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Other Names
Sea Drum, Saltwater Drum, Gray Drum, Drumfish, Striped
Drum, Tambor
Similar Fish:
The vertical bars on juvenile black
drum are somewhat similar to those on sheepshead,
Archosargus probatocephalus; spadefish,
Chaetodipterus faber; red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus.
Description
The black drum is a chunky,
high-backed fish with many barbels or whiskers under the
lower jaw. Younger fish have four or five dark vertical
bars on their sides but these disappear with age. The
bellies of older fish are white but coloration of backs
and sides can vary greatly. A length of six inches is
reached in the first year, 12 inches the second and 16
inches the third. Increases of about two inches per year
occur after that.
Where Found
The black drum is found
along the Atlantic Coast from New York through Florida
including St. Augustine. This species can adapt to a
wider range of habitats than any other important food
fish. They thrive in water so shallow that their backs
are exposed. They are found in extremely warm shallow
flats during summer and survive better than many other
fish in freezing weather. They are attracted to
freshwater runoff of creeks and rivers. Drum are
found in the clearest waters in St. Augustine Florida on
the sand flats and in the muddiest waters of a flooding
slough.
How To Catch
Black drum fishing can be
enjoyed by anyone visiting St. Augustine. Black
drum are rarely taken on artificial baits since most
feeding is done by feel and smell. Cut fish, squid and
shrimp are used, with peeled shrimp tails. Since feeding
is done on the bottom, the basic technique is simple -
put a baited hook on the bottom and wait for the drum to
swallow it. The tackle to be used depends on the
size of the fish present in Saint Augustine. For small
drum, light tackle is more sporting but for 40-pounders,
heavy rods with plenty of backbone are needed. Use a
strong single hook with line and leader of appropriate
strength. A conventional bottom rig with sinker and one
or more drops with single hooks is most common for bank
and surf fishing or for fishing from an anchored boat.
Drum will often "mouth" the bait for some time before
swallowing it, so anglers must wait until the fish moves
off with the bait, then jerk the rod tip up to set the
hook. Drum neither jump often nor make long racing runs
or any of the other things a great sport fish is
supposed to do, however they are powerful and will fight
all the way in. For those unable to catch their
own, black drum are harvested commercially in the St.
Augustine area throughout the year. These drum can be
purchased in stores and fish markets.
Spawning
Unlike spotted seatrout
that spawns only in the bays, and red drum that spawns
only in the Gulf, black drum will spawn in either bay or
Gulf or in the connecting passes. Free spawning occurs
mostly in February, March, and April with some later
spawning occurring in June and July in St. Augustine.
Larval drum are found in the surf and along bay
shorelines in March and April, and by early summer
one-half to one-inch juveniles are common in shallow,
muddy creeks, sloughs and boat basins in St. Augustine.
Growth
A length of six inches is
reached in the first year, 12 inches the second and 16
inches the third. Increases of about two inches per year
occur after that.
Food and Feeding
In St. Augustine young
drums feed on maritime worms, small shrimp, and crabs
and small fish. Larger drum eat small crabs, worms,
algae, small fish and mollusks. Barbels (or whiskers)
are used to find food by feel and smell. Drum often dig
or root out buried mollusks and worms while feeding in a
head-down position. This process is called "tailing" and
creates small craters in the bottom which anglers call
"drum noodles." Experienced anglers can detect the
recent passage of a school of drum by the presence of
many "noodles." The black drum has no canine teeth like
those of the spotted seatrout, but does have highly
developed pharyngeal teeth (in the pharynx or throat)
which are used to crush mollusks and crabs before
swallowing.
Movements
When food is plentiful and
water conditions acceptable in St. Augustine, movements
are small, but long migrations in search of food and
more desirable habitats have been recorded. Spawning
migrations and movements toward freshwater flow are also
notable.
Eating Quality
While some prefer flounder,
red drum, snapper, or some more glamorous fish, many
anglers maintain that black drum less than five pounds,
cleaned and prepared properly, may be better than many
of these so-called "choice" fish. Fish taken in cold
weather before spawning tend to be fatter and in better
condition than those caught in summer after spawning.
Drum weighing more than five pounds usually have coarse
flesh; the larger the fish, the coarser the flesh.
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