Pogonias cromis
Juveniles are silver with 4-5 bold black vertical bars. Adults are dark gray to black with no bars. Large fish develop a distinctive "hump" behind the head and thick, fleshy barbels (whiskers) on the chin used to locate food on the bottom. The belly is white to light gray.
Males produce a drumming sound during spawning by vibrating their swim bladder — this is how the species got its name. Females grow larger on average. Both are long-lived, reaching 40-50+ years.
Juveniles (slot size 14-24 inches) weigh 3-15 lbs and are the best eating. Adults routinely exceed 30 inches and 30-50 lbs. The world record is 113 lbs 1 oz, caught in Lewes, Delaware in 1975. Bull drum over 40 lbs are common in spring spawning aggregations.
Fresh-cut blue crab (halved or quartered) on a heavy Carolina rig is the go-to bait for big drum around passes and jetties. Shrimp, clams, and oysters on bottom rigs work well around structure. For juveniles (10-15 lbs), live shrimp under a cork or on a jighead works great around oyster bars. In Texas and Louisiana, sight-casting to tailing drum on shallow flats with shrimp or crab flies is an incredible experience.
Medium to medium-heavy rod, 4000 reel, 15-20 lb braid, 30 lb fluorocarbon leader for bull drum. Medium-light tackle for juveniles. Circle hooks (4/0-6/0) are recommended for safe release of oversized fish.
Most states have a slot limit for eating-size fish (14-24 inches typically) with 2-5 fish bag limits. Oversized drum must be released in most jurisdictions.
Regulations change frequently. Always verify current rules with your charter captain or state wildlife agency before fishing.
Florida · Northeast
North Carolina · Crystal Coast
Alabama · Mobile Bay
South Carolina · Lowcountry
North Carolina · Crystal Coast
Mississippi · Gulf Coast
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Virginia · Eastern Shore
North Carolina · Cape Fear
Florida · Nature Coast
South Carolina · Lowcountry
Virginia · Eastern Shore
Florida · Tampa Bay
Florida · Space Coast
Louisiana · Cajun Coast
Texas · Lower Coast
Florida · Nature Coast
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Alabama · Gulf Coast
Florida · Panhandle
Louisiana · Cajun Coast
Alabama · Mobile Bay
Florida · Northeast
Florida · Southeast
Alabama · Mobile Bay
Florida · Southwest
Florida · Panhandle
Texas · Upper Coast
Texas · Upper Coast
South Carolina · Grand Strand
Louisiana · Southeast Louisiana
Alabama · Gulf Coast
Mississippi · Gulf Coast
North Carolina · Outer Banks
South Carolina · Lowcountry
Florida · Nature Coast
Louisiana · Cajun Coast
Florida · Northeast
Georgia · Georgia Coast
South Carolina · Lowcountry
Louisiana · Southwest Louisiana
North Carolina · Outer Banks
Florida · Southwest
Texas · Mid Coast
Florida · Space Coast
Florida · Southeast
Alabama · Mobile Bay
North Carolina · Crystal Coast
South Carolina · Grand Strand
South Carolina · Grand Strand
North Carolina · Outer Banks
Florida · Southwest
Louisiana · Southeast Louisiana
Florida · Space Coast
Virginia · Hampton Roads
South Carolina · Grand Strand
Mississippi · Gulf Coast
Alabama · Gulf Coast
North Carolina · Outer Banks
Florida · Panhandle
Mississippi · Gulf Coast
South Carolina · Grand Strand
Florida · Panhandle
Texas · Mid Coast
Louisiana · Cajun Coast
Texas · Lower Coast
Texas · Lower Coast
Texas · Mid Coast
Texas · Mid Coast
Florida · Southwest
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Florida · Space Coast
Louisiana · Southeast Louisiana
Texas · Lower Coast
North Carolina · Cape Fear
Florida · Northeast
Florida · Tampa Bay
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Florida · Nature Coast
Florida · Southeast
Texas · Upper Coast
North Carolina · Crystal Coast
Florida · Tampa Bay
Florida · Tampa Bay
Georgia · Georgia Coast
Louisiana · Southeast Louisiana
Virginia · Hampton Roads
Florida · Southeast
North Carolina · Cape Fear
North Carolina · Cape Fear
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