# Tuesday's Drum fishing.



## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Steve (Gilly) and I went out rum fishing yesterday after seeing reports of fish still in the sound. After getting beat up for the first hour or so, we made a move to spot I've consistenly caught fish over the past few years. After about 45 minutes Steve had the first fish boated tagged and released.









Another 30 minutes go by and I get the second tagged and released.
Botth fish 38 inches. Not the big ones we were looking for but they'll do. It does seem like the spawning fish are running smaller this year. I've caught some over forty but never this many less then forty.









Lastly, we had one come un-buttoned at the boat before moving towards a shoal for the night bite. We sat that place out a while and Steve hooked a big one. After a few minutes and getting him close to the boat another rod goes off. Sadly, the double hookup became a double un-hooked.

(Opinion here)
Maybe it's just me but it seems like I've not only gut hooked more fish with the lupton rig. (Three so far this season). It also seems like more fish are getting lost or missed as well.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Thanks for the report,Ryan.. Most of the pics I've seen from over there have fish that are not as big as I usually see from there.. As for the Lupton rig,circle hooks ain't ever done me any favors with a drum,and I think you are right there with me on that... Course if you actually did what you said in your post, and went


> Steve (Gilly) and I went out rum fishing yesterday


 you could have your answer.....


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

What are your thoughts? Novice fisherman that might break off a drum. You have a big drum swimming around with a fixed sinker beating it in the gills till the hook rust away or it dies first. Night fishing for tarpon. Guess it doesn't happen there. You DO not want a fixed sinker on a jumping tarpon! Just my thoughts - not gonna lose any sleep over it. - Best - glenn


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

You got me there Kenny. I need to start re-reading my posts for better editing. They so seem to be running on the smaller side this year. As for the rig, who knows. You're right Kenny. I don't like circles either. An I really don't like them with the Lupton rig.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Nice......................

Look like Hatteras Slot size fish ...............as in the slot size that you hide under the Truck and then quickly filet out and one then labels the Zip Lock bags........ Mahi Mahi............................



Those are the size I loved to filet up in the old days


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## ja2808 (Dec 30, 2010)

What is the difference in the red and yellow tag? I caught a yellow tag last night.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

ja2808 said:


> What is the difference in the red and yellow tag? I caught a yellow tag last night.


 Yellow is NC,red may be Va..


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## Smittroc (May 1, 2009)

Nice fish


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

red is va.


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## Tc27612 (May 4, 2011)

What other style hook would you use if not the circle? And for that matter, I typically use the fish finder rig with a 6 inch leader to the circle hook. Is there a better option out of the surf? Its works well but you guys get into the drum a lot more then I do. Thanks.


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## dsurf (Aug 5, 2003)

Tc27612 said:


> What other style hook would you use if not the circle? And for that matter, I typically use the fish finder rig with *a 6 inch leader to the circle hook*. * Is there a better option out of the surf?* Its works well but you guys get into the drum a lot more then I do. Thanks.


 1 1/2" leader to circle hook. Less helicoptering and better distance......and the fish don't mind.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Cannonball rig with a 10/0 Gami J is the way to go in the surf......


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

Have to use lupton rig in the river. Dumbest rule I have seen. Of the three drum I have witnesed on a lupton two have had hook hurried deep. Both with 10/0 circles.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Yep, Ive cut to lines in two trips because of deep hookups. 
Maybe there is a place for the lupton rig. However, with the rule like it is, how can someone come up with something different that may be better? They would be breaking the law.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Tc27612 said:


> What other style hook would you use if not the circle? And for that matter, I typically use the fish finder rig with a 6 inch leader to the circle hook. Is there a better option out of the surf? Its works well but you guys get into the drum a lot more then I do. Thanks.


A "J" Style Hook!


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Ryan Y said:


> Yep, Ive cut to lines in two trips because of deep hookups.
> Maybe there is a place for the lupton rig. However, with the rule like it is, how can someone come up with something different that may be better? They would be breaking the law.


 Ryan,what brand circles are you using? You know how much I don't like the things for drummin,but there are some brands better than others over there,according to locals there.. Might even think of going to a 14/0 instead of 10/0...


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

I was suing some left over rigs from last year. I think the were owner in line circles. I have some mustas that I keep forgetting to take out of the truck and use. THey are 10/0 and much bigger. I thinnk the ones I was using may have been 8/0.

Ill get back up there this week. Maybe Wednesday. Ill get the job done. 

In the meantime, I've some grouper to go mess with this morning and some flounder to tickle over the weekend.


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

39950/39960 14/0 Mustad, ole standby in the Pamlico. I only fished there once before and we were 31/36 in one day and not a single deep hook with this hook. Either one works. Hope to get up there again soon.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Dont forget to remind me Justin. Maybe we can talk steve into coming too.


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

Was gonna go today but stayed here and played in the ocean instead. No big silver fish, only little silver fish and lots of bait.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Nice fish.


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## originalhooker (Nov 26, 2009)

KB is right, 39960 duratin finish in 14 -16/0. best circle hook out there for the drums, tarpons, sharks (5' to 9') in the surf. I like em' offset 1/4" or so, easier to load on big chunks & they can be used till you loose em, heck been using the same hooks for years, surface rust & all, you can put a deadly tip with a bastard file, too sharp in alot of cases...
The Penn,eagle claw red finish hooks are also excellent, they stay sharp for years as well as it's a duratin finish underneath, the red rubs off after a few baits, VMC/rapala duratin is the same.

For J-hooks I like very much the VMC duratin octopus in 7/0 - 10/0. never had any issues with any of these except too much pressure on a big fish, my fault.

Only way i've seen circles not swallowed is a tighter drag on the initial setting when rod's in the holder, seen a few snagged below/beside the tongue.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

The drag theory doesn't work on the fish I have seen. Of the three I have witnessed. The only one not gut hooked was on a baitrunner with very little drag. The two that swallowed were on tight drag. Just like I spike my circles on the beach and out of 23 citations no deep hooks. I think it is something with the lupton rig that makes a fish feel like he has to take a second swallow to get the whole bait. Once the fish feels the pinned weight it takes that second swallow so the food doesn't escape. Hook burrys deep and catches on something behind the crushers as if it was a jaw bone.


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