Black Drum: The New Spring Target In Texas Fishing

Texas fishing in the spring can be a little bit of a challenge along the coast, at least for those anglers who have their sights set on speckled trout and redfish. Spring winds along the Texas coast tend to stir up the water and frustrate fishermen and women in search of these fish. However, there is an entirely different kind of action in store for Texas fishing enthusiasts this spring according to the initial spring fishing reports for the area: the black drum run is getting a lot of attention this year, with many anglers reporting excellent catches last year and eagerly anticipating the upcoming spring run.

"Typically occurring from late February to the end of April, black drum congregate in large numbers in channels while making their spring migration; this happens usually when water temperatures escalate somewhere around 60 degrees," states Mark Redd. Mark is a regular to Galveston's North Jetty and pastor in LaPorte, Texas who specifically targets black drum in spring.

"The largest we have caught in recent years was sixty-pounds," reports Redd. He swears by using cracked crab. "Crab is most effective for us when fished on the bottom during the black drum run." Typically the top shell is cracked off and the meat is cut in halves.

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."

Reaves reports that he uses a circle hook, 50 lb test and an egg weight of 4 to 8 oz, but that the most important thing when angling for black drum is to get the bait to the bottom. "Usually, I go with a heavier weight so I can get the bait to the bottom quickly." When he gets a bite, the strong line Reaves uses lets him get the drum on the boat and his line back in the water fast.

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.