The battle aboard boats landing powerful black drum often is more intense than the fight for their cousin, the redfish.
By MIKE SCARANTINO
Published August 9, 2003
Black drum normally do not light a fire under anglers, unless they accidentally hook one and curse it for taking so long to tire out.
Purposefully target large drum in shallow water and see how tenacious they are.
If you have watched an angler fight a big redfish on light tackle, there's a sort of dance going on the bow of the boat, then the stern, then amidships, and back around the individual chases the quarry.
Battle the red's cousin, the black drum, on the same tackle and the same dance is done but with much more muscle needed. These drum are tremendously powerful.
Alan Fielding of Hudson was raised in Alachua County on a 400-acre farm. When his family decided to go fishing, it spent time on Suwannee River or in Cedar Key.
Today, Fielding returns to those roots in search of redfish, sea trout and big black drum. Big meaning fish 20- to 40-plus pounds, and he fights them on 12- to 15-pound tackle.
Fielding asked me to join him on a recent outing.
We arrived at the Lower Suwannee Refuge just north of Cedar Key with his small skiff in tow.
The boat was loaded with all the necessities, including a small propane stove and goods for a freshly-cooked shore lunch. Blackened redfish sandwiches were on the menu. All that was left was for us to catch our food.
The plan was simple and routine to Fielding.
First, we had to find our bait. Reds love mud minnows, also known as tiger chubs. Big black drum will go all out for large blue crabs.
"We'll find our bait on Mud Minnow Island," Fielding said of the small shell mound 3 miles north of Cedar Key.
The game plan for catching bait required us to wait for the tide to drop.
"As the tide drops, we'll catch the minnows around the edges of the mound," Fielding said. "When it gets real low, the crabs will come out of the grass and head for deeper water."
He grabbed the cast net. I took the crab net and approached the grass edge.
"After catching bait, we'll set up over a hole I know of," Fielding said.
"We'll catch our redfish on the last of the out-going tide," he said. "Then we'll cook lunch and get back on the water for the rising tide. That's when the biggest drum get active."
His plan couldn't have gone more smoothly.
We fished a hole between two shell mounds. Tidal currents rush through the cut, carrying crabs and baitfish into the area.
"The redfish and black drum lay on bottom waiting for a meal," Fielding said.
Rigging for reds and big black drum is simple.
Fielding ties a small 6-inch steel leader with a snap swivel to a 12- to 15-pound running line. Onto the swivel he attaches a 3/8-ounce jig head, which holds the crab. The weighted jig helps keep the crab in place on bottom.
One would think fish as large as these black drum would slam a bait, but they don't. They suck the crab in and crush it in the back of their throat before swallowing.
A typical sign of a hit is a small bump or two on the rod tip. Pick up the rod, add some tension by raising the tip, then set the hook hard.
"You have to control these fish when using light tackle," Fielding said. "If you don't, they'll peel off 80 or a hundred yards of line in a few seconds."
The way to get control of such a large fish is by constantly trying to turn its head in different directions and applying pressure.
When the catch runs, slightly drop the rod tip, but not to a flat position. To pressure fish, slowly but firmly raise the rod, crank a few turns on the reel, then lift again.
"I prefer high-speed conventional reels with ultra-smooth drags for this type of fishing," Fielding said.
Fighting large drum on anything less than premium tackle and the odds will be stacked against the angler.
Fishing the upper Nature Coast can be tricky. Only the shallowest flat-bottomed skiffs should be used. The area is extremely shallow and fraught with underwater obstacles.
On the finer side, the beauty of this angling is the solitude. We were the only boat out that day.
Reaching the location we fished is best done by launching in Cedar Key.
To get there, travel north on U.S. 19 to route 24. Take 24 west directly to Cedar Key.
Ramp access costs about $10, but it's worth the money and time to try this beautifully productive place.
- If you have a question or comment, call Capt. Mike Scarantino, (352) 683-4868.
