the black drum ( pogonias cromis ) , also known as " blue drum " for its dark and hint of blue color , is a saltwater fish similar to its cousin , the red drum .

it is the only species in the genus pogonias .

though most specimens are generally found in the 5-30 lb ( 2 – 14 kg ) range , the black drum is well known as the largest of all the drum family with some specimens reaching excesses of 90 lb ( 40 kg ) .

the world record black drum was just over 113 lb ( 51 kg ) .

they are often black and/or gray in color with juvenile fish having distinctive dark stripes over a gray body .

their teeth are rounded and they have powerful jaws capable of crushing oysters and other shellfish .

it is recommended those over 15 lb pounds ( 7 kg ) should be released .

black drum are capable of producing tones between 100 hz and 500 hz when performing mating calls .

black drum

common name : black drum , sea drum , gray drum , striped drum , banded drum , oyster cracker .
black drum can be distinguished from the red drum by the presence of barbels . photo © richard bejarano
black drum find clams and crabs by sweeping the bottom with their chin barbels .
the internet has many recipes and helpful hints on preparation for both black and red drum . information adapted from a brochure , black drum in texas , by joe breuer .
every spring , schools of black drum enter the delaware bay to feed and spawn .
in bermitz’s experience , the docks normally hold pairs and smaller groups of black drum .
black drum are very similar in all aspects to their cousin , the red fish .
we show you how to catch black drum easy on this video . we show how to put a rigg together to catch black drum step by step . and we show you whats the best bait to use to catch these black drums .
the black drum is one of the largest fish in the bay . young black drums that weigh less than 8 pounds are also known as puppy drums .
predators : juvenile black drum are preyed upon by a variety of larger fishes such as seatrout and jacks . larger black drum are likely to be preyed upon by sharks ( murphy and muller 1995 )
reaching weights of 110 pounds , black drum are one of the largest inshore species in new jersey .
igure 2 . total black drum dollar value and percentage by county for the years 1987 - 2001 .
table 1 . total dollar value of irl black drum , pogonias cromis , between 1987 - 2001 .
sharks likely feed on black drum . juveniles are preyed upon by seatrouts , jacks and other large fish .
the chesapeake bay record black drum , caught in 1973 off cape charles , virginia , weighed 111 pounds .
bottom - feeders , black drum prey upon mollusks and crustaceans such as clams , oysters and crabs . black drum use their chin barbels to sense for prey and use their strong teeth plates to crush the hard shells open .
asmfc approves first step in black drum interstate management . public input sought on new plan development ( may 2012 )
the black drum uses the barbels under its chin to locate food along the mud bottom of the delaware bay .
figure 4 . summary of the black drum recreational harvest and percentage of total by area from 1997 - 2004 .
drum , sea drum , common drum , banded drum , butterfly drum , gray drum , striped drum , oyster drum , oyster cracker ; french : grand tambour ; japanese : guchi , ishimochi , nibe ; portuguese : corvina ; spanish : corvinón negro , corbina , corvina negro , corvina , roncador .
table 2 . by - county annual and cumulative percentages of the black drum harvest for the years 1987 - 2001 .
as of 2005 , fishing regulations in florida state that black drum must be no less than 14 inches tl , but not more than 24 inches tl to be of legal size ; however , one black drum larger than 24 inches tl may be kept . a bag limit of 5 legal - sized black drum per person per day is in effect .
there is no evidence of sex - specific differences in growth rates of black drum ( beckman et al . 1990 ) .
table 3 . by - county cumulative dollar value and percentage of total for the black drum harvest from 1987 - 2001 .
a popular sport fish , the best time to catch a black drum is during a full moon using soft crab as bait .
black drum average around 2 - 5 pounds , 10 - 20 pound fish are not uncommon and the largest exceed 100 pounds .
black drum from 1 to 10 pounds are very common and often referred to as
puppy drum .
larger fish , called
bull drum
, are not uncommon to 40 pounds and are occasionally even larger .
black drum tastes really similar to redfish and their fillets look just like redfish also . they are both part of the drum family so that is why they are so similar .
i had heard that the bigger black drum have worms in them and are not good to eat . i was watching the weekend fisherman this morning and the show was on black drum . they were catching black drum and several times captain herb gordon said that the fish they were catching were good eating , and the fish when he was saying that seemed to be in the lower 40
range . i have always released black drum in the past . wondering what size anyone has tried and was it any good . thanks wes
figure 1 . annual dollar value of the commercial catch of black drum to the 5 - county area of the indian river lagoon .
figure 3 . survey data for the black drum recreational fishery showing the number of fishes harvested in east florida waters from 1997 - 2004 .
then again , on a blustery , cool day , open - minded anglers like capt . al bermitz are quick to praise black drum .
dude ! that’s a pair of boss black drum , and the kind of prespawn school at right is a stunning sight on some florida inshore waters . most anglers release these bigger drum .
the old timers say , “the drum bite begins as the dogwood blooms . ” they’re right . the dogwoods are in full bloom , and the black drum are in delaware bay—and they’re hungry .
the black drum , pogonias cromis . illustration by diana rome peebles 1998 . courtesy of florida fish and wildlife conservation commission . used with permission .
black drum are not an important commercial species in florida , but are considered important recreationally . between 1987 - 2001 , the total commercial harvest of
black drum adults form schools and migrate in the spring to bay and river mouths for the spawning season ; in the gulf of mexico this is from february to may . larval black drum remain in shallow muddy waters until they are 4 to 5 inches long ; then they move near shore .
trophic mode : black drum are primarily bottom feeders , though they have been occasionally observed feeding near the surface on small finfishes such as menhaden ( ackerman 1951 ) . pearson ( 1929 ) reported black drum bottom feeding in a vertical position in waters so shallow , their tails protruded from the water .
irl distribution : black drum are common throughout the indian river lagoon and have notably large populations in volusia and martin counties ( murphy and taylor 1995 ) .
adults sometimes move onto near - shelf waters , but are primarily estuarine - dwelling and show little migratory behavior . simmons and breuer ( 1962 ) reported that tagged black drum in texas generally moved less than 5 miles from where they were tagged . beaumarriage ( 1969 ) reported similar results in florida black drum .
the most anticipated large fish of the virginia springtime fishery is the docile black drum . now is the time to try your luck for a gentle giant .
osburn and matlock ( 1984 ) examined movements of black drum in texas , reporting that black drum less than 3 years of age showed limited movement from bay systems into the gulf of mexico . older fishes were more commonly taken in deeper waters of the gulf , leading the authors to hypothesize that permanent movement of black drum to deeper gulf waters occurs in fishes older than 4 years of age ; with bays and estuaries thus supplying young fishes to spawning stocks of older fishes .
if you are currently without a vessel , you can still clean up on black drum at your local inlet , if there is suitable access . many anglers enjoy pulling drum up over the rails of the jetties .
the first coastwide benchmark stock assessment for black drum was performed in 2014 and approved for management use in 2015 . based onassessment results , black drum is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing . the median biomass is estimated to be declining slowly , though it is still estimated to be well above that necessary to produce maximum sustainable yield .
for those unable to catch their own , black drum are harvested commercially from texas bays throughout the year . these drum can be purchased in stores and fish markets for about half the cost of the
choice
fish .
black drum are heavy - bodied fish with large heads . fish up to about 15 pounds have 4 or 5 wide vertical black bars set on a silver - gray body . the bars fade as the fish grow larger , eventually disappearing . all sizes of black drum can be identified by the whisker - like barbels under their chin . black drum have large heavy pharyngeal teeth in the back of their throat that they use to crush mollusk shells . young black drum under 8 inches long feed mostly on marine worms and small fish . after 8 inches , they switch their diet to mollusks such as oysters , clams , and mussels . research has shown that drum captured from oyster reef areas prefer to eat oysters over clams and mussels . research has also shown that black drum can average eating one oyster per pound of body weight per day . feeding black drum swim with their heads slightly lowered , drifting their barbels ( chin whiskers ) over possible food items . when the barbels touch a food item , the drum stops swimming and inhales in the food item by creating a suction with its gill covers and mouth . the drum slowly swims forward while crushing the food item with its massive pharyngeal teeth . as the food item is crushed , small shell particles fall from the drum ' s gills . after finishing , the drum ejects the rest of the shell from its mouth . black drum can break apart and crush oyster clusters , but seem to select singles for ease of feeding . they feed both during daylight hours and at night , but feeding is less intensive during early morning hours . while feeding , schools of black drum often dredge up the bottom , creating muddy plumes in the water which can be easily seen from the air .
table fare : although some anglers will eat black drum , the flesh of these fish tends to be course , and most are infested with large , long parasitic tapeworms .
competitors : black drum likely compete with other drums , especially the red drum for benthic food resources , but because of their strong pharyngeal teeth , probably do not experience much competition for mollusks ( sutter et al . 1986 ) .
live or dead shrimp are primarily used . anglers using sandfleas and fresh clams catch drum and pompano . black drum have a habit of picking up the bait and running toward you , producing slack in the line . “that’s when you know you have a drum on , ” says ricciardi .
black drum are primarily bottom feeders . young black drum feed on small fish and invertebrates , such as copepods , annelids , and amphipods . the eggs and larvae of this species were shown to be subject to high predation . as juveniles , they are prey to a wide range of estuarine fish species , such as spotted seatrout and crevalle jack .
recreational fishery : the black drum , especially at larger size , is not generally considered a high - quality food fish due to commonly being infested with cestodes ( spaghetti worms ) ( simmons and breuer 1962 ; etzolt and christmas 1979 ) . however , black drum measuring less than 20 inches are valued in the recreational fishery ( silverman 1979 ) .
black drum are found in the western atlantic ocean , from massachusetts to southern florida and across the gulf of mexico to northern mexico . they rarely occur north of new jersey .
the black drum is one of the most popular inshore fish for food . they are rather good up to 24
, after which the meat looses flavor and become coarse .
1 ) out of all the species in the drum / croaker family—red drum , spotted seatrout , weakfish , whiting , spot , croaker—the black drum is the only species where females and males both produce calls . the other major difference recently determined by a usf grad student , now ph . d . , jim locasio , is that the volume and intensity of sound coming from a group of black drum does not necessarily mean more eggs in the water column , as it does for species like spotted seatrout and weakfish . black drum are more complex , or…um…either she or he has a headache more often , wanting to put off spawning until another evening !
the black drum is a silvery - gray , bottom - dwelling fish that visits the chesapeake bay from spring through autumn . it is one of the largest fish in the bay .
mike ricciardi , a sebastian inlet regular who has caught numerous black drum there , prefers the outgoing tide for black drum . “i fish the surf side , and also at the end of the jetty sometimes . the incoming tide is okay , but it rips around the end of the jetty so strong you really can’t keep a weight on bottom , ” he said .
the board approved addendum i to the black drum fmp in may 2018 . the addendum allows maryland to reopen its black drum commercial fishery in the chesapeake bay with a daily vessel limit of up to 10 fish and a 28 - inch minimum size . over the next year , maryland will develop a management program for the commercial fishery with implementation by april 1 , 2019 .
murphy , m . d . ; adams , d . h . ; tremain , d . m . ; winner , b . l . 1998 . direct validation of ages determined for adult black drum , pogonias cromis , in east - central florida with notes on black drum migration . fish . bull . ( us ) 96 ( 2 ) : 382 - 387 .
black drum can mature to near 100 - pounds . the virginia saltwater fishing tournament issues citations for catches of 80 pounds or more , or a release citation for 46 inches or more .
part of the black drum ' s scientific name , pogonias , means “bearded . ” this refers to the fish’s chin barbels , which look like a beard . cromis means “to croak . ”
recreational landings of black drum are significantly larger than commercial landings in all states within their range . for example , in 2003 , 757 , 867 pounds of black drum were landed in florida by commercial and recreational interests . of the total harvest , 98 % of landings were made by recreational anglers rather than by commercial fishers , with 72 % of landings occurring on the atlantic coast .
table 5 . by - county annual and cumulative percentages of the black drum harvest for the years 1997 - 2001 . data provided by national marine fisheries service , fisheries statistics division , noaa .
means eye - like spots referring to black spots on the tail . the sciaenidae family has approximately 275 species within 70 genera .
pogonias cromis aka : drum description : black drum have short , deep bodies ( less than three times as long as deep ) with high - arched backs and flattish bellies . they have conspicuous chin barbells and make a loud grunting noise when excited . adults have dusky to black fins and are silver with a brassy luster when alive , but change to a dark gray after death . young drum possess four to six black vertical bars . size : black drum grow to 5 feet and 146 pounds . citations are given for fish weighing 35 pounds or more and for the live release of fish measuring 40 inches or longer . sometimes confused with : sheepshead , spadefish habitat : black drum are found from southern new england to mexico but are more commonly caught from new jersey southward . they prefer coastal waters of the bays , sounds and inlets , with a range of salinities . eating habits : black drum feed on the bottom and use their chin barbels to search for food . they have strong throat teeth that allow them to eat clams , mussels , oysters and crabs . they also eat worms and some fish . life cycle : black drum reach sexual maturity by age 3 . adults form schools and , in the spring , migrate to spawning grounds at sea near mouths of rivers and bays . newly hatched drum reside in estuaries for the first year of their lives , then move offshore . fishing tips : black drum are rarely caught with artificial lures since feeding is through feel and smell . anglers more commonly use conventional bottom rigs with sinkers or one or more drops with single hooks and no sinker . fishermen catch black drum fishing from banks , in the surf or from anchored boats using cut mullet , menhaden , shrimp and blood worms . larger fish are often taken on clams or pieces of crab .
the black drum also has the honor of being the most highly evolved , recently evolved species in our local group ( of sciaenids ) based on a variety of independent analyses , dna analyses , air bladder configurations , ear stone morphology and osteology ( skeletal characters ) . black drum live long , and carry on very loud conversations at night mostly in late fall , winter and early spring .
the black drum has a dark , silvery - gray body with a brassy sheen . it grows 40 to 60 inches in length and weighs between 50 to 100 pounds . it has a grayish belly , black fins and a high , rounded back . many small barbels appear on its lower chin , and it has cobblestone - like teeth plates . a deep notch appears in its dorsal fin . juveniles have four to five black vertical bars on their sides .
murphy , m . d . ; muller , r . g . 1995 . stock assessment of black drum pogonias cromis in florida . fmri , in - house report series ihr 1995 - 005 .
black drum can be caught on just about any rig . for fish intended for the table spinning or bait casting gear works well . for the larger fish heavy spinning and ocean gear is best .
good , especially smaller fish . the flesh of large black drum tends to be coarse . black drum , especially larger ones , often have had infestations of a larval tapeworm in their flesh . often called a
spaghetti worm ,
it is really a parasitic tapeworm of sharks and is using the drum as an intermediate host . if the drum is eaten by a shark , the larval worm becomes a reproducing adult in the shark . while they may look unappetizing , they are harmless to humans , even if eaten raw .
nice day on the water in bonaparte creek , sunset beach , nc . 12 keepers on the day ! 10 black drum , 1 specked trout , 1 spot and 1 likely red drum that got away . thanks for watching and as always be sure to subscribe !
growth information for black drum is relatively scarce , but some rate estimates have been produced . simmons and breuer ( 1962 ) used length - frequency analysis and tag return data to estimate growth rates in black drum , finding that black drum in texas measured approximately 160 mm ( 6 . 3 inches ) standard length ( sl ) , at the end of the first year , 310 mm ( 12 . 2 inches ) at the end of the second year , and 415 mm ( 16 . 3 inches ) by the end of the third year . older drum in their study had growth rates of approximately 50 mm ( 1 . 97 inches ) sl per year .
table 6 . summary of the black drum recreational harvest and percentage of total fish captured in each area from 1997 - 2004 . data provided by national marine fisheries service , fisheries statistics division , noaa .
oyster bars in al’s experience , there’s a rhythm to the bite . schools of juvenile black drum will feed in an area for around an hour , at which time they can be caught in numbers .
black drum sometimes grab artificial lures , and you can up the attraction by fishing scented baits such as the soft shrimp at right . bounce a lure like this around bridge or dock pilings in winter .
spaghetti worms are common parasites of saltwater fish in the drum family , which include speckled and white trout , black drum , redfish , and croakers . while they look alike to most fishermen , several different worms use these fish as hosts . most common in sea trout is poecilancistrium caryophyllum . worms found in black drum are most often pseudogrillotia pieistacantha . for ease of discussion , we will dispose of these tongue - twisting latin names and refer to them all as spaghetti worms .
average small drum weigh 5 to 10 pounds ; large specimens commonly weigh 20 to 40 pounds . in delaware bay , fish from 40 to 70 pounds are fairly common in the spring . the all - tackle record is 113 pounds . black drum live up to 35 years .
the black drum , the largest species in the drum family , is both a fine eating fish and excellent sport fish , depending on the size of fish targeted . these large fish are commonly 20 - to - 50 pounds , and reach over 100 pounds when fully grown .
table 4 . summary data for recreational fishery in eastern florida waters for the black drum , pogonias cromis , from 1997 - 2004 . data provided by national marine fisheries service , fisheries statistics division , noaa .
osburn , h . r . , and g . c . matlock . 1984 . black drum movement in texas bays . n . am . j . fish . manage . 4 : 523 - 530 .
richards , c . e . , 1973 age , growth and distribution of the black drum ( pogonias cromis ) . trans . am . fish . soc . 102 ( 3 ) : 584 - 590 .
as one of the largest fish inhabiting the inshore waters of new jersey , the black drum is a popular target when their spring spawning migration brings them into the delaware bay . their scientific name , pogonias cromis , literally means “bearded grunters , ” referring to the drum’s whisker - like barbels and ability to create a croaking sound using its air bladder . understanding more about the black drum’s habits and the bay where they live will help you find and catch more of these big booming gamefish .
body color in adults is a silver to black base color , highlighted with a with a coppery or brassy sheen . fins are dusky to black in color . young typically have 4 - 6 vertical black bars along their sides . coloration may change depending on habitat or age of the fish ( simmons and breuer 1962 ) . in the gulf of mexico , black drum are nearly uniformly silver in color , their vertical crossbars disappearing very early in life . fishes inhabiting bays and lagoons tend to be darker in color , typically with a bronze dorsal surface and gray - white sides ( simmons and breuer 1962 ; johnson 1978 ) .
this common fish is found gulfwide , from brackish estuarine waters out to nearshore offshore waters . black drum are found on mud , sand and shell bottoms and medium to large specimens are very common on oyster reefs .
black drum ( pogonias cromis ) can be found in nearshore waters along the atlantic coast from the gulf of maine to florida and as far south as argentina . atlantic coast black drum migrate inshore to the north in the spring , and to the south in the fall . fish can reach over 46
, 120 pounds and 60 years of age . they grow rapidly until the age of 15 , at which time growth slows .
large , captive drum were capable of feeding on more than 2 commercial - sized oysters per kilogram of body weight daily ( cave and cake 1980 ) . black drum are known to damage commercial stocks of oysters on seed reefs in lease areas in gulf of mexico waters ( benson 1982 ) .
young red drum prey upon small crustaceans and marine worms . as the drum reaches lengths above 200mm , the diet shifts to incorporate small bony fishes including
somewhat similar to the redfish in shape , but usually distinguishable by color , and always by the fact that the drum has barbels , or feelers on the underside of the lower jaw . juvenile drum have black vertical stripes on dusky white sides . the stripes fade with age and adult drum are usually blackish above and white below , although some develop a decidedly bronze hue .
ross , j . f . , j . s . pavela , and m . e . chittenden , jr . 1983 . seasonal occurrence of black drum , pogonias cromis , and red drum , sciaenops ocellatus , off texas . northeast gulf sci . 6 ( 1 ) : 67 - 70 .
murphy , m . d . ; taylor , r . g . 1989 . reproduction and growth of black drum , pogonias cromis , in northeast florida . northeast gulf sci . 10 ( 2 ) : 127 - 137 .
silverman , m . j . 1979 . biological and fisheries data on black drum , pogonias cromis ( linnaeus ) . northeast fish . nt . sandy hook lab . tech . ser . rep . 22 . 35 pp .
weird chin whiskers , faded stripes , utter disregard for topwater baits . for anglers in search of redfish , black drum are often regardedas a lowly consolation prize . an oddity , at best , compared to the sleek reds .
simmons eg ; breuer jp , 1962 . a study of redfish , sciaenops ocellata linnaeus , and black drum , pogonias cromis linnaeus . publ . inst . mar . sci . , university of texas 8 : 184 - 211 .
adult black drum feed on crustaceans and mollusks , with a preference for blue crabs , shedder crabs , shrimp , oysters , and squid . they locate food with their chin barbels and crush and grind shells with their pharyngeal teeth .
although similar in fundamental frequency and waveform , the advertisement calls of male black drum in uruguay have shorter durations than calls from the same species in the northern hemisphere . the florida black drum population has durations that are over three fold longer . to our knowledge , the history of separation between these two groups is unknown . if shorter calls evolved first , the ability to produce longer calls in florida may have been selected by females as an index of male quality .
the black drum , a mainstay in the commercial fishery , has never been fully accepted as game fish by sport anglers . annual harvest of black drum along the texas coast is usually more than 1 . 3 million pounds by the commercial fishery and approximately three quarters of a million pounds by the sport fishery . while some prefer flounder , red drum , snapper , or some more glamorous fish , many anglers maintain that black drum less than five pounds , cleaned and prepared properly , may be better than many of these so - called
choice
fish . many coastal restaurants noted for their seafood serve drum extensively . fish taken in cold weather before spawning tend to be fatter and in better condition than those caught in summer after spawning . drum weighing more than five pounds usually have coarse flesh ; the larger the fish , the coarser the flesh . rather than eating these larger drum , anglers are encouraged to release them to spawn and fight another day .
spaghetti worms
common in spotted seatrout are present in larger drum and , while unappetizing , they are not harmful to humans .
black drum are sensory - oriented fish , relying more on their sense of smell and taste from their chin barbels than on sight . because of this , natural bait and cut bait are much better than artificial bait for catching drums .
the black drum is the largest member of the sciaenidae family ( drum and croaker ) . the common term “drum” refers to the loud and distinctive “drumming” noise that occurs when the fish raps a muscle against the swim bladder . this voluntary noise is assumed to be associated with locating and attracting mates , and it can sometimes be heard from a good distance , even by people above the water .
early june is generally the best time for drum fishing in the delaware bay .
bermitz , who guides and fishes for sport on the indianriver lagoon near palm bay , knows that a little bait - dunking in the right spot can be just plain fun . especially when there’s a school of feisty , good - eating drum passing through . so here’s a basic primer on black drum fishing in florida .
leard , r . , and ten co - authors . 1993 . the black drum fishery of the gulf of mexico , united states : a regional management plan . gulf states marine fisheries commission , number 28 , ocean springs , ms .
black drum are multiple spawners with continuous oocyte recruitment throughout the spawning season ( fitzhugh 1993 ) , and are capable of spawning approximately every 3 days . pearson ( 1929 ) estimated that a ripe female black drum measuring 1 . 1 m ( 43 . 3 inches ) total length ( tl ) would produce approximately 6 million eggs annually . in a more recent study , fitzhugh et al . ( 1993 ) estimated fecundity of average sized females weighing 13 . 4 pounds at 32 million eggs annually .
joseph , e . b . , w . h . massmann , and j . j . norcross . 1964 . the pelagic eggs and early larval states of the black drum from chesapeake bay . copeia 1964 ( 2 ) : 425 - 434 .
all the drum species are in our waters all times of the year . black drum are around all year , although they are found in different places at different times of the year , and their sizes can vary considerably . you will catch them on grass flats , in residential canals , and in deeper channels around the big bridges .
this fish is a member of the croaker family and is related to the atlantic croaker , red drum , and spotted seatrout . a characteristic of this family of fish is the ability to produce croaking or drumming sounds with the air bladder , which is the reason for the common names croaker and drum . this ability is most developed in the black drum and anglers can sometime hear sounds from schools passing near their boats .
a school of drum feeds like a herd of cows—heads down , moving slowly and grazing along the bottom . drum move between established feeding stations scattered throughout the delaware bay .
spawning in many species occurs around periods of maximum current flow during spring tides that best disperse the fertilized eggs . most black drum spawning occurs around the big full moon tides , with some spawning occurring during the new moon as well . drum are serial spawners , meaning that they will spawn multiple times during their stay in the delaware bay .
the main predator of the red drum is humans . other predators include birds of prey including ospreys , as well as larger fishes . the black tail spot is thought to be used as mechanism to confuse predators into attacking the tail instead of the head .
i love black drum and i have eaten fish up to 80 lbs . those that are or might be
grossed out
by the parasite in the fish shouldn ' t watch the cleaning as they are there but were gone when it hit theplate .
first things first . about those photos of giant , breeding - size drum you begin to see this time of year in magazines and newspapers : starting in february and running through april , there are anglers who target spawning drum in deep ocean or gulf passes , usually far north florida , but sometimes tampa bay and charlotte harbor . prespawn aggregations of black drum at nearby bridges also stoke fires . big chunks of blue crab , clam and shrimp soaked on bottom attract humongous drum , some weighing close to 100 pounds .
black drum are a prolific species , with females producing 11 - 60 million eggs each over a 14 - week spawning season . generally , spawning takes place in or near passes , as well as in channels in open water in depths between 10 and 165 feet . the locations change with seasons and environmental conditions . black drum spawn between january and april . spawning activity takes place between 7 p . m . and 10 p . m . and at water temperatures of 59 to 75°f . black drum spawning sites are closely tied to the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water , with the more oxygen the better . during this period , each female spawns 20 to 30 times . spawning peaks seem to occur at new and full moon phases and spawning takes place in the early evening , one to two hours after sunset . after being spawned , the eggs are carried seaward by currents until they hatch . larval ( baby ) and small black drum then tend to travel inland with incoming tides where they settle out in marshes to grow . at 24 to 26 inches and 4 to 5 years of age , they become sexually mature and begin to spawn . mature black drum form large schools before the beginning of spawning season . often 20 , 000 - 60 , 000 pounds of fish will be in one of these offshore schools , frequently mixed with cownose rays and occasionally with crevalle jacks and red drum . after spawning season , these schools seem to disperse . black drum are long - lived fish , with most studies indicating a maximum age of over 40 years and one study in florida estimating a maximum of 58 years of age .
drum also love to feed in algae beds laden with crabs , clams , razor clams and oysters . algae can only grow in depths that receive sufficient sunlight . in the often turbid waters of the delaware bay , this usually means depths less than 45 feet . black drum will occasionally feed in water so shallow their tails wag in the air .
the best drum fishing takes place around the full moon . even though the drum do not feed while spawning , they will feed before and after . finding a large spawning congregation of drum could lead to fast fishing after they have completed the circle of life .
an inshore bottom fish , the black drum prefers sandy bottoms in salt or brackish waters near jetties , breakwaters , bridge and pier pilings , clam and oyster beds , channels , estuaries , bays , high marsh areas , and shorelines . larger fish often favor shoal areas and channels . black drum can survive wide ranges of salinity and temperature . the small fish inhabit brackish and freshwater habitats ; the adults usually prefer estuaries in which salinity ranges from 9 to 26 parts per thousand and the temperature ranges from 53° to 91°f .
simmons , e . g . , and j . p . breuer . 1962 . a study of redfish , sciaenops ocellata linnaeus , and black drum , pogonias cromis linnaeus . publ . inst . mar . univ . tex . 8 : 184 - 211 .
s . ocellatus is the second largest member of the drum family in the western atlantic and gulf of mexico , reaching a maximum length of 1 . 5 m . the world record s . ocellatus weighs 42 . 7 kg . only the black dru . . .
red drum coloration ranges from a deep cooper to an almost silvery sheen . photo courtesy fda
larvae feed primarily on zooplankton ( benson 1982 ) . juveniles feed on annelids , soft crustaceans , amphipods , and small fishes ( simmons and breuer 1962 ; peters and mcmichael 1990 ) . in texas , approximately 33 % of the diet in black drum measuring 21 - 50 cm ( 8 . 3 - 19 . 7 inches ) or more in length consisted of the surfclam ( mulinia sp . ) . larger drum consume mostly mollusks and crabs , while the largest specimens consumed mollusks and shrimp ( simmons and breuer 1962 ) . miles ( 1949 ) reported that black drum in texas fed primarily on shrimp , mollusks , and vegetation .
peters , k . m . ; mcmichael , r . h . , jr . 1990 . early life history of the black drum pogonias cromis ( pisces : sciaenidae ) in tampa bay , florida . northeast gulf sci . 11 ( 1 ) : 39 - 58 .
ilar to recent years at about 1 . 3 million pounds , landed fish constituted only 27 % of all black drum caught by the fishery . the other 73 % of recreationally caught fish were released alive , making 2016 the third highest year for releases in number of fish a
temperature : black drum prefer waters where temperatures range from 12 - 33°c ( mcilwain 1978 ) . sudden temperature drops during the winter months cause them to migrate to deeper waters . mass mortality is somewhat common when sudden , sustained temperature drops occur ( simmons and breuer 1962 ) .
fitzhugh , g . r . , b . a . thompson and t . g . snider iii , 1993 ovarian development , fecundity , and spawning frequency of black drum pogonias cromis in louisiana . fish . bull . , u . s . 91 : 244 - 253 .
drum , like many other fish , don’t feed while spawning . drum seem to spawn as the sun sets , the process lasting maybe an hour or so . a congregation of spawning drum is given away by the telltale drumming sound that can be heard coming from under the boat .
black drum are rarely taken on artificial baits since most feeding is done by feel and smell . cut fish , squid and shrimp are used , with peeled shrimp tails ( preferably ripe and smelly ) the most popular . since feeding is done on the bottom , the basic technique is simple - put a baited hook on the bottom and wait for the drum to swallow it .
the black drum is a chunky , high - backed fish with many barbels or whiskers under the lower jaw . younger fish have four or five dark vertical bars on their sides but these disappear with age . the bellies of older fish are white but coloration of backs and sides can vary greatly . fish from gulf waters frequently lack color and are light gray or silvery . those living in muddy bay waters have dark gray or bronze - colored backs and sides . some are solid silvery gray or jet black . a length of six inches is reached in the first year , 12 inches the second and 16 inches the third . increases of about two inches per year occur after that . the largest black drum on record weighed 146 pounds . the texas record taken by a sport angler is 78 pounds but most bull drum caught weigh 30 to 40 pounds .
a large bodied fish of the drum family . shorter and stockier than their cousin the redfish .
delaware bay water is often turbid , forcing drum to rely on scent to find their food .
the big black drum in the channels will be oriented facing the incoming water on moving tides . make sure your baits move with the same direction as the natural flow of water with those moving tides , or else your bait will be moving toward the fish’s tails instead of their mouths .
the reel should be loaded with 50lb braid . since braided lines have a thinner diameter and less water resistance , they provide an added advantage and allow the angler to hold bottom with lighter sinkers . the lack of stretch transmits even the softest of black drum hits back to the angler .
while some prefer flounder , red drum , snapper , or some more glamorous fish , many anglers maintain that black drum less than five pounds , cleaned and prepared properly , may be better than many of these so - called
choice
fish . many coastal restaurants noted for their seafood serve drum extensively . fish taken in cold weather before spawning tend to be fatter and in better condition than those caught in summer after spawning . drum weighing more than five pounds usually have coarse flesh ; the larger the fish , the coarser the flesh . rather than eating these larger drum , anglers are encouraged to release them to spawn and fight another day .
spaghetti worms
common in spotted seatrout are present in larger drum and , while unappetizing , they are not harmful to humans .
black drum aren’t sleek , beautiful fish , and they’ll probably never have the kind of following of the bronzed , spot - tail redfish . but they have mystique , and they pull hard when hooked . add great tablefare to their list of attributes and you’ve got a fine catch . – fs
a day later , bermitz called to inform me that he’d caught two large catch - and - release fish at the same place we had fished—a 38 - inch snook and a hefty goliath grouper ! talk about great bycatch ! oh yeah , a 26 - inch black drum came aboard as well .
rather than scale your drum , skin it . the skin contains most of the
fishy taste ,
so why save it ? besides , the scales of drum are tough and not easily removed .
as stated previously above , excellent eating . they do get
wormy
at 25 inches plus , but so do big specks . i tend to throw them back at the 30 inch or larger range not because of the worms , but because i usually end up having to use a damn hacksaw to get through that stiff bone in filleting . in fact , though , there was a stink around la a year or so ago when it was revealed that some restaurants were serving black drum but advertising as redfish . i know this for quite some time , but i say who gives a shite . while a redfish is a beautiful , gold and at times tealish mixed in color , and a black drum is plain ugly , black drum is a very pretty white meat , while redfish is bloodier . in other words , deep fry or marinate with lemon , red pepper and salt and cook on grill . enjoy !
beckman , d . w . , a . l . stanley , j . h . render and c . a . wilson , 1990 age and growth of black drum in louisiana waters of the gulf of mexico . trans . am . fish . soc . 119 ( 3 ) : 537 - 544 .
another friend of mine , tammy burgess , has had success with black drum fishing along mangrove banks with quick dropoffs . the areas are near channels , so the trick is to go when boat traffic is light . it can be hard to entice a bite when there is a steady stream of boat noise .
2 ) both sexes of black drum emit a disturbance call , but advertisement calls are emitted only by males . the disturbance call is a series of short pulses , typical of many sciaenid species . the long - duration advertisement call is unique among known sciaenids and is relatively rare among sonic fishes in general .
the black drum is found along the atlantic coast from new york south through the gulf states to mexico . it is most abundant in texas and is found in all bay and inshore waters and offshore in gulf waters . the area of greatest abundance in texas is from corpus christi to brownsville on the lower coast .
goodyear cp , 1989 . status of the red drum stocks of the gulf of mexico report for 1989 .
matlock gc , 1990 . the life history of red drum . in : red drum aquaculture , texas a & m ; university sea grant college program , college station , texas , pp . 1 - 21 .
cody , t . j . , k . w . rice , and c . e . bryan . 1985 . distribution and gonadal development of black drum in texas gulf waters . tex . pks . wildl . dep . , coast fish . branch , manage . data ser . no . 72 . 16 pp .
in florida totaled 1 . 6 million pounds , and was valued at $ 679 , 928 . approximately 69 . 7 % of black drum landings occurred on florida ' s west coast . east coast landings totaled approximately 484 , 600 pounds , and were valued at $ 290 , 466 . of this , the 5 county area encompassing the irl ( volusia , brevard , indian river , st . lucie and martin counties ) accounted for 94 % of east coast landings ( 272 , 514 pounds ) , and was valued at $ 131 , 995 . this ranks the black drum sixty - ninth in commercial value and fifty - ninth in pounds harvested .
unlike spotted seatrout that spawns only in the bays , and red drum that spawns only in the gulf , black drum will spawn in either bay or gulf or in the connecting passes . free spawning ( random release of eggs ) occurs mostly in february , march , and april with some later spawning occurring in june and july . larval drum are found in the surf and along bay shorelines in march and april , and by early summer one - half to one - inch juveniles are common in shallow , muddy creeks , sloughs and boat basins .
in general , the smaller fish taste very similar to a redfish , while the larger fish do not taste as well . black drum are a rather simple fish , but still take some time and patience to learn the tricks of the trade . here , we present the top 10 tips and tricks for catching these big drums .
in shallow water , it may be hard to see the drum on your fish - finder . instead , use the unit to locate structure that is likely to harbor a mussel or razor clam community . besides looking for areas where drum will stop to feed , captains also look for the telltale marks of big drum on the fish - finder . experienced captains will idle around an area , keeping their distance from other boats , looking for drum marks on the fish - finder . some days the fish will be found over sandy bottoms when they are moving from one feeding area to another . they may also be found over sandy bottoms as they aggregate to spawn . however , for the greatest likelihood of finding black drum , the feeding areas should be your primary target zone .
young drums feed on maritime worms , small shrimp , and crabs and small fish . larger drum eat small crabs , worms , algae , small fish and mollusks . barbels ( or whiskers ) are used to find food by feel and smell . drum often dig or root out buried mollusks and worms while feeding in a head - down position . this process is called
tailing
and creates small craters in the bottom which anglers call
drum noodles .
experienced anglers can detect the recent passage of a school of drum by the presence of many
noodles .
the black drum has no canine teeth like those of the spotted seatrout , but does have highly developed pharyngeal teeth ( in the pharynx or throat ) which are used to crush mollusks and crabs before swallowing .
natural baits are by far the best method for catching black drum . good baits include blue crabs , shrimp , clams , mussels , and anything else that puts off a good odor and taste . one trick if you’re not getting bites is to break open or pinch the baits , allowing more scent to be released into the water .
coloration the red drum is usually a copper reddish color . coloration can also range from a deep dark copper to an almost silvery sheen . the ventral side is usually a lighter color to almost white . red drums have a distinctive black spot near the base of the tail . one spot is most common however some individuals exhibit several spots .
holt j , 1990 . growth and development of red drum eggs and larvae . in : red drum aquaculture , texas a & m ; university sea grant college program , college station , texas , pp . 46 - 50 .
black drum fishing can be enjoyed by anyone at almost any time . it is a relaxing outing compared with other types of fishing which require experience , expensive tackle , boats and related equipment . anyone can catch a drum , whatever their skills or finances . tackle can be rod and reel , trotline , hand line or cane pole , and bait is inexpensive . fishing can be done from piers or from the bank and the entire family can join in .


aethes mymara , the dark-spotted aethes , is a species of moth of the tortricidae family .

it was named by razowski in 1997 .

it is found in north america , where it has been recorded from south-eastern canada and the north-eastern united states , including connecticut , indiana , massachusetts , north carolina , ontario , tennessee and washington .

the wingspan is 16 millimetres ( 0.63 in ) .

adults have been recorded on wing between may and august .

aethes mymara

have a fact about aethes mymara ? write it here to share it with the entire community .
have a definition for aethes mymara ? write it here to share it with the entire community .
aethes mymara razowski , 1997 n . sp . , acta . zool . cracov . 40 : 126 .
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cochylini ( lepidoptera : tortricidae ) of canada razowski , j . 1997 . acta zoologica cracoviensia . 40 ( 1 ) : 107 - 163 .
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3721 dscf3326 . jpg wingspan ~ 14mm f # 3721 rwwa - 3721 bold dna : species level made with six 98 . 7 - 100 % matches . no other genus or species close . locality : coastal sw washington state at the edge of willapa bay geo : lat = 46 37 . 273 geo : lon = - 123 56 . 814 urltoken
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