# Black Drum?



## daniel4616

So I was out at Chokoloskee this past weekend, and didnt have much luck. I did get to see a bunch of neat stuff this time around- tons of sharks, dolphins, swallow tails.. the works. 

I did however sight a bunch of huge black drum. I casted out to them only for them to be either not interested, or scared of my artificial. I never caught them before, but I threw some frozen shrimp, and my redfish magic out trying to see if one would bite. 

Anyone have any advice on how to possible present some lures/baits to catch these things? 

On another note, are there any areas that hold mangrove snapper out there? I usually put in on the side of the road (Smallwood Dr) and work my way east to the mouth of the Turner river, go up a bit and fish the oyster bars then head just south to the mouth where the small islands are. Last time I went I wanted to throw the shrimp at some mangrove snapper, but near the mangrove shoreline it was way to shallow to hold any. Are there places that are deep enough to hold any?


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## nightfly

I'm no black drum expert but this time of year we catch some up to 40lbs in chokoloskee. Sometimes they won't eat any thing. I have had luck with live shrimp,blue crab chunks, and small 1/8 or 1/4oz brown bucktails tipped with shrimp.


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## Taterides

We saw a ton of slobs near Indian key pass . They had lockjaw for sure. I was definitely sharing your frustration last weekend.


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## jimsmicro

If they won't eat a shrimp you could try a blue crab. If you don't have any of those maybe try slathering your artificials in Pro-Cure or some sort of scent gel.


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## daniel4616

Haha, ok at least it wasnt just me. Its funny because a lot of people ask for spots- well I found them, but couldnt get them to bite. I must have seen atleast 10-15, some were probably 20lbs... Huge. 

I did throw some gulp swimming mullet at them with no luck either. Next time maybe Ill try and catch some fiddler crabs and toss them out- there were a bunch where I put the boat into the water.


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## Rediculous

If they wouldn't eat a dead shrimp, then they probably wouldn't have taken any other offering. They can be caught on anything when they're eating (live/dead bait, arti's or flies). I got one to eat a spoon recently, surprised the hell outta me. But when they're not eating, they're simply just not eating. Drum can feed extremely aggressive at times, and I mean extreme. I've seen pods of 30-40lb drum, bull rushing schools of mullet up against grass beds, many times. Most times though, they are very weary fish and bolt from anything that moves to fast.
Your best bet to get a bite from them, if they're not really cooperating. A peeled shrimp left in the sun until it's pinky and stinky. Clams, chunked blue crab or cut mullet/pinfish can also sometimes entice 1 or 2 to bite, when they're being difficult.


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## jimsmicro

My understanding is that they like shellfish and crustaceans. I see them regularly but always have a hard time getting them to bite. I caught this one on a Gulp shrimp after having the bait rejected by dozens of them, this one finally took it.


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## Alex4188

cut a med sized blue crab in half (so you have a left 1/2 right 1/2) hook it in the edge of the shell by the point. If you know they are around throw it and let it soak out there, If there is one around it will take it, if they wont take that nothing is going to work they simply are not eating.


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## progresst

I'm North of you but I've done well with them using live small/med shrimp sized in a nice table-fare range. Nothing would bite for me on artificial.


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## CurtisWright

Where I am from they eat oysters.   They have these things in the back of their mouths they use to grind up the shells,  spit them out and eat the muscle.  

I've caught a few on fly.  All on small crab and shrimp patterns.  The fly has to be directly under their mouth and moved very very slowly. Like sitting on the bottom until their face is over it then a 1" strip and they suck it up.


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## Vertigo

This gets them every time.


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## Godzuki86

> This gets them every time.


That would get me everytime


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## klfred

Gulp! has always worked. crab or shad. let it sit.


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## coconutgroves

+1 on CWright's comments on small crab and shrimp flies. Fish them like a permit - slow, steady strip - the fly has to be right in front of them where they barely have to move to eat it. We catch a good amount here in TX, though the big ones are tougher to catch than the average size ones.


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## Backwater

GZ1, I was just about to say the same thing!   ;D

Shrimp or crabs!  Carry some Jumbo Select live shrimp with you (not frozen).  Break off the tip of the tail off to add scent and to cause the shrimp to flail in the water.  Use about a 3/0 to 4/0 Owner or Gami hook (octopus or circle) and rig it "free line" with a piece of 30lb fluorocarbon leader.  Hook them under the horn and toss them just in front of them if they are swimming or on their head if they are feeding.

Also, see if your bait shop carries frozen blue crabs.  Try to buy them small (about 3 to 4" from point to point) about 3 to 4 of them.  Keep them in a ziplock bag in your cooler till you see the drum.  Then cut one in half, hook it thru the back paddle fin joint and toss it out there like the Shrimp.  Use the same rig as the shrimp rig above.

If you look at that rocks along the shore, especially around the little cuts under the road that are on the causeway to Everglades City or Choko, then pull over and look under the rocks and dead oysters for those black shore crabs.  You can find them around 1 " wide to up to 2" across the shell.  Hook them behind their rear swim fins at one corner.  Use it Whole.  Crush the biggest claw or both claws with a pair of pliers but don't break them off. That will create scent.   Then toss it out to them the same way.

Btw, the smaller black drum up to about 15lbs eat like redfish on the grill.  They are great with brushed on butter and Weber's Beer Can Chicken seasoning (you can buy it in Walmart) or your favorite fish grilling seasoning.  After about 15lbs, they get wormy!  But then again, an old black man once told me "Heck, dat ain't nuttin dat some hot grease can't take care of!!! "  ;D  LMAO!!!


Ok then....   As far as the mangrove snapper goes, your best bet is to run out to one of the deep channel passes that lead out to the outside.  Those passes are deep and have swift tides.  You will see the mangrove root drop offs along those deep passes (usually on the south side of the channels).  Fish the ends of those mangrove banks where the bank stops (the leading edge of the bank relative to the tide ).  Fish a 1/2oz to 1oz knocker rig with about 1ft  to 18" of leader 30lb fluoro leader.  Anchor up tide to those mangrove bank tips (ends).  Use a #2 (not a 2/0) hook like a bronze Mustad.  Use regular size fresh live shrimp and cut them in half.  If they are large shrimp, I cut them in thirds.  Toss your rig up near the bank edge.  Keep you line tight and wait for the bump!  Mangroves, Sheephead and about everything else.  If you don't have shrimp but can net some white bait, sardines, greenbacks, etc, cross cut fresh white bait into 1/2" wide strips and hook them on the same rig and fish it the same way. You wouldn't get the sheephead, but snapper and everything else. You can even cut the sardines or shrimp into smaller pieces and chum the spot where you will be fishing. Some of those deep mangrove banks along the channels take a hard bend.  At the bends the tide wallows out larger hole that hold fish.  So if you find them, try it a bit to see if it holds fish.

If you want to stay inside in the back country, then use your normal setup you use to sight fish (hopefully a spinner with 10 to 20lb line with a 30lb mono or fluoro leader system).  Tie on the same #2 hook.  Add a popping cork.  Look for mangrove shorelines where you are out near the outside points or near the mouths of creeks (like the outside edge of the Turner river, etc).  Adjust the popping cork so that the bait rides off the bottom (maybe 2 to 3ft deep).  Cut the same shrimp in half and hook it on.  Toss the cork just uptide to those deeper spots up under the mangrove branches.  Allow the cork to drift along the outside root edges and then just give it a slow pop about every 30 seconds to a minute.  The fish will hear the pop and come to investigate and then find the shrimp.  That rig is hard to beat in the back country.

Good luck!


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