Black Drum

Redfish’s bottom-feeding cousin. Puppies eat great; giants pull hard and get released.

Pogonias cromis · Also known as: Puppy drum (small), big uglies (30 lb+). Ideal water temp 60–75°F.

Habitat & structure

Muddy flats, oyster bars, bridge and dock pilings, deep holes in bays. Feeds by feel and smell with chin barbels — dirty water bothers them least of any inshore fish.

Where they’re biting

Galveston Bay — Big spring run at jetties and channels, Feb–Apr.
Apalachicola Bay — Oyster bars with shrimp on bottom, year-round.
Chesapeake Bay (Annapolis & Lower Bay) — Trophy fish on lower-bay shoals in May.

Season by season

Season	Best bait	Best lures	Notes
Spring	Half blue crab, fresh shrimp	Rarely — scented plastics fished dead slow	Spawning run of big fish at passes and bay bridges.
Summer	Shrimp on bottom rigs	—	Puppy drum around bars and docks.
Fall	Shrimp, crab chunks	—	Mixed with sheepshead and reds on structure.
Winter	Fresh dead shrimp	—	Deep holes and canals; slow, reliable bite.

Preferred water temperature

Active from 55°F to 82°F — sweet spot 60–75°F. Watch the live water temp on our location pages.

Weather, light & cloud cover

Light matters little; scent and current matter a lot. A dead-stick natural bait on bottom beats any lure. Great muddy-water, post-front backup plan.

Proven for black drum

Gold Weedless Spoon 1/4–1/2 oz — Spoon · spring / summer / fall / winter. THE redfish search bait. Steady retrieve with the rod tip up over grass; flash + thump gets eaten in zero visibility.
Sheepshead Jig 1/8–1/4 oz, Shrimp-Tipped — Jig · winter / spring / fall. Vertical along pilings. Watch the line — the bite is a tick. Set hard; their mouth is armor.
Popping Cork + Live Shrimp — Rig · spring / summer / fall. The highest-percentage inshore rig there is. Pop, pause 5 seconds, repeat. The cork calls fish in dirty water.
Carolina-Rigged Soft Plastic — Rig · spring / summer / fall. Drift channels and drop-offs, dragging bottom. In CA, the same rig with a grub takes halibut on the flats.
Fish-Finder Rig + Cut Mullet — Natural bait · fall / summer / spring. The bull red rig at jetties, passes and shoals. Circle hooks only — set by reeling tight, never swinging.
Bottom Rig + Cut Ladyfish — Natural bait · summer / fall. Post-storm muddy water? This still catches. Fish it on the up-current side of bars and let the scent drift.

What should you throw today?

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