Big Black Drum!

 I baited my hook with a small piece of fresh shrimp, hoping that I could catch a sheepshead. I felt a sharp tick as my bait was being picked up and setting set the hook my pole doubled over. The fish made a run from under the bridge and swam through an opening in the structure forcing me to try and get the fish to swim back through the gap. The edges of the pier and the iron work were covered with barnacles and I knew it would not take much to slice my thirty-pound test braided line.

Holding the tip of the pole underwater I kept the line away from the shellfish encrusted structure and after a long fight lead the fish through the iron work and into the waiting net. The problem was that the fish was too long for the net! Dave expertly slid the net under the fish’s head and then rolled the fish in, most of it anyway. Together we were able to lift the oversized black drum into the boat. Taking a quick picture, I slid the fish back into the water and watched it swim away, (the black drum over thirty inches must be released as they are the spawners).

That morning we had decided to first go to a spot near Cove harbor, but after two hours all we had caught were small reds and hard head catfish. Dave suggested we should try where we had caught fish two days earlier, so we loaded the boat up and drove ten miles to another boat ramp.

It did not take long to reach our spot and hooking up to the structure. We both cast out. I dropped my bait to the bottom and after missing the first bite I set the hook on the fish above. Dave meanwhile cast out again and set his hook into a nice nineteen-inch black drum. He quickly caught another keeper while I was busy with undersize fish.

The fishing slowed and we went to our next spot. There the fishing started out slow, but I finally set the hook on another keeper black. One more fish and we would have enough for dinner and Dave landed his third keeper of the day.

Now he cast out again and holding his pole felt the fish take his bait and then make a powerful run. It was another big black drum but after a strong fight the fish broke off on some oysters. He put on a new leader and he quickly set the hook on another monster. That one also found the sharp edge of the structure and again cut the line. Another cast and another big fish was lost.

Things settled down and we ate lunch. My friend took me to another spot where we started catching small fish. I baited up with a small piece of live shrimp and lifting it off the bottom a huge fish took the bait and swam with the tide! I was finally able to stop the fish but getting my line back was another matter.

Over and over I would gain some line only to have the fish make another run taking the line I had gained. It seem like forever but thirty minutes later the fish grew tired and we were able to lift the fish into the boat. This black drum was 37 inches!

We were about ready to leave when it was Dave’s turn. He set the hook on another huge fish and after another half hour I was able to net his fish, a forty-two-inch bull drum. It was hot and we were tired and sore. so, we headed back in. Howeever our day was not over as the shifter broke, but between the two of us we were able to get the boat into gear. Thank goodness we did not have to paddle in. I doubt we could have managed it.

What a day! Big fish, little fish and just enough fish for dinner. Thanks David! Clear skies

(Using the length, we estimated the three released large fish as weighing twenty-three, twenty-six, and near forty pounds)