (Dec 9, 2016)

Hmmm, a big plate of BBQ, now I'm hungry! The only 2 things better than that are Stone crabs with some fresh mustard sauce and Beer Brats, now thats a recipe for a 5 star meal

But lets not digress *too* much. I have never been to Texas, but I know you have some big fish up there! How big do the reds get up there?


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)




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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

sjrobin said:


> Typically in Texas bays, when we see some black drum, there are usually redfish lurking near by, so we do not cast at the black drum. There are exceptions, but black drum also tend to be lethargic,
> like me after a big plate of BBQ.


Speak for yourself on that one.


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

I have literally spent countless hours trying to figure out a good lug worm artificial. I find theres times where 90 percent of the fish are foraging on lugs. for spinning gear, a 1/16 oz mission fishin head with a Zoom floating trickworm Green/purple and bullfrog green kills them. fish it slower than youd like to it'll basically sit weight down and the worm will wiggle up. For a fly, I use a small gold bullet head or bead, small body of wrapped sand tan colored cactus chenille. make my "worm" with a strip of green rabbit strip, stripped of most of its fur except for the tip. Some times have tried float on the tip sometimes not doesn't matter. When they're on the Lugs, it money. Sorry for the lengthy post....lugworms have obsessed me.


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## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

blackmagic1 said:


> I have literally spent countless hours trying to figure out a good lug worm artificial. I find theres times where 90 percent of the fish are foraging on lugs. for spinning gear, a 1/16 oz mission fishin head with a Zoom floating trickworm Green/purple and bullfrog green kills them. fish it slower than youd like to it'll basically sit weight down and the worm will wiggle up. For a fly, I use a small gold bullet head or bead, small body of wrapped sand tan colored cactus chenille. make my "worm" with a strip of green rabbit strip, stripped of most of its fur except for the tip. Some times have tried float on the tip sometimes not doesn't matter. When they're on the Lugs, it money. Sorry for the lengthy post....lugworms have obsessed me.



Where are you fishing?


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

mosquitolaGOON said:


> Where are you fishing?


Tampa Bay primarily. But I have fed them the worm in the lagoon as well.

Also, if for some reason they're having a hard time seeing it, I'll drag it an inch just to make the sand poof.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I did not know that worm and googled it. Looks like gulp makes one.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

blackmagic1 said:


> For a fly, I use a small gold bullet head or bead, small body of wrapped sand tan colored cactus chenille. make my "worm" with a strip of green rabbit strip, stripped of most of its fur except for the tip. Some times have tried float on the tip sometimes not doesn't matter. When they're on the Lugs, it money. Sorry for the lengthy post....lugworms have obsessed me.


Let's see it.


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

Backwater said:


> Let's see it.


be needing some supplies....see other post.
Hell, I used to fish a archaic lug worm fly on the pinellas vast mud/sand flats that had a rubber band.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Never thought of throwing a worm pattern here in Charleston, but it definitely makes sense. It sounds like a "bunny leech" bass pattern might be a pretty good imitation. Z-Man makes something called the "Trout Trick" that hammers both reds and trout around here, and it is actually a copy of a freshwater worm-style lure. 

Original color:









One question -- how do you know when they are feeding on lugworms rather than just rooting around for crabs? I've seen reds tailing at low tide, which I thought was curious. Think that's what they might have been doing? Are there other signs to look for as well?


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

bryson said:


> Never thought of throwing a worm pattern here in Charleston, but it definitely makes sense. It sounds like a "bunny leech" bass pattern might be a pretty good imitation. Z-Man makes something called the "Trout Trick" that hammers both reds and trout around here, and it is actually a copy of a freshwater worm-style lure.
> 
> Original color:
> 
> ...


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

Because I'll keep a fish from certain areas and see what's inside. And it's consistent. Most of these areas are riddled with holes from lugs. I've found that if the fish are tailing on mostly mud, they're full of lugs. Same areas the snook feed on them as well. Like I said, 1/16-1/8oz mission fishin head with a zoom floating worm hammers them. Don't work it like you would normally jig, cast it tight on a fish or get it in its way, and let them swim up to it and if anything just a small tick of the rod to make the mud poof.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

@blackmagic1 what color zoom worm are you throwing?


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Nevermind you described it further up


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

had to bring up an old post regarding lug worm fly. Here's the newest model. 








trimmed the rabbit short until the last half inch. Left it fluffy. Gold Bullet head, 1" brown/tan Tarantula, foam wrapped into the back end of fly to promote the uplifting. It just sits there while the "worm" wiggles and undulates. Slow, short drag just to make a bit of mud. Lug worms have two holes so they're commonly popping in and out of one. I guess this one just gives the look of one doing its thing outside of its sand mound.


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

Sitting here looking at that thing blown up on a screen...it's fugly. But I bet it'll work.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

This is a timely post...we were throwing flies at bay area reds over clean sand (with lots of holes) yesterday.

I got good follows from 3-4 nice fish that turned into rejections as they got right on top of the flies. Same result with a small baitfish fly and with the shrimp fly I recently posted up in the "what are you tying" thread. We actually had a brief "I wonder if they are eating worms" conversation.

I'm intrigued now...definitely...your lugworm fly might have been the ticket on those fish...especially the reds where I put the fly 10-15' ahead of them and was able to get them to intersect each other.


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

not the best of water tests, but wanted to see how it would sit.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

What hook did you tie it on?


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

crboggs said:


> What hook did you tie it on?


Gamakatsu SC15 #2


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Cool fly, definitely outside of the box. Only thing I could see potentially going wrong is the fish eating the worm part and not the base and missing the hook set. Bet you could hide in a small bit of mono with a stinger hook up in the worm, maybe a small owner semi circle.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Think something like this would work? Its a bushier, messier version of a fly I've seen tied with SF fiber.

View media item 1395


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

crboggs said:


> Think something like this would work? Its a bushier, messier version of a fly I've seen tied with SF fiber.
> 
> View media item 1395


Looks like it might! We're starting a whole new category of fly. 
My original years ago was a gold bullet head, large gold cactus chenille and a 2" piece of rubber band hanging out of the back. They would smash it.

My goals with this one was to make it look more like a mound of sand/mud and get that ass end to float up. The foam seems to be doing the trick. As is, it'll probably be a bear to cast with the funky rabbit tail, we'll see.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

I guess you could also do a bit of a modified kwan...

Stand by for more experimentation.


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

In all honesty, I'm sure a piece of yarn tied on a hook and stripped slowly would work when they're eating. But how fun would that be for us? This was for those times they arent digging anything else or want anything moving for that matter. And I thought it would be cool to make a sand hill to hide the hook. It just sits there and sways with the current.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

FlatsRoamer said:


> Hmmm, a big plate of BBQ, now I'm hungry! The only 2 things better than that are Stone crabs with some fresh mustard sauce and Beer Brats, now thats a recipe for a 5 star meal
> 
> But lets not digress *too* much. I have never been to Texas, but I know you have some big fish up there! How big do the reds get up there?


Not very big on average compared to LA or east coast.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

blackmagic1 said:


> not the best of water tests, but wanted to see how it would sit.



Might be a good finicky red fish fly also. Red or orange rabbit different lengths.


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## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

Knocked out 4 of these this evening. Figured it wouldn't hurt to have a few in the box should the opportunity present itself ;-)

Lou


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

When I see black drum working mudflats like you all describe, the water always looked like chocolate milk. You had to put something big and dark within 6" of their mouth without hitting their heads or laying the line across their back, then work it dead slow or you got nothing. Based on that, I am surprised how light colored many of these patterns are.

Nate


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

sjrobin said:


> Might be a good finicky red fish fly also. Red or orange rabbit different lengths.


That's really what I made it for. I don't really target drum here. More just the lug worms for reds.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

crboggs said:


> Stand by for more experimentation.


View media item 1397


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