Black drum hold around the same structure as sheepshead — bridge pilings, deep oyster bars, jetty rocks — but tend to school in slightly deeper water. The Mayport jetties, the Buckman Bridge area, and deep holes in Sisters Creek all produce. They're bottom-feeders crushing crabs, shrimp, and shellfish with throat teeth strong enough to break a quahog.
Heavy-built fish with vertical bars on smaller juveniles (similar to sheepshead but no teeth showing) and silvery-gray on adults. Florida slot is 14-24 inches, daily bag of 5. Big drum over 30 lb are catch-and-release in practice — the flesh gets coarse and worm-prone in older fish.
Spring (March-May) is the marquee window — bigs spawn in the lower SJR and stage tight to bridges and jetties in big schools. Fall (October-November) the inshore bite picks back up on smaller slot fish. Summer and winter slow and harder to target. The springtime bridge bite for trophy bulls is one of the best-kept secrets in NE FL fishing.
Half a fresh blue crab on a Carolina rig. Anchor up-current of a bridge piling or oyster bar at dawn during incoming tide and let it soak. Black drum bite slow and steady — when the rod loads up and stays loaded, set hard. Use 30-40 lb leader; their crushing teeth abrade light line fast.
Florida fishing regulations change. Always confirm slot, bag limits, and seasons on the official source before you keep anything. See our Licenses & Regulations page or go straight to MyFWC.com.