Anglers seeking easy pulls during the spring season are discovering a new breed of fishing along the Texas Coast. Spring season winds often churn bay waters for days leaving speckled trout and redfish enthusiasts scratching their heads. Expect to see more anglers dancing to a new beat this spring with the exciting black drum run that takes place annually.
"Black drum make their annual migration when the water temperatures get into the sixties; anywhere from late February to late April. You find them starting to congregate in the channels in great numbers," says Laporte, Texas pastor Mark Redd. An avid black drum fisher, Redd angles for drum at Galveston's North Jetty each spring.
Redd continues: "We've caught drum up to 60 lbs in the past few years, mostly using cracked crab - we crack off the top shell and cut the meat into halves. It's the most effective bait I've found for fishing on the bottom during the run."
Captain Jake Reaves selects the upper coast of Texas when guiding charters for Black Drum. "I get excited every year during the run. I finally get to part from my leaky waders and sit in the sun." "During the run, I generally average about 20 fish a day along channels and transitional zones of the fish."
As for gear, Reaves chooses circle hooks, 4-8 ounce egg weights and 50 lb test for black drum. According to Reaves though, the single most important thing is getting the bait to the bottom quickly. "I tend to use heavier weights so I can get my bait right down to the bottom where the biggest black drum are," says Reaves. Once he gets a bite, the 50 lb test lets him quickly land his fish and get his line back in the water.
Landlocked anglers should be pleased to know that locating places to fish for black drum are easily accessed by vehicle. "We launch off of the end of the Texas City Dike and have seen many people catch black drum right across from the boat launch as well as at the pier on the end of the Dike," recalls Mark Redd. Other than the Texas City Dike, Captain Jake Reaves claims Sea Wolf Park Pier and Sylvan Beach Pier are a close second. If the lower coast is more convenient, Aransas Pass Jetty and Fin & Feather Pier, located in Aransas Pass, are locations noted for their productive black drum catches.
Experienced black drum anglers say that if you plan to catch and release these fish, it's a good idea to "vent" the larger fish to give them a better chance of survival after release. This is done by depleting their air bladders before releasing the fish. texas fishing enthusiast Mark Redd tells us that he's seen all too many black drum die after release as they try and fail to swim downwards, hampered by their inflated air bladders. "Just take a needle and gently insert it at a 45 degree angle under a scale just at the tip of the pectoral fin to vent the trapped gases." A good tip to keep in mind for what the say is shaping up to be a record black drum season this spring.
"Black drum make their annual migration when the water temperatures get into the sixties; anywhere from late February to late April. You find them starting to congregate in the channels in great numbers," says Laporte, Texas pastor Mark Redd. An avid black drum fisher, Redd angles for drum at Galveston's North Jetty each spring.
Redd continues: "We've caught drum up to 60 lbs in the past few years, mostly using cracked crab - we crack off the top shell and cut the meat into halves. It's the most effective bait I've found for fishing on the bottom during the run."
Captain Jake Reaves selects the upper coast of Texas when guiding charters for Black Drum. "I get excited every year during the run. I finally get to part from my leaky waders and sit in the sun." "During the run, I generally average about 20 fish a day along channels and transitional zones of the fish."
As for gear, Reaves chooses circle hooks, 4-8 ounce egg weights and 50 lb test for black drum. According to Reaves though, the single most important thing is getting the bait to the bottom quickly. "I tend to use heavier weights so I can get my bait right down to the bottom where the biggest black drum are," says Reaves. Once he gets a bite, the 50 lb test lets him quickly land his fish and get his line back in the water.
Landlocked anglers should be pleased to know that locating places to fish for black drum are easily accessed by vehicle. "We launch off of the end of the Texas City Dike and have seen many people catch black drum right across from the boat launch as well as at the pier on the end of the Dike," recalls Mark Redd. Other than the Texas City Dike, Captain Jake Reaves claims Sea Wolf Park Pier and Sylvan Beach Pier are a close second. If the lower coast is more convenient, Aransas Pass Jetty and Fin & Feather Pier, located in Aransas Pass, are locations noted for their productive black drum catches.
Experienced black drum anglers say that if you plan to catch and release these fish, it's a good idea to "vent" the larger fish to give them a better chance of survival after release. This is done by depleting their air bladders before releasing the fish. texas fishing enthusiast Mark Redd tells us that he's seen all too many black drum die after release as they try and fail to swim downwards, hampered by their inflated air bladders. "Just take a needle and gently insert it at a 45 degree angle under a scale just at the tip of the pectoral fin to vent the trapped gases." A good tip to keep in mind for what the say is shaping up to be a record black drum season this spring.
About the Author:
Captain Kyle Tomek is a Texas fishing guide who submits featured Texas saltwater fishing tips to Texas FishCast. You can submit Texas saltwater fishing tips through your Facebook account to Texas FishCast. You can share pictures and videos and tag your fishing buddies for everyone to see.
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