Big Drum Week!!!

Report Date: June 6, 2008

The Crystal River and Homosassa area is world famous for its inshore shallow water fishing for Redfish. However, many people don’t realize just how good our Black Drum fishing is also. Both kinds of Drum are world famous for their size and fighting styles and they both can be targeted together because they inhabit most of the same local backcountry creeks, coves and oysterbeds. When targeting these fish I try to carry as many different types of baits as possible because both are scavengers and both are combing the same terrain searching for crabs, shrimp, and open oysters. However, the trick to catching both species is to set-up up current from both and present a bait that is not intrusive or out of the ordinary. These fish are opportunistic feeders if the bait is presented correctly more often than not you will get a chance at a bite.

The best part of fishing for both Black Drum and Red Drum is that they are accessible year round. Now of course the best fishing for both is during the spring and fall, but some of my best and biggest catches occur in the heat of the summer and during the winter months. During both the winter and summer both the Black and Red Drum congregate into large schools and roam the flats. It just so happens that during these two seasons our area waters are usually the clearest, making sight casting the most reliable option for landing these giant fish. The Redfish in our area range from 2-20 pounds but the Black Drum range anywhere from 2-50+ pounds making them one of my most sought after game fish.

Richard Hare came all the way from Georgia to try some of the Redfish and Black Drum action along our coast and was rewarded with two awesome days of fishing. On our first day we spend most of the day roaming the backcreeks of the Crystal River searching for Redfish. Richard was rewarded with beautiful weather and a 30” Redfish that he sight-casted in less than 2 feet of water. On our second rendezvous we decided to look for some of the Big Black Drum that have been roaming the flats a little farther to the north. After poling around my 17ft Pathfinder for 4 hours and seeing over 50-60 Redfish we were finally rewarded with a shot at a Bruiser of a Black Drum. This Black Drum was well over 25 pounds and just so happened to be foraging for food along an oysterbar when Richard placed a quartered blue crab right in front of his face. This big Drum immediately swallowed the bait and the fight was on. After a lengthy 20 minute battle the fish was finally boat side where we snapped a few pictures before releasing Richards first Giant Drum. AWESOME!!!!!!

So if you maybe thinking about fishing to the sound of a different DRUM feel free to give Red Hot Fishing Charters a call today, we are in the Fishing Memories Business.

Capt. Kyle Messier
(352) 634-4002
[email protected]
WWW.REDHOTFISHINGCHARTERS.COM

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