My brother is taking me and a few others down to Port O'Connor in mid-February for the black drum run. Anyone else heard of or doing this? It'll be my first time...

Wade

No, I think your brother has no idea what he's talking about. What's a black drum?

jack-a*s

I sure hope he puts me on the fish...for ONCE!

I wouldn't mind getting in on that! Never caught one before.

Big Ulgys they get huge--cant really keep any but fun to catch

wade, u talking about these kind of black drums???

Fun to catch , not that good to eat . Light tackle their a blast . Heavy tackle and all your doing is being a wrecker.

I think that this is the kind big black drum being disccussed.[img]http://www.addictivefishing.com/NewGallery/ViewPhoto.aspx?photo=1270[/img]
This was taken on the lydia ann channel at Port A with Capt. Bob Bean.
Also, I disagree on the eating of them. the smallest ones you can catch that are still above the length requirements are GREAT for eating, very mild. But they do get pretty nasty towards the upper slot limit

Great fun we go every year in the middle of march and catch many.
We fish off the end of TCD in a deck boat.Live crab is the ticket and don't keep them out of the water long, quick cpr! Good luck, oh yea use aleast 20lbs test they pull like a freight train.

I am heading down to the aransas/ portland area toward the end of march, i too am looking for the bull run, which is true, for those who don't know what it is, it's when the big bulls gather in huge schools before the spawn and are found in different locations (guts,jetties,sand bottom channels). they are pretty good to eat(smaller black drum) if they are under 5-6 pounds, just fillet, no skin and deep fry or skillet it. If anyone has any advice on past fishing trips i could use some extra help locating them, i am taking my parents and my brother and his fiance down and don't want to disappoint them

bobby705,

My woman wants to know who that handsome devil with no shirt on is.

They're a blast!

they're not called big uglies for nothin'!!!! nice fish h.m.!!!

I can't wait...

Pot lickers love the drum run around here(haha) However, the run started very early in CC area this year and it is already the tail end. However, you should still be able to catch a few. Run happens during months of Dec., Jan., and Feb.

oh i wanna go.....

Would someone please PM the TFF member "Hard Wired" this topic? He thought my big bull red was a black drum!!! Ticked me off!

I catc hbig reds but never a black I here the big one have worms.? But feb and march is the run.

I catch big reds but never a black I here the big one have worms.? But feb and march is the run.

why the need for two posts?

HWY_man is that Galveston bay?

Beanstalker,

that's my best friend, but rumor is that he's get'n married to some hot chick... Sorry, he can't be stalked!

Venice LA.

Hooked...

"Is that a barn?"
"Is it red?"
"No"
"Then it's not a barn."

If it's not a slot, and it is not red, then it is a big ugly as far as I am concerned.

PS...You are spending way too much time on here. If the big city is getting boring, come down here next weekend.

I dont know why people here keep refering to march as part as the drum run. First off, this is not a species that I fish for, but I know my fish, and have friends who love to catch drum; and have never heard of or known march to be part of the run.

Im sure that you could still catch a few stragglers, but I have always known Dec. & Jan. to be the prime months with the thing pretty much winded down by end of Feb. I've been asking a couple of my friends who like to partake in the Drum run, and they told me the same thing. Maybee this is just how it is in CC and it is a little longer the further north or something? The run is already winding down around here and started in Dec. again.

Anyways, alot of people dont know this but during the summer eating sized Drum stack up on shallow flats much the same way that redfish do, with their backs sticking out of the water. You can catch them by fly, DOA/Gulp/or other naturally scented lures, but your best bet is a piece of peeled shrimp rigged weightless and sight casted. This is the only situation that I will not pass up when it comes to Drum. However, find your own secrete spots!!!(lol)

if they're stragglers then they were part of the run, right? so they're there because of the run, they're just behind...

but yah, in my opinion the Run of these fish are like the RuT of our Deer... different in different areas...

so that would be why people here keep refering to march as part of the drum run...

Texas City Dike is hot on oversize drums till the end of March . Yes the big drum can be caught all yr round . Just like its cousin the Bull Red .

Nobody asked if they can be caught all year round! I have grown up on and lived on Padre Island my whole life, so I am well aware that big drum can be caught year round. I would never ask such a stupid question. However, was just stating that it is my experience that the months of the so called "RuN" are Dec., Jan., and Feb. Usually, things have dwindled down by March and you will not catch anymore than any other month out of the run. Though I will say that my experience is with Corpus area only. It warms up quicker down here than it does in lets say, galveston, so I can understand that things may start and end later up there.

Down here though, you will not see hords of people trying to catch drum in march like you will in the previous three months. Things even start to cool down in Feb., at least from what I hear from others, because I dont usually partake in catching this species. They do taste good however.

By the way, I know that good numbers of drum are being caught right now around the bridge and front reefs of the nueces bay.

Also, though drum are caught in TX bays all year long, big ones are not typically caught. Mostly it is the smaller eating sized fish.

http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?wcd=113443&-session=TheDailyNews:42F9414D050e403790slR2130071

Appears it could be regional...

If y'all do find some smaller ones try this recipe. My girlfriend and I tried this with redfish and it was easy to cook and awesome. Its one of Emeril's we found on foodnetwork.com. Don't bother cleaning any drum over 5 pounds because they are full of those nasty parasites. Good luck.

Lemon and Herb Crusted Drum

(Serves 2)

4 teaspoons chopped lemon zest
4 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 teaspoons chopped fresh chervil leaves
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper, plus more for seasoning
4 (6 ounce) drum fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a bowl combine the lemon zest, dill, parsley, chervil, and black pepper. Season the fish with 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt, then lightly brush each piece with 1 teaspoon of the Dijon mustard on 1 side. Firmly press the mustard coated side of each of the drum fillets into the lemon-herb mixture. In a skillet, preferably nonstick, heat the vegetable oil. Place fillets, coated side down, into the hot oil. Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown. Flip and continue to cook for 3 minutes longer or until the fish flakes easily.

hmmmmmm i can smell the fish cooking already.. i gotta try that one.. thanks.

Well, we found the bulls!!! Check the photos section tomorrow or Sunday with some pics...

Dad caught a 55-60lbs black drum....un-friggin-believable. Brother and buddy caught 40-50lbsers. I caught a 20'ish lbs red fish...biggest red I've ever caught.

It was friggin AWESOME!!!!

Wade

oh man, sounds like you had a blast....

Let see its 80 in SA and 55 in Dallas. Are you catching on yet? All the spawns or run happen down south before the do in Galveston,Sabine or LA. Thats why its Jan-Feb in cc and Feb-March in Galveston.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22320520@N03/sets/72157603934850732/

Check out these bad boys...

Wade

BTW, I caught my 50 lbs drum too...just on the next day...AWESOME fun.

Wade