Black Drum
Pogonias cromis
Deep-bodied cousin of the Red Drum, reaching over 90 pounds. Uses powerful pharyngeal teeth to crush oysters, crabs, and clams. A staple of bay, jetty, and surf fishing from the Mid-Atlantic to Texas.
Taste profile
Firm, mild, sweet white flesh on smaller fish (under 15 lb) — excellent eating. Larger 'drum' over 20 lb tend to be coarse with worms and are best released.
How to cook it
Blackened
Classic blackened drum on hot cast iron — a Louisiana signature dish.
Fried
Drum fingers breaded and fried make some of the best fish sandwiches on the Gulf.
Baked
Whole baked with butter, lemon, and herbs highlights its mild sweet flesh.
Grilled
Thicker fillets grill well with Cajun seasoning and lime.
Tips to catch one
- ✔Fish around oyster reefs, bridges, jetties, and deep channels with half blue crabs or whole peeled shrimp.
- ✔Use a fish-finder rig with a 5/0–8/0 circle hook and a 2–4 oz sinker.
- ✔Listen for the 'drumming' sound big fish make — they often give themselves away.
- ✔Target smaller 'puppy drum' (5–15 lb) for eating; release trophy fish (30+ lb) which are old and coarse.
- ✔Spring spawning runs around passes and inlets produce huge 50+ lb fish on big crab baits.
Keep it fresh: bleed, spike & ice
🔪 Spike (Ike Jime)
Insert a spike into the brain cavity just behind and above the eye. The fish will shudder briefly then go still — this signals a clean kill that prevents stress hormones from degrading the flesh.
🩸 Bleed
After spiking, cut one or both gill arches at the gill plate junction. Hold the fish head-down in water for 2–3 minutes. Well-bled fish have whiter, cleaner-tasting fillets with a longer shelf life.
🧊 Ice
Place bled fish in an ice slurry (2 parts ice to 1 part seawater). The slurry cools 5× faster than dry ice alone. Keep the drain plug cracked and aim for core temp below 35 °F within 30 minutes.
Size & bag limits by state
| State | Size limit | Bag limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | — | 5 per day | No min size; 1 over 24" per day |
| Georgia | ≥ 14" | 15 per day | — |
| Louisiana | — | 5 per day | — |
| Maryland | ≥ 16" | 1 per day | — |
| New Jersey | — | 3 per day | Varies by season |
| North Carolina | ≥ 14" | 10 per day | — |
| South Carolina | — | 5 per day | — |
| Texas | ≥ 14" | 5 per day | Slot 14"-30"; 1 over 52" allowed |
| Virginia | ≥ 16" | 1 per day | Slot 16"-25" |