Black Drum Fishing Tips for Beginners (The Complete Guide)


Black drum can be targeted most effectively with a natural bait that puts out lots of odor molecules in the water. A blue crab cut in half, a fresh dead shrimp or a Berkeley Gulp shrimp are excellent choices when targeting black drum.

Black drum are the largest member of the drum family which includes redfish, speckled trout and croakers. Black drum can live to 35 years old and weigh close to 100 pounds.

I am an INSHORE FISHING GUIDE and I have been fishing for black drum, redfish, snook, speckled trout and just about every other inshore species of fish for more than 40 years. Sight fishing for tailing redfish is one of my favorite things to do.

In the article below, I will talk about the best ways to catch black drum including the proper tackle and bait to use.

Let's get started.


​Watch the video below to see Monster black drum targeted with live shrimp.

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​Where can you find black drum?


Black drum are quite common from Florida to Texas and up the southern Atlantic coast through the Carolinas. They are a fish that evolved to eat the hardest shelled creatures in the sea. They can easily crack open mussels, clams and oysters with the crushing plates in the backs of their throats.

A great place to target these fish is anywhere you can find oysters and mussels. This can include oyster bars, docks and bridges with lots of marine life on their pilings and around mangrove roots.

Large black drum can also be caught in the various inlets where they live. They will eat the crabs and shrimp that the tide brings to them as it escapes into and from the sea to inshore estuaries.

My favorite way to target drum is to wait for the low incoming tide where there are numerous oyster bars. This scenario is perfect to find tailing black drum. The black drum will be vertical in the water column as they move oyster clumps in search of mud crabs and shrimp.

This allows you to see their broad tails as they stick out of the water. That is exactly how we found the black drum in the video above. It is a great way to sight fish for black drum in shallow waters.

I wrote another article on this website that covers in great detail how to catch a black drum in Florida waters. You can read that article by clicking right here.

Black drum are bottom feeders so you can target them in any waterway by just putting a very smelly bait on the bottom and waiting for them to find it. They are equipped with 4 nostrils so they will find your bait offering very quickly if they are nearby.


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What is the best rig for black drum?

The answer to this question depends upon where you are fishing for black drum and the size of the drum that you are targeting.

Shallow Water Black Drum

I like to target huge black drum in waters that are less than 4 feet deep. The best rig for that fishing scenario is a live shrimp on an 1/8 ounce jig head. You just cast to where you see the tailing black drums and wait for one to find your bait.

You can also use a live shrimp with an 1/8 ounce split shot or sinker with similar good results. Another great choice is the Berkeley Gulp Shrimp with an 1/8 ounce jig head.

The point is that anything stinky that the black drum want to eat is a good bait and rig to use in shallow water fishing scenarios. Just cast it to where you see them tailing or where you think they might be if you can't see them and wait for one to eat your bait.

Deep Water Black Drum

When the black drum are in the various inlets your best bet will be a 1/2 of a blue crab on a 4/0 circle hook with a 3 ounce weight. 

Any rig will work for this type of fishing. You can use a knocker rig that is simply a sliding sinker above your hook and bait. The bait will move away from the sinker in the water so their will be enough distance not to spook the black drum.

Another great rig is a dropper loop rig. This rig has the sinker tied to the end of the line and about 12 inches higher your hook and bait are tide with a dropper loop keeping it just off of the bottom.

These deep water rigs work in any scenario. It is not just the inlets. It can be a deep tidal creek or a deep boat channel. They can also be used by any bridges or deeper docks with similar results.


What kind of bait do you use to catch black drum?

The best baits to catch black drum will have lots of odor to them. This means a natural bait will usually be your best bet for targeting black drum.

The best natural baits for black drum include a blue crab cut in half; a live shrimp with the tail pinched off; fresh clams; fiddler crabs; and fresh finger mullet and mud minnows. All of these baits will be greedily devoured by any black drum that can find them.

The best manmade baits are Berkeley Gulp baits. These baits are excellent for attracting black drum with their strong scents. There are many to choose from but I like the 3 inch swimming mullet and shrimp the best. They work great with a jig head and that is my favorite way to target drum.

Watch the video below to learn more about the best lures for black drum.
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What is the best rod and reel to catch black drum?

The best rod and reel for drum is very subjective based upon the size, techniques and varied fishing scenarios but I will do my best to recommend the perfect rod and reel combo.

Let's assume that you are targeting black drum in some tidal creek with oyster bars in it. These drum are less than 10 pounds in size. A great rod and reel combo will be a 2500 series reel and a 7 to a 7' 6" medium strength rod.

You will want to load up this reel with 10 pound braided line and use a 15 to 20 pound leader if there are lots of oysters around that can cut your line.

Let's assume that you are fishing for black from for some bridge for black drum under 10 pounds. These fish can be targeted with a 4000 series reel loaded with 20 pound braided line and a 30 pound leader. You will need more strength to lift these fish out of the water and up onto the bridge unless you have a rope net to hoist the fish up.

Let's assume that you are targeting large black drum in some inlet somewhere. You will want to go with a 5000 series reel and a medium/heavy 7 foot rod if the drum are 50 pounds plus in deep water with a lot of current.

Fill the reel with 50 pound braided line and use a 40 or 50 pound leader for these fish.

As you can see there are many different scenarios that will require different gear to catch fish. My favorite reels for fishing scenarios like kayak fishing or surf fishing where water and or sand can get in the reel is the Penn Spinfisher.

This reel is sealed so they are more protected than other unsealed reels. They run about $160 but they are worth it in my opinion.

*I am not sponsored by Penn or an affiliate reseller of their products. I just like them.


What strength leader is best for black drum fishing?

The best leader strength for smaller black drum is 20 pounds and for larger black drum is 50 pounds. The black drum does not have sharp teeth or rough skin like a shark that will cut your line but they can be huge so the leader strength will need to be increased based on the size of the fish.

When you are fishing around docks and other structures that have lots of barnacles and oysters growing on them you will want a heavier leader so you don't get cut off.

This is also true when you are fishing around oyster bars or under mangrove roots with oysters growing on them.


What kind of jig is the best to use for black drum?

The best jig for black drum is bucktail jig or flair hawk jig with a Berkeley Gulp shrimp or a piece of real shrimp attached to it to put odor molecules in the water. The movement of the jig combined with the odors that are coming from it will catch a lot of black drum if they are nearby.

You have to adapt your jig size based on the water depth and current where you are targeting the black drum. If you are targeting them in 30 feet of water with lots of current then you will need at least an ounce and a half of weight just to get the jig to the bottom.

The best jig is one that you can add a scented bait to. A bucktail jig with a pieced of shrimp or clam attached to it is a good technique to catch deep water drum.

I wrote another article on this website that covers in extreme detail the best baits and lures for catching black drum. You can find that article by clicking right here.


How big of a hook do you need for black drum?

You can catch huge black drum with very small hooks. The reason is because they have very soft, gummy mouths that make it easy for a hook to hold. I have caught 50 pound black drums with a #2 hook.

If you are targeting black drum with a half of a blue crab then you will want to use a 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook at least because your bait is so large. 

Black drum are not very strong fighters for their size so you won't need to buy 2X or 3X thick hooks to catch them. A regular strength hook will not straighten even when you are fighting a monster sized black drum.

When you are fishing with live shrimp, fiddler crabs or clams, I would recommend a 2/0 circle hook.

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