NEW Fishing Report, April 12

Reports are coming in from the weekend and they all feature one common theme: black drum. Despite the unstable weather and windy conditions recently we can always count on the dependable black drum to come through for us.

Captain Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Charters reports that despite the weather he’s had success with redfish, specks, and flounder as well as the black drum. Capt Mark caught 7 redfish up to 9 lbs on Friday afternoon. He’s been using live mud minnows and live shrimp for bait, fished on a Carolina rig on the bottom or floating the shrimp two or three feet off the bottom under a cork.

Lots of other reports from shore, pier, and boats, all featuring the same fish: nice redfish, “spike” trout, sea mullet, and loads of black drum.

A poor cousin in a family of fish containing the mighty red drum and beautiful speckled trout, black drum hit in local waters year-round. Tolerant to extremes in temperature and weather even poor conditions don’t put them off the bite.

Unlike the more free-roaming redfish or speckled trout, black drum are almost exclusively a fish of structure, and won’t be found on sandy stretches unless there is something to hold them there. They eat shellfish and don’t stray far from this food supply.

Black drum are fish of bridges, pier pilings, docks, and oyster beds that use the barbells on their chin to find food. They are hooked almost exclusively by bottom fishing with fresh cut shrimp or other baits, mainly shellfish.

Pictured are black drum recently caught on the Ocean Crest Pier (first two) and the Bogue Inlet Pier (last two).