By Capt. David C Dillman
In March, several years ago, I looked forward to having a much needed day off. Spring Break had just ended and that is a busy time for fishing guides. My phone rang as I milled around the house that early morning. It turned out to be a good friend asking, “ Would you like to go with us to the Galveston Jetties?” I paused for a second and replied “YES.” Well, that day off from fishing did not last very long!
Blue crab is a great bait for spring drum.
They picked me up from the Galveston Yacht Basin and we made our way through the channel. As we motored toward the granite rocks near the North Jetty, I inquired about the bait. The response was “We have plenty.” A quarry of live crabs, fresh dead shrimp, and even a few live crawfish filled the bait cooler; perfect baits for March when the drum run is in full swing.
We anchored up in position by 9:30 a.m. Several boats were already in the area known as the “boat cut.” The next four hours or so produced 62 black drum for myself, my friend and his dad. Just about every cast produced a fish. We had many triple hook-ups that day. All the fish ranged from 25 – 45 pounds.
Later that evening another guide called asking, “How many did yall catch?” I told him 62, to which he replied “Only 62? Why!”
“Because we ran out of bait!” I said.
March and April are prime months to venture out and tackle some of these oversized brutes. The drum you encounter this time of year mostly range from 20 – 35 pounds. On any given day, one pushing 50 pounds is possible.
A medium to heavy action rod will suffice. Use enough weight to hold the bait down on the bottom. Fresh crabs cracked in quarter pieces, large fresh dead shrimp, and even live crawfish are the best bait for these fish. This is a catch, photo and release fishery. It’s great entertainment for families, especially the children. Tight Lines!
Capt. David C Dillman is a full time fishing guide with over 30 years experience fishing the waters of Galveston. Call 832-228-8012 or 409-632-0924 for information and reservations with Spec-tacular Trout Adventures.
