Texas fishing in the spring can be a little bit of a challenge along the coast, at least for those anglers who have their sights set on speckled trout and redfish. Spring winds along the Texas coast tend to stir up the water and frustrate fishermen and women in search of these fish. However, there is an entirely different kind of action in store for Texas fishing enthusiasts this spring according to the initial spring fishing reports for the area: the black drum run is getting a lot of attention this year, with many anglers reporting excellent catches last year and eagerly anticipating the upcoming spring run.
"The black drum run usually happens sometime from the end of February to late April. You'll see them congregating in the channels while they're making their annual migration. It starts when the water temperatures start reaching about 60 degrees," says Mark Redd, a Laporte, Texas pastor who regularly fishes at Galveston's North Jetty in the spring for black drum.
Redd continues: "We've caught drum up to 60 lbs in the past few years, mostly using cracked crab - we crack off the top shell and cut the meat into halves. It's the most effective bait I've found for fishing on the bottom during the run."
According to charter Captain Jake Reaves, the upper coast holds some of the best Texas fishing as far as black drum are concerned, an area his guided charters frequently visit. "Personally, I get excited about the black drum run. It's always fun to catch some really big fish of course - and it's a chance for me to change out of my leaky old waders and sit back in the sun for a while too. Not only is it relaxing, but I tend to catch anywhere up to 20 per day just angling in channels and transitional zones while the run is going on."
As for gear, Reaves chooses circle hooks, 4-8 ounce egg weights and 50 lb test for black drum. According to Reaves though, the single most important thing is getting the bait to the bottom quickly. "I tend to use heavier weights so I can get my bait right down to the bottom where the biggest black drum are," says Reaves. Once he gets a bite, the 50 lb test lets him quickly land his fish and get his line back in the water.
There's even good news for anglers who don't have access to a boat: all of the indicate that some of the best black drum spots are easy to get to even for the landlocked. "We see a lot of people catching black drum across from the boat launch and at the pier by the Texas City Dike," says Mark Redd. Captain Jake Reaves adds that Sylvan Beach Pier and Sea Wolf Park Pier are also excellent spots. In the lower coast, texas fishing experts indicate that the Aransas Pass Jetty and the Fin & Feather Pier, both located in Aransas Pass are good places to catch black drum during the annual run as well.
One thing that experienced anglers recommend is "venting" larger drum before release. While these fish are indeed good eating, there are many who prefer catch and release with drum. Mark Redd advises depleting the air bladders of larger black drum before releasing them, having seen a lot of these fish die due to their full air bladders preventing them from swimming down after release. "Use a needle and insert it gently at a 45 degree angle under one of their scales by the tip of the pectoral fin. This will vent gas trapped in their air bladders so they can get back in the water and have a better chance to survive," says Redd. This is an excellent tip to keep in mind for a spring Texas fishing season which the currently available fishing reports indicate will be a big one for black drum.
"The black drum run usually happens sometime from the end of February to late April. You'll see them congregating in the channels while they're making their annual migration. It starts when the water temperatures start reaching about 60 degrees," says Mark Redd, a Laporte, Texas pastor who regularly fishes at Galveston's North Jetty in the spring for black drum.
Redd continues: "We've caught drum up to 60 lbs in the past few years, mostly using cracked crab - we crack off the top shell and cut the meat into halves. It's the most effective bait I've found for fishing on the bottom during the run."
According to charter Captain Jake Reaves, the upper coast holds some of the best Texas fishing as far as black drum are concerned, an area his guided charters frequently visit. "Personally, I get excited about the black drum run. It's always fun to catch some really big fish of course - and it's a chance for me to change out of my leaky old waders and sit back in the sun for a while too. Not only is it relaxing, but I tend to catch anywhere up to 20 per day just angling in channels and transitional zones while the run is going on."
As for gear, Reaves chooses circle hooks, 4-8 ounce egg weights and 50 lb test for black drum. According to Reaves though, the single most important thing is getting the bait to the bottom quickly. "I tend to use heavier weights so I can get my bait right down to the bottom where the biggest black drum are," says Reaves. Once he gets a bite, the 50 lb test lets him quickly land his fish and get his line back in the water.
There's even good news for anglers who don't have access to a boat: all of the indicate that some of the best black drum spots are easy to get to even for the landlocked. "We see a lot of people catching black drum across from the boat launch and at the pier by the Texas City Dike," says Mark Redd. Captain Jake Reaves adds that Sylvan Beach Pier and Sea Wolf Park Pier are also excellent spots. In the lower coast, texas fishing experts indicate that the Aransas Pass Jetty and the Fin & Feather Pier, both located in Aransas Pass are good places to catch black drum during the annual run as well.
One thing that experienced anglers recommend is "venting" larger drum before release. While these fish are indeed good eating, there are many who prefer catch and release with drum. Mark Redd advises depleting the air bladders of larger black drum before releasing them, having seen a lot of these fish die due to their full air bladders preventing them from swimming down after release. "Use a needle and insert it gently at a 45 degree angle under one of their scales by the tip of the pectoral fin. This will vent gas trapped in their air bladders so they can get back in the water and have a better chance to survive," says Redd. This is an excellent tip to keep in mind for a spring Texas fishing season which the currently available fishing reports indicate will be a big one for black drum.
About the Author:
Captain Kyle Tomek is a Texas Gulf Coast fishing guide who submits featured Texas saltwater fishing tips to Texas FishCast. You can submit Texas saltwater fishing tips through your Facebook account to Texas FishCast. You can share pictures and videos and tag your fishing buddies for everyone to see.
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