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Black Drum Fishing

Black drum fishing offers some of the most rewarding inshore experiences along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. These powerful bottom feeders are built for the fight, with crushing pharyngeal teeth designed to crack open crabs and shellfish. Whether you're stalking tailing fish on skinny Florida Keys flats or working deeper winter channels, black drum provide year-round action for anglers willing to adapt.

What makes black drum exceptional is their willingness to feed when other species shut down. Cold fronts that push redfish away? Black drum move in looking for easy meals. How to catch black drum depends entirely on the situation:

  • Sight casting on flats: Spotting tailers or nervous water in skinny conditions, making precise presentations with crabs or shrimp
  • Bottom fishing techniques: Working cut bait or fresh shrimp near structure, bridges, and deeper channels during winter months
  • Puppy drum tactics: Targeting smaller fish (under 10 pounds) in estuaries and backcountry waters where they school heavily

Our professional fishing instruction covers everything from reading water on the flats to positioning your boat for success. You'll learn seasonal patterns for black drum and both Florida Keys black drum fishing on clear flats and winter inshore strategies for murky backcountry environments.

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  • Black Drum Fish caught fishing the Homosassa River

    Black Puppy Drum Fishing

    Winter inshore fishing offers delicious table fare for black drum, a bottom feeder that eats shrimp, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans. Capt. William Toney will teach you where to fish, how to target puppy drum, and how to locate deeper holes and channels. These tips are invaluable for winter days when exploring further out.

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  • Black Drum Fish

    Black Drum Fish - Sight Casting

    The upper Florida Keys offer excellent flats fishing opportunities, especially for black drum. Instructor Ruben Lee, a knowledgeable keyfisher, shares tips on sight casting to black drum in skinny waters. Black drum fishing on the flats requires spotting, determining feeding, and positioning your presentation. Learn tides, atmospheric conditions, and baits to have a fun-filled day of sight casting.

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