Page 87 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2022

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Drum are great fighting ”fish and easy to catch
Sonny Schindler and Steve Perrigin showing off a large black drum.
Most people use live or fresh shrimp for bait. Drum might also hit squid, baitfish, such as minnows or menhaden, fish chunks or strips and other baits. Giant drum habitually drop into deep holes during the winter. For the biggest drum, use whole blue crabs fished on the bottom. Keep the top shell attached, but crack it to let juices ooze into the water. Drum might also hit a small live blue crab hooked through the back near the rounded swimmer fins. To get more bites, break a crab in half to make two baits.
Whether in a boat, from a dock or
standing on a beach, anglers could catch
big drum all along the Mississippi Coast.
People regularly see enormous drum
swimming around marinas, particularly
near fish cleaning stations. Jetties,
seawalls and artificial reefs also make
fantastic places to look for colossal fish.
Several artificial reefs sit within easy paddling distance for kayak anglers.
“Drum hang around any type of structure, like concrete or wood docks and bridge pilings,” Johnson advised. “The piers behind the Palace Casino Resort in Biloxi are good places to catch big black drum. At night, people usually have a better chance of catching big drum. The Bay St. Louis bridge and the Highway 90 bridge to Ocean Springs are great places
A monster black drum approaches the boat.
Jen Carroll fights a big one.
to fish for drum. Katrina Reef is a super spot right outside the pass into Biloxi Bay. The rocks outside the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino are also very good places to fish for drum.”
Not everyone can afford to buy a big boat or hire a charter captain to take them on an exciting piscatorial adventure,
but tempting a monster drum comes pretty close. With just a small investment in bait, anglers can frequently enjoy exciting big-game sport close to home. Any bite could possibly produce the catch of a lifetime!
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net January 2022 | 87