# What's the largest red drum being caught these days?



## reeldude56 (Mar 27, 2015)

With the slot regulations being in place over 20 years, curious what are the largest drum being caught for the past several years. Seems like 60"+ fish in the 60 to 70# class should be showing up and maybe they are. If not, curious as to why not.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

A non-scientific observation is that Drum over 60 pounds are relatively rare, likely in the less than .25% range of all citation drum taken. 

So if 400 Drum are beached or decked only perhaps only one will be greater than 60 pounds.

I would imagine if someone took time and a had a good boat and access to fresh bad ass bait every day fished the Pamlico in the summer around Cedar Island and then fished deep water around Avon Rocks in the Fall and into the Winter, some big boys would show up in the net.

By Good Boat I mean a Carolina flare boat with some sort of cabin to take shelter in during bad weather.

Is the new world record out there swimming around, perhaps.


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## Rougesun (Oct 26, 2020)

David Deuel with a 94.2 lbs drum off the surf in ‘84. Good luck beatin’ that. Can we say “hog?”

Nice fish above, by the way.


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## reeldude56 (Mar 27, 2015)

Knew the record was 94# and think it was 90# before that. Just thought that a 60# class fish shouldn't be a rarity these days.


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## The Joker (Mar 24, 2015)

reeldude56 said:


> Knew the record was 94# and think it was 90# before that. Just thought that a 60# class fish shouldn't be a rarity these days.


The world record was set on November 7th on Rodanthe pier and was broken a few years later by David Duel on November 7th.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Which is why we always fished Rodanthe Pier on Nov 7th.

One November 7th perhaps around 1999 I hooked what I thought was a likely a 300 to 400 pound Garbo. The Fish was big and it kept on the bottom. After about a half hour I got impatient and broke it off, this was when I used 25 pound test line. I did not point the rod at the fish I just locked the drag down a bit too much.

Stanley told me I should have brought it to the surface before I broke him off and I have to admit that on November 7th I should have waited a bit more as I am unfamiliar just how a 100 pound drum fights. We could not keep it and had no registered scales at Rodanthe Pier anyway. The IGFA has a portable scale they certify but no one I know packs it around. Perhaps Nick will get one if I buy three or four of his Sticks.

David Duel was fishing for Bluefish the day he broke the World Record. Jerry Rey an original DrumPro was driving down the beach near Avon and he came across Mr. Duel standing over the Drum he had just beached. Mr. Duel said he did not know what the fish was. Jerry told him that he better take it over to Frank and Frans and get it weighed............

My 8600 I bought from Jerry Rey, before the internet it was tough to get good condition 8600s and Red 9000s as they were discontinued around 1980 or so.

I did tell a Marine Fisheries Officer that if I did get a big one I was going to Texas......The Officer looked at me kind of funny but I was not joking.


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## reeldude56 (Mar 27, 2015)

The Joker said:


> The world record was set on November 7th on Rodanthe pier and was broken a few years later by David Duel on November 7th.


Just read an interesting story about Elvin's 92.5# fish in 1973 caught on on a live skate.


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## reeldude56 (Mar 27, 2015)

In spring of 2005 read about one caught in Ocracoke 53 long and girth 38", estimated to weight 75 to 80? anyone see a pic?


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## Adam (Feb 19, 2001)

I remember that Ocoke fish, not sure where to find a pic, maybe Tradewinds has one saved. I've seen a pic of a 57" caught from a boat in the Ches Bay in the last 5 years, as well as an old pic from a Neuse River guide that claims his fish was 60", and he knows of a couple others the same size. The guide is an inch shorter than me(6'2") and he has his fish up to his chest, with the tail touching the deck of the boat.

As far as Garbo's story about breaking off fish, I remember the Sarge(David Brayman) trying to break off a big ray at the Point one summer, tried multiple times, and couldn't. Few mins later he beaches a 68lb Cobia ...from then on I always try to get a look at whatever is hooked if possible. Plus lead isn't cheap! 

Go back to fall of 2017 on a secret VA spot, and I hooked what I knew to be a big flattie, just knew it! Fought it for 5-10mins, got tired and tried to pop it off twice, no dice. Got so irritated I put the rod back in the sand spike and fought it from there for another 5-10mins, when wouldn't you know a big spotted tail popped out of the breakers ...yep, a healthy 49" drum, never shook her head one time. 

Headed out the door here shortly to try and find a couple this week, maybe I'll see some of you guys down there.


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## reeldude56 (Mar 27, 2015)

Adam said:


> I remember that Ocoke fish, not sure where to find a pic, maybe Tradewinds has one saved. I've seen a pic of a 57" caught from a boat in the Ches Bay in the last 5 years, as well as an old pic from a Neuse River guide that claims his fish was 60", and he knows of a couple others the same size. The guide is an inch shorter than me(6'2") and he has his fish up to his chest, with the tail touching the deck of the boat.
> 
> As far as Garbo's story about breaking off fish, I remember the Sarge(David Brayman) trying to break off a big ray at the Point one summer, tried multiple times, and couldn't. Few mins later he beaches a 68lb Cobia ...from then on I always try to get a look at whatever is hooked if possible. Plus lead isn't cheap!
> 
> ...


Was gonna start a new thread on being hooked up with big fish, but for the guys that catch large drum on a regular basis, can you determine if it is a drum or other target species or a undesirable such as a small shark or big ray/ skate before you see it? Sounds like it could be very difficult, unlike flounder fishing where i can tell if I have a flounder or something else from the bite and fight. I dont drum fish any more but have a couple buddies that go to hatteras every year and return with a "one that got away story". 

Adam, when you say you were hooked up to a big flattie and trying to break off, assume you were talking about a ray or skate and not a flounder!


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

reeldude56 said:


> In spring of 2005 read about one caught in Ocracoke 53 long and girth 38", estimated to weight 75 to 80? anyone see a pic?


I remember way back when I had a 38" girth! I miss those days!


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Drum Thump and surge, and then take a rest......

Sharks Glide and Head Shake....if the fish runs off all your line in the first 35 seconds it is probably large and grey in color. 

Rays just glide although Butterflys can fool you in the surf.

Cobia does all the above, so when they are around you have to work the fish to the bitter end.

Do I mix them up?

I mix a lot of things up, but since this is the internet and I can spin my story however I want I usually get it right.

It is very important to use the right equipment.

Some rods are just born to be Shark Rods only, if you own one and I own a couple the only thing you can do is leave it at home and buy a Drum Rod.

Ray Rods are the worst, especially if they are Roughtail or Atlantic Sting Ray rods, a Butter Fly Ray rod can be kept, but I have given away several Ray Rods over the years, I have seen a few folks get spined by a Ray and it is not pretty........

Drum Secret Hot Line is quiet these days, last week was talking to Joker Live-Feed on Jennettes when he told me he had to drop my call because there was action on the rail.


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