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Black Drum Information

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8 March 2004 - Bull Black drum - C&T Bay Charters
Black Drum are very abundant along the
gulf coast.  In Texas, over 1.3 million
pounds of Black Drum are caught
commercially per year and about 750
thousand pounds by sport fisherman.  
Black Drum can be found from the lower
gulf coast all the way to the upper Atlantic
coast.  Black drum are members of the
croaker family, which includes the Red
Drum (redfish), spotted sea trout, and
Atlantic croaker.  As a member of the
croaker family, Black Drum are capable of
producing a "croaking" sound
C&T Bay Charters
Drum Fishing Guides
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with their air bladders. Sometimes, you can actually here them producing the sound,
especially during the "run".  Black drum will spawn in February – April with a late spawn in the
June - July time range. During this time they are very active and run along channels. Black
drum will do what is called "free spawning", where they release eggs at random in any
location.  

Black Drum will grow 6 inches in the first year and a total of about 16 in the first three years.  
After then, they will average about two inches a year.  The
Texas State Record  is 81 pounds
and 51 inches. The largest ever recorded was almost twice as much at 146 pounds.  A "bull"
Black Drum is an over sized drum being of 30 inches plus, averaging about 30 to 40 pounds
(
Bag and Size Limits).  The most successful technique used to go after them is to fish in
channels on the bottom with peeled shrimp or blue paw crab.  
Copyright © 2004 C&T Bay Charters. All rights reserved.


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