# Puppy Drum



## Fish 4 Life (May 28, 2007)

How do I fish for them and where do I fish for them? Thanks, keep hearing about them and want to catch a few before the end of summer.


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## The Crew (Jul 8, 2007)

Bay Bridge Tunnel is the best spot, right near the rocks. They eat just about anything.


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## Fish'n Phil (Nov 11, 2002)

In shallow waters you can find puppy drum any where from Lynnhaven Inlet to the James River. 
Often they can be found near grasses.

They can be caught on simple bottom rigs. I use a Eagle Claw bronze #2 long shank hook to catch everything from spot to croaker to puppy drum. However, if you are using a big chunk of bait you might want to use a larger J or circle hook.

For bait try fresh shrimp, mullet or menhaden. They will also chase a variety of lures... for example the Gulp and Redfish Magic lures have been mentioned as of late. 

Good luck!


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

What Phil said but you can also use a small gold spoon, something like a drone spoon


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## SkunkApe (Dec 9, 2006)

If you're going w/ cut or whole Finger Mullet, definitely go with a circle hook, 3/0 works well for me. Pups tend to inhale the bait and J hook will gut hook 'em.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

SkunkApe said:


> If you're going w/ cut or whole Finger Mullet, definitely go with a circle hook, 3/0 works well for me. Pups tend to inhale the bait and J hook will gut hook 'em.


At times I found that smaller is better.


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## Fly Wacko (Aug 8, 2005)

*Pups and Specks...*

Been rocking them pretty good in Mobjack. Crab patterns on the fly rod.

FW


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## Fish 4 Life (May 28, 2007)

Thanks for the help. I might try around Lynnhaven.


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## togman (Oct 12, 2003)

Fresh Peeler Crab is one of the best baits for Puppy Drum.


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## HOOK'N&SLING'N (Sep 29, 2004)

*Puppies*

F4L,
The puppy drum is my absolute favorite fish to target to date. As mentioned they can be found in a variety of locations. I like to fish for them in the rivers. Being from P-Town, the liz is one of my favorite spots. Anywhere that there is a grass line there are likely to be drum. They feed on small crabs, shrimp, fish and crustations. The grass serves as a buffet for these critters, it serves as hide outs for the above mentioned baits. Not to say that is the only place to find them; however, good grasslines are a good place to start. My favorite bait for puppies is peeler, followed by female blue crab, followed by fresh spot, fresh shrimp, lastly fresh mullet. I mostly fish with a standard bottom rig, however if the bottom is free of excessive grass I use a fishfinder rig. Also, you don't need to cast out very far for this species either, they hang near the shoreline. I aways cast at an angle, parrallel to the shore about 15 to 25 yards out. I hope this information helps.

P-Town


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

HOOK'N&SLING'N said:


> F4L,
> The puppy drum is my absolute favorite fish to target to date. As mentioned they can be found in a variety of locations. I like to fish for them in the rivers. Being from P-Town, the liz is one of my favorite spots. Anywhere that there is a grass line there are likely to be drum. They feed on small crabs, shrimp, fish and crustations. The grass serves as a buffet for these critters, it serves as hide outs for the above mentioned baits. Not to say that is the only place to find them; however, good grasslines are a good place to start. My favorite bait for puppies is peeler, followed by female blue crab, followed by fresh spot, fresh shrimp, lastly fresh mullet. I mostly fish with a standard bottom rig, however if the bottom is free of excessive grass I use a fishfinder rig. Also, you don't need to cast out very far for this species either, they hang near the shoreline. I aways cast at an angle, parrallel to the shore about 15 to 25 yards out. I hope this information helps.
> 
> P-Town


It really does help ... at least for me. I met a gentlemen once at Janes Island (MD) that had limits of stripers, specs, and a puppy or two. I asked him where was he fishing ... he told me right off the sod banks, grassy areas and places where guts flow out during a falling tide. Of course you need a small boat / yak to get to these places but still.

thanks


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

I have been wearing them out with the gulps this year... red jig/smoke mullet, or chart. jig/glow mullet. I have also caught quite a few on the gulp peelers. I hook 'em just like a regular peeler on a carolina rig, or a dropper righttp://www.hatterasoutfitters.com/pupdrumrig.htm

I have had banner nights with the redfish magic baits, and then some where they won't touch the thing... I have found it works great when they're aggressively feeding on top. Caught a few specks with these rigs as well.

As for plastics, I always have some rootbeer mr. twisters, gold trout killers, and mann's hardnose mullet in the sack just incase the pups or trouts show up.


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## HOOK'N&SLING'N (Sep 29, 2004)

*One more thing*

F4L
Lastly, make sure that you fish with decent equipment. Puppy drum are battlers, the can hit like a truck, I lost a rod to an aggresive puppy once. I typically use 12lb test spooled on my Shimano TU12000F, coupled with a 7ft Ugly Stick. I also have a Tica GN series bait caster coupled with a 7ft Penn power stick. A 20" + puppy can bring out the....b!#%h
in cheap gear or an unprepared fisherman . You've been warned!!

P-Town


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