# First ever black drum...only took 29 yrs.



## advobwhite (Nov 22, 2012)

Hello! went to a spot that shall remain unnamed but if you are a landlocked native you probably know where it is. suffice it to say it is known for its drum population.

Anyway, bought 2 lbs live crab from L&T, which got me like 6 crab for $6 and some change. Spoke to GBB&T today and they said blue crab is more of a summer bait but figured if I didn't use the bait I'd have a good meal regardless so what the heck. Got to the spot saw a bull drum(not sure if it was black or red but think it was a red) in about 1 ft of water. grabbed one of my light rods that was rigged w/ a jighead, cracked a crab and put it on there put it in front of him and he started to take it but i pulled it out of his mouth. tried again, and after the second time I almost had a good hookset but it swam away. Tossed the other half of the crab out put the rod in the rod holder then put another line out, switched the jig head for a circle hook in case it showed up again, waited about 45 minutes, saw it again, cracked a crab and by the time i got to it, it left. my rod in the rod holder started screaming so I grabbed it, fought for about 20 minutes and 20 lb line snapped like it was 4 lb test....drag was loose but was feathering the reel and pumping the rod to stay out of structure as i had been pulled about 40 ft from where i hooked up. i pulled just a little too hard.

at this point i was sick to my stomach knowing that i missed 3 times when the fish had it in its mouth and 1 solid hook up. rebaited, pulled the second line in so i can focus all my attention to the one rod that got hit, put it back out there and within about 15 min i was on. took my time w/ this one and managed to get it pulled away from the structure so i knew i was good there but still took about 45 minutes of pumping/feathering as I was not going to let this one break off. got it in and was a bit unprepared as it bent my net in half and i had to straighten the net, and did not fit in my ice chest either. had one half a cracked crab left so tossed it out there for a little bit, but didn't stay more than 20 minutes as i wanted to get home and get the fish on ice to clean tomorrow AM when i got up since it didn't fit in my cooler, and also i know there is only 1 over slot allowed per bag so didn't want to hook something like that, wear it out, and let it go.. Thankfully it is winter and dipping to the 30's tonight so i just have it covered up in ice in a tub in the garage and will get to cleaning it. I've heard that when they have worms they are easy enough to go around and are pretty decent eating. 

I've still got 4 crabs left for tomorrow, and the one that broke me off is still out there. that 36" was more of a fight on 20# tackle than my biggest red(about 42-44) on 12-14# tackle. am i the only one who feels that the black drum is a far better fighter? 

anywho first real trip since 2011, i'll take it. got out there about 3 hrs later than I wanted to. High tide was @ 7'ish tonight and I wanted to be there by 6:30. got there by 8:30 and home by 11. i know pics aren't very clear, but it was right @ 36" and thick...the net is a picture taken AFTER I straightened it up....


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

That's definitely a Big Ugly, congrats on your first.

When they are that size the flesh can be kind'a course and lots of parasites.
Best to just keep the Puppy drum, that still have their juvenile stripes on them.

Yes, the parasites won't hurt you if you eat them cooked.
Once cooked you can't hardly tell they're in the meat.
You'll make a fillet look worse than Swiss cheese trying to get them all out.

I know some people that make a pretty good imitation lump or shredded crab with the Big Ugly's meat.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

I have even caught small uns that had worms coming from their skin....many species have worms. If I can see em when I catch em, back in the water they go! Way ta go on your 1st though!!! Congrats!


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## advobwhite (Nov 22, 2012)

Thank you for the info on that. I have heard various things about the big ones. Going to grill it up tomorrow


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

You may be surprised how good black drum can be. Really depends on the fish. I never keep the big ones but will keep every one under 5 lbs I catch.


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## WAReilly (Jun 2, 2014)

hjorgan said:


> You may be surprised how good black drum can be. Really depends on the fish. I never keep the big ones but will keep every one under 5 lbs I catch.


Same here. Anything over slot goes back in the water. The small ones are very good though.


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## advobwhite (Nov 22, 2012)

Took a couple hours to clean. My grandfather never cleaned one and I have never cleaned one that big but he got some of the rib meat and loins to fry and I got some to make a drum gumbo(drumbo anyone?) and we will be blackening the rest. Now to divide the scraps and backbones for the pinfish traps


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## t time (Mar 6, 2015)

Nice catch


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## ha3x9 (Dec 22, 2015)

I don't keep black drum to eat. They are too tough to clean, and the meat on the big ones is all gummy and not appealing. I love to catch them though, and most people do eat them. 
If you want to catch a lot of them, you have to fish for them specifically. They are rarely by-catch. When we are fishing with shrimp and pinfish and lures and gulps we are bumping right past huge black drum all the time. Most of the time, they won't hit that stuff even if you put it right in their face. Fresh crabs are their food of choice. 
They are under Sykes, under 3-mile, in the bayous, and under Garcon Point bridge all the time. They also wander around the bay in the open and around seawalls a good bit sniffing out crabs. 
Occasionally, you will get one on a shrimp or gulp, but rarely.
Crack a live blue crab in half and send it down next to a pylon on a moving tide in Pensacola, and hang on to your rod, cause there are lots of big uglies out there!


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

I've used DO A shrimp to catch them.


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## Bluefish Blues (Jul 13, 2014)

Jason said:


> I have even caught small uns that had worms coming from their skin....many species have worms. If I can see em when I catch em, back in the water they go! Way ta go on your 1st though!!! Congrats!


What about Specks? Many people say take the worms out and some say they dont bother and eat the fillets with worms.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Once cooked you'd have to try real hard to find them, much less taste them. And they're completely harmless.


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

So someone enlighten me on using a crab for bait.. You break the crab in half and put it on your hook, I understand that part, but where do you put the hook through it? Do you go through the shell? I would think putting the hook through the shell would crack it and let the hook come out.. Or do you run it through where the leg connects to the shell? And if trying for these off the 3mb pier, would you just drop it straight down by the pier or toss it out in the middle between the pier and the bridge? I wouldnt mind catching one of these big guys....


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## newmanFL (Mar 29, 2015)

Breeze said:


> So someone enlighten me on using a crab for bait.. You break the crab in half and put it on your hook, I understand that part, but where do you put the hook through it? Do you go through the shell? I would think putting the hook through the shell would crack it and let the hook come out.. Or do you run it through where the leg connects to the shell? And if trying for these off the 3mb pier, would you just drop it straight down by the pier or toss it out in the middle between the pier and the bridge? I wouldnt mind catching one of these big guys....






found this on youtube hope it helps.


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## Bountyhunter (Jan 18, 2016)

newmanFL said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9609-A5r2ls
> found this on youtube hope it helps.


Great video and info!


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## advobwhite (Nov 22, 2012)

I didn't realize this was resurrected. The way I do it is break the shell off, use half the crab and run it through the knuckles that run between the leg joint. I upped the hook size from the first few fish so that the hook covers more knuckles and is set in the bait firmer. No need to hide the hook from any kind of drum, they eat pointy things like crab all the time so a hook won't bother them. I found if you let it sit all day it gets picked at by trash fish so don't toss it out until dark. 

Also I read that a quarter of the crab is fantastic bait for pompano


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

great video
Thanks


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## dsj1000 (Jan 21, 2016)

Thanks for sharing! :thumbup:


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## redfishreaper (Apr 23, 2012)

the blacks tast just as good as the reds. puppy drum is one of my all time favorite! congrats on the big ugly!


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## holicori (Dec 26, 2012)

Father in law and I caught one about that size about 3 weeks ago. I filet it and got some great meat out of it. It was actually pretty much almost the EXACT same as a red fish filet. I bet if you filet and skinned a red and black drum and laid them next to each other many people couldn't even tell the difference. 

There was only about an inch of meat at the tail end that had worms. I cut that part off and not a single worm the rest of the way through. Father in law was talking to one of his fishing buddys and he said that during the cold months the worms aren't bad, but once it starts warming up they will be jammed full of worms. Not sure how true this is or not though.


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## squirrel (Mar 19, 2012)

I'm going to try some crab in the surf now! Great video on how to hook!


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## lettheairout (Mar 11, 2008)

holicori said:


> Father in law and I caught one about that size about 3 weeks ago. I filet it and got some great meat out of it. It was actually pretty much almost the EXACT same as a red fish filet. I bet if you filet and skinned a red and black drum and laid them next to each other many people couldn't even tell the difference.
> 
> There was only about an inch of meat at the tail end that had worms. I cut that part off and not a single worm the rest of the way through. Father in law was talking to one of his fishing buddys and he said that during the cold months the worms aren't bad, but once it starts warming up they will be jammed full of worms. Not sure how true this is or not though.


This is true with almost all of the fish you catch in warmer water 

sent from somewhere your not


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## holicori (Dec 26, 2012)

So, does this mean that a fish that has worms in summer...will "lose" the worms during winter? 

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## lettheairout (Mar 11, 2008)

I believe the worms probably die when the water temp drop. Killing said worms then passes through the fish some how. I not a biologist so just my guess 

sent from somewhere your not


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## holicori (Dec 26, 2012)

Hmm...interesting

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## MTank411 (May 24, 2015)

Nice looking drum, bet he was one hell of a fight and tasted even better!


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