# bucktail rig for black drum



## fish123 (Aug 26, 2008)

I am going to try to sight cast a black drum off the Seagull pier. What rig to you guys recommend? I have a '7"6 Shimano Teramar and an ABu Garcia Revo Toro 60 with 50 pound braid and a 50 fluro leader attached with one of those new invisa swivels and a 2 ounce chartreuse bucktail and a "3 white curly tail?

Thanks


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

I wish you the best of luck (lol).....Black Drum don't typically hit artificials in this manner. They aren't aggresive fish by nature.


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## Kellercl (Jan 28, 2010)

A few weeks ago I landed a 32 inch black drum by jigging;

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_59508____SearchResults

He hit the hell out of it. Perhaps it was luck or perhaps it really works. I will be trying again next week.

Specifically I used the #41 chart/red head.


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## fish123 (Aug 26, 2008)

DrumintheSuds said:


> I wish you the best of luck (lol).....Black Drum don't typically hit artificials in this manner. They aren't aggresive fish by nature.



Well how do you recommend I sight cast to them?


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

fish123 said:


> Well how do you recommend I sight cast to them?


LOL Couldn't tell ya.....I have never gotten one to bite an artificial.......


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

used to fish seagull alot...one of the things that pisssed me off most was when a school of big drum would be comin to the pier and people would toss bucktails, bottom rigs, etc to em

best way i was taught to get bit out there when theyre cruisin up top is to take a light tackle rod..say 12-15 pound spinning tackle or lighter if you dare...30 pound leader and a small hook say a 2/0 -4/0 gami octopus.....put on a glob of clam and lower it down....the fish generally face the wind, so floating the piece 8-24" under water out to the isnt too hard once you get the hang of it...basically ur freelining a piece of clam(size dependant on size of fish) out to the school..it takes time and patience but works...if its really windy u can use split shot 24" or so up your leader to keep the bait down a bit....get 3-4 guys doin this all at the same time and its a blast when a few or all are hooked up at the same time

all else fails...mullet gaff


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Try fishing a 1oz to 2oz. bucktail with a 6 inch curly tail grub of the same color as the bucktail. Cast it out and let it hit the bottom. Move the bucktail along the bottom slooowwwly you may get a bite that way. You will want to use a small piece of bite leader about 3 ft. long between your main line and bucktail.


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## jeffreyweeks (Feb 5, 2009)

I have caught black drum on lures and live minnows before, although they generally stick to shellfish they are one fish that will surprise you at times. They will nail a slowly fished Gulp jig or a bucktail or shrimp-imitating lure on occasion.

But by far the best way to catch black drum is to use bait. Black drum are bottom-feeding machines that suck up shellfish shell and all and crunch them around-- their teeth are in their throats (stick your hand in there if you don't believe me) which is why their bite is often soft, they will usually take a bait in whole and keep it in their mouths for a time before spitting out the hard shell part. That's why if you're black drum fishing you should set the hook if you feel a vibration on your line-- like the pluck of a guitar string.

If you are sight fishing for them and they are up in the water column you can use live or fresh dead shrimp on a slip float rig to get them.

I've been writing about black drum fishing for years, they are one of my favorite fish.

*Black Drum: An Unappreciated but Tasty Fish*

*Carolina Fishing: How to Catch Black Drum*

Also, make sure you are looking at black drum. Sheepshead come to the top of the pilings around piers and have the same black stripes, but they are a much harder fish to catch.

 jeffrey


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## cobia_slaya (Jan 19, 2010)

man i never catch blacks on jigs or bucktails try clam and if all else fails find out the secret from the other guys


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

*Bucktails for Black Drum*

I make a bucktail/fly that works on Black Drum as well as other fish.

I tie the hair extending from the hook eye, but turn and twist the hair and tie it in segments along the hook shank leaving a 'tail'. It looks like a shrimp. Various colors work as well as a bit of juice.

I also have much luck using a real clam with a hook pierced through the shell.

You never really know what will work at any given time.

Take the advice of a previous poster and use what your buddy is catching them on. JMHO C2


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## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

DrumintheSuds said:


> I wish you the best of luck (lol).....Black Drum don't typically hit artificials in this manner. They aren't aggresive fish by nature.


I'm kinda with DrumintheSuds on this one. They typically hit bait in the surf with shellfish the preferred bait. You can catch them on shrimp, clam or especially peeler crab. Good luck!


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Can't say that that it couldn't happen, can't say that it can. I personally have never caught a black drum in this manner. My experience has been bottom fishin with fresh clam. But then again who knows.


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## CUTTER (Mar 16, 2007)

I have been hooking a few on peeler crab.


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

Get you a buket of sandfleas, toss them into the water (free chum) then toss them one with a hook attached to it ;-)


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## pierfisher9678 (Jun 12, 2009)

ive caught them on sea clams and chowder clams..also crab works really good..buddy got a 57lber on seagull one night on half a hardcrab..now u say that u use clams still in the shell..how did u rig that and does that work pretty often i bet u get alot of strange looks with that one..opcorn:


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## Jigmaster (Apr 3, 2006)

*Yes*



DrumintheSuds said:


> Get you a buket of sandfleas, toss them into the water (free chum) then toss them one with a hook attached to it ;-)


I have done this ....when the Fleas are thick round up a gallon or two crunch them up a bit mix w some sand sediment pitch in couple scoops then send the livies on down the hook 2-3 min later. 

I have limited on Sheepshead and Drum this way.

Around Bridges/piers other structure is best.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Remember now that the bucktail thing works well from a boat sight fishing the around islands of the CBBT. Not sure how well it works from the surf.


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