Black Drum part4

Artificial Lures for Catching Black Drum

In general, live bait is best for catching Black drum. The main reason for this is that these fish rely mostly on an excellent sense of smell, using of course their noses, and also taste, using the unique barbels under their chins. This is especially true when in deeper inshore water where the tannic water makes visibility virtually non-existent. Nonetheless, artificial lures can be successful if used properly during the correct seasons, and mainly in shallow water.

Lures for Catching Black Drum

Since Black drum rely mostly on their sense of smell and taste to find food, the best lures for catching them are the scented lures. These include the soft plastics, mainly by the Berkeley Gulp brand, which uses natural scents in the production of their lures. When the bite is really on in shallow water, such as in the spring, artificial flies can also produce good catches of Black drum.

Scented Soft Plastics for Black drum

Scented soft baits work best for Black drum because of the scent, but their lifelike appearance doesn’t hurt either. Some of these baits just keep getting better every year, with the pressure of making better artificial lures growing yearly. They work better in shallow water, where the fish can actually see the bait. The best thing about these scented soft plastics is that they can be used essentially just like a live bait. Bounce them along the bottom near oyster reefs and shallow seagrass beds, especially if you see tailing fish.

Many varieties of Berkeley Gulf critters are available that will catch Black drum, including the lifelike shrimp and crabs that even smell like the real thing.

Artificial Flies for Black Drum

Black drum on a fly is a hard catch, but can be done with a little skill and patience. The most important key to success is getting the fly to the bottom. Using a good sinking line and leader, and a sinking fly, you can get the fly to the bottom rather quickly if the current is not too strong over the flats. Once you feel the fly is near the bottom, make short, fast strips if using a shrimp fly, and slower strips if using a crab.

            One great fly for inshore Black drum is the Blue crab - part of its natural diet.

A General Statement about Black Drum Lures

Just remember that using artificial lures on Black drum requires lots of patience. These fish are mainly feeding using their senses of smell and taste, so you’re much better off using live bait if you’re looking for guaranteed catches. If you really want to make it work however, simply tip the hook of your artificial lure or fly with a small piece of shrimp or clam, and the smell will lead the fish right to it.