It may be chilly and occasionally drizzling, but don’t be a turkey when it comes to fishing in November.
Charleston winter has plenty to offer and with the right conditions anglers have been known to gobble up a variety of species.
One such fish is the black drum. They’re distinguished by their dull grey color and barbels below the jaw.
Juvenile black drum have vertical black stripes similar to sheepshead, but they eventually fade as they reach maturity length of 12 to 18 inches.
As bottom feeders, the barbels help locate food, which consist of mollusks, crabs, and shrimp.
They feed along beaches and hard structures, which is why the Folly Pier is a reputable location to target black drum.
The groins and pier pilings produce many bivalves for drum to feed upon. In fact, black drum have been known to wipe out entire clusters of oyster beds in little time.
As far as bait set-up, an angler has many choices. Shrimp and squid strips are most commonly used here on the pier.
However, if you have the time and resources, a piece of a blue crab will be an irresistible treat for the black drum.
Be sure to allow a few seconds’ time for the drum to consume the bait before setting the hook.
Although they range greatly in size, SCDNR slot limit is 14 to 27 inches total length with no more than 5 per person per day.
Joey Crawford
Folly Beach Pier
jcrawford@ccprc.com
