# Drum In The Surf



## djcoast (Feb 26, 2005)

On Oct 2nd Last Fall My Buddy And I Caught 4 Puppy Drum Up To 15lbs In The Cape May Surf, The Tacke Shop Said It Was Rare For This Time Of Year, These Were My First Drum Ever And I Hope For More, How Often Are They Caught And Is The Spring Better? They Were Literly 20 Feet From The Beach Caught On Clams, I Know Clams Work, What About Crabs? I'd Like To Here Some Drum Stories.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Drum*

Usually mid to late April and May. Rule of thumb is when the knats are biting bad the drum are running. Drum are very picky. If you use clams, they should be fresh for best results.


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## kev (Sep 26, 2004)

we got some in brigantine on clams last year,about the same size.it was in may and june.


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

My experience is that drum will eat just about any bait that we commomly use for striper or Blues , so clam , bunker , herring , crab ,kingfish heads , snapper blues you name it will all catch drum . Crab wise I have found them to be not to fussy , hard back , soft or shedder all work , they have and use their crushers on hard crabs . I haven't tried it but 2 or 3 green crabs on a big circle hook should be a buffet snack for them .


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## GotchaMack (Jun 16, 2004)

Never dealt with drum in the NJ surf, but have played with them in VA Beach, the best baits for them are whole finger mullet, sand fleas, or a good size chunk of bunker in NJ should work(everybody uses spot in VA Beach). Another really key factor to catching them in the surf is to NOT THROW OVER THEM, they are feeding on crabs and sand fleas and baitfish right behind the breakers in the near part of the slough usually, sometimes they are right in the breakwater, I try to put it 15-20 yds. off the beach as an approximate guess.


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## BigJeff823 (Oct 14, 2002)

Sand Fleas will work but Blue Crabs are the best for Black Drum;I caught a 11lber at the IRI rocks in Delaware on a July day;2yrs ago.Not really a rare occurance but the action seems better for them around Jettys,Piers,or Bridges were they can pick crabs off the structure.They do cach them in the AI and Barrier Island surf down south on Shredder Crab.


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## GotchaMack (Jun 16, 2004)

Blacks and Reds are a lot different in their habits. BigJeff has the blacks figured out right, they are structure loving crab fiends. Reds on the other hand are still crab lovers, but they have a more fishy diet as well as a tendency to be found in the surf and deepwater sloughs much more commonly than around structure.


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## BigJeff823 (Oct 14, 2002)

Your right about that one;Reds are more of a surf fish that eats Fish during most of the year.Peeler(Shredder Crab) is the best bait for them in the spring when they first come in.They have caught small Red Drum in the Delaware surf from time to time in the fall on Mullet.I hope to target them Reds more this year.


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