Chris Cockerham
904.372.4689
Reel Habit Jigs
Black drum can be found in nearshore waters all along the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of Maine to Florida and as far south as Argentina. Atlantic coast black drum migrate inshore during the spring and to the south in the fall.
Black drum have been known to reach over 46 inches in length, 120 pounds in weight, and 60 years of age. They grow rapidly until the age of 15 at which time, growth slows. With that said, they are being caught all over the Northeast Florida region. Grab you and the family, let go of social media for a bit, and get out there when you can.
As for the weekend angler, you can target black drum in the deep portions of our waterways. Here on Amelia Island, we mainly focus on the shipping channel of the St. Mary's river and on the South end of Amelia Island near the Nassau river inlet.
Obviously, larger fishing rigs will be required due to the sheer size of these fish. Not just that, if you're releasing these fish, it's best to keep the fight as short as possible to ensure a healthy release. You will also need to do your best and revive them before release. They can be a great sportfish, so we want to ensure their well-being for years to come.
Now as far as tackle, I primarily use a heavy rod with a sensitive tip. For me, a 6' to 7' ugly stick tiger rod is the best base to start with. I'll pair that with a 6000 to 8000 series Penn spinning reel. Mind you, all your gear should be sized to the body of water and the targeted fish. That may vary depending on depth and current as well.
It's not uncommon to use lead weights up to 12 ounces or more. So be prepared with a variety of weights, the tide may be slow-moving on the incoming and ripping on the outgoing or vise verse. For my mainline, 40 to 50 lb. power pro is suitable.
I will use a fish finder rig with a 40 to 60-pound fluorocarbon leader and add a 6/0 to 8/0 Mustard circle hook. When using the circle hooks, there really is no need to set the hook, just lean into the fish and begin reeling.
Lastly, bait, you can cut a large blue crab in half or just break the legs off a whole crab and run the hook through the tough shell just past the horn. Many times, we would break the corner off the crab shell for an added advantage.
After all, these fish depend on their keen sense of smell to collect food on the bottom. Find the river channel where these fish travel and drop down just inside the ledge. Again, drum use their keen sense of smell to find food, so if there's a hungry fish in the vicinity they will find your bait.
Areas to target include the Nassau sounds river, the Pine's just east of the Nassau sounds bridge, and the North end of Amelia Island around the yellow channel buoys. In closing, I hope you all find success this weekend, may the weather cooperate, and I hope to see you on the water!