Black on the Yak

Catching big black drum on a kayak is a hoot – those hefty bruisers take you for a serious sleigh ride, and few inshore fish grow as large as these drum. No, they won’t tail-walk and big black drum are not great table fare. But for a brutish battle, they’re tough to beat. So, how will you get them on the line? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Watch for “muds.” When black drum are in the shallows, their wide tails move enough water that they leave swirls of mud behind just about everywhere they go. When you spot a trail of mud swirls, look for the end and then cast up-current. The fish usually swim into the current while feeding, so this allows you to place your offering where they’re going as opposed to where they’ve already been. If you spot a tail or a swirl in the making as the fish kicks, shoot for five feet up current from it.
2. Try anchoring or staking your kayak in place, and put shellfish baits near the edges of oyster bars. Black drum love eating crustaceans, including all kinds of crabs and shrimp. And quite often, they’ll be on the hunt for them around shell bottom. Note, however, that you need to have some sort for quick-release system set up for your anchoring system. It won’t take long for a big black to empty the spool on a 3000 or 4000 series reel, so you need to go mobile and give chase as soon as you have it on the line.
3. Look for creek mouths draining marshes and flats during a falling tide. Like most creatures, drum are lazy at heart. When they can hang out near a creek mouth with a current that’s bringing a buffet of bait, they’ll stop prowling around and sit there for hours at a time.

And remember, folks, black drum over 30 pounds are commonly riddled with worms and aren’t exactly appetizing. When you land that big black, treat it with respect and care, snap off a pic or two, and slide it right back over the side.