Species
Black Drum Fishing Charters
Black drum are bottom-feeding relatives of redfish found around structure in bays and passes. 128 captains and guides in 36 towns list black drum. Here is where, and the months it is in season where we have a published calendar.
Key facts
About the black drum
A short, deep-bodied, high-backed fish with many whisker-like barbels under the chin. Adults are silvery-gray to blackish with dark fins; young fish have four to six black vertical bars that fade with age. The chin barbels separate it from sheepshead, which have similar bars.
- Scientific name
- Pogonias cromis
- Also called
- Drum, puppy drum (small fish), bull drum (large fish)
- Family
- Drum family (Sciaenidae)
- Typical catch
- Fish of 1 to 10 pounds ('puppy drum') are very common; typical catch is 3 to 20 pounds, and bull drum to 40 pounds are not uncommon
- How big they get
- Can grow to 5 feet and 146 pounds
- Where they live
- Atlantic coast from southern New England to Mexico, more commonly caught from New Jersey south, and Gulfwide; abundant in the northern Gulf near the Mississippi River Delta.
- Habitat
- Coastal bays, sounds, inlets, estuaries, tidal rivers and beaches over sand, mud and shell, often near oyster reefs, jetties, docks, pilings and bridges. Juveniles use shallow tidal creeks and marsh.
- Diet
- Bottom feeder that finds food with its chin barbels and crushes oysters, clams, mussels and crabs with strong throat teeth; also shrimp, worms and some fish.
- Lifespan
- Can live almost 60 years
- On the table
- Good, especially smaller fish; the flesh of large black drum tends to be coarse. 'Spaghetti worms' (larval tapeworms) are common in larger drum but are harmless to people.
Where
Where to catch black drum with a charter
Counts are captains who list black drum, as of October 2026. Months come from the state wildlife agency or local captains’ published calendars where we have one; seasons and limits change, so check current rules.
Before you go
What to know about black drum fishing
Things to know
- Rarely caught on artificial lures – natural bait on the bottom is the standard approach.
- Adults school and move to spawning areas near passes, inlets and bay mouths in late winter and spring (January-April in the Gulf); they make a loud drumming sound.
- Feeding schools stir up muddy plumes that can be seen from the air.
- Managed by states (and ASMFC on the Atlantic coast) with size and bag limits; check your state agency for current rules.
How charters catch them
- Bottom rigs from banks, piers, the surf or an anchored boat
- Cut mullet or menhaden, shrimp or bloodworms
- Clams or crab pieces for larger fish
- Fishing oyster reefs, where medium and large drum are common
Related fish
Fish caught on the same kind of trip
Questions
Black Drum questions
How do you tell black drum from sheepshead?
Black drum have whisker-like barbels under the chin; sheepshead do not. Sheepshead also have human-like front teeth.
Are big black drum good to eat?
Smaller fish are better; large drum tend to have coarse flesh and often carry harmless spaghetti worms.
Why are they called drum?
They make a loud drumming or grunting sound by vibrating muscles against the swim bladder.
Facts on this page come from official fisheries and wildlife sources, checked October 2026:
Size and bag limits and seasons change and differ by state. Check the state agency before you keep a fish.
For captains and guides
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