# Pics from our drum trip Sat night in Tampa Bay



## Madsnooker (Aug 9, 2010)

These are pics of Dave (Bandersnatch), my Son and myself catching big drum in Tampa Bay. We caught about 20 and by the time it was over we were wore out. Not any good to eat that size but sure fun to catch. They were from 20-40Ibs


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## watermedic (Aug 9, 2010)

Those had to be fun!!


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## oldcsm (Aug 9, 2010)

Wow, those a hawgs!  Great job and thanks for the report and the pictures. You guys must be having the time of your lives down there!


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## Bryannecker (Aug 9, 2010)

Excellent to outstanding!


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## Doyle (Aug 9, 2010)

Good night's fishing. You're right - not good eating.  I do like to eat the small ones though.   Get them about 2 lbs and they are just as good as redfish.


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## captainhook (Aug 9, 2010)

Those are some BIG uglies! However anything that big is pretty in it's own right.


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## Madsnooker (Aug 10, 2010)

These have got to be the easiest "big" fish you can catch inshore.


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## Buck Nasty (Aug 12, 2010)

I bet those things felt like you were pulling up bags of concrete!!


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## Six million dollar ham (Aug 13, 2010)

Very cool.  I've often thought about doing this out of curiosity.  You dropping by a bridge or a piling or what?  I figure if you set up by a bridge you might get some flack from homeland security or something.


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## FishingAddict (Aug 13, 2010)

Looks like you were on a drum roll....

Six Million: it used to be illegal to fish the skyway after 9/11, but they came to their senses after they realized fisherman don't want to destroy bridges, and having people around might actually make it harder to do something bad.


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## Six million dollar ham (Aug 13, 2010)

FishingAddict said:


> Looks like you were on a drum roll....
> 
> Six Million: it used to be illegal to fish the skyway after 9/11, but they came to their senses after they realized fisherman don't want to destroy bridges, and having people around might actually make it harder to do something bad.



Right on, thanks.  I can just see the post-9/11 hysteria meeting that took place now..."If we let people fish for black drum, the terrorists have won".


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## Doyle (Aug 15, 2010)

> Six Million: it used to be illegal to fish the skyway after 9/11,



Last I checked it still was, but only under the bridge itself.  The long approaches to the bridge were OK.  Do you know if that is still the case of if under the bridge is now open?


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## BANDERSNATCH (Aug 24, 2010)

Six million dollar ham said:


> Very cool.  I've often thought about doing this out of curiosity.  You dropping by a bridge or a piling or what?  I figure if you set up by a bridge you might get some flack from homeland security or something.



Ham...all we do is anchor up so that the tide will let you fish near the bridge pilings (all the bridges have drum, too)  We used blue crabs....tear off the top shell, remove claws, and break body in half.  This gives you 4 baits (two claws and two halves)   fish the bottom with them....and hold on.   The bite really slow...feels like a bream bite...until they move off.   Tons of fun, and they make for an impressive picture.    

They are great 'big fish' to put kids on, too!

I wanted to add that we were fishing the Howard Franklin bridge (I275) and were in 15'-16' of water.    I think those drum are everywhere, though.


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## ugaboy (Aug 25, 2010)

Nice fish. We have been killing the big drums at the Courtney Campbell as well. We use the blue crabs cut in half also. Hold on and get ready for the tugboat.  Do you just hook the claw or crack it and hook it or what?? Just wondering cause I always just toss them in the water. Thanks.


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## Madsnooker (Aug 26, 2010)

ugaboy said:


> Nice fish. We have been killing the big drums at the Courtney Campbell as well. We use the blue crabs cut in half also. Hold on and get ready for the tugboat.  Do you just hook the claw or crack it and hook it or what?? Just wondering cause I always just toss them in the water. Thanks.



We take the claw and step on it, cracking it open and hen hooking it in the joint. Works just as good as the half of crab.


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## sea trout (Aug 27, 2010)

Six million dollar ham said:


> Right on, thanks.  I can just see the post-9/11 hysteria meeting that took place now..."If we let people fish for black drum, the terrorists have won".



 aw thats good! 

nice big fish dude! i bet y'all were wore out after pullin them up!


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## jcinpc (Aug 28, 2010)

NICE, I used to fish the power plant at Apollo bch before the 9/11 thing. We would go in at low tide and gig under the bridge at the coal docks, thats had to be the best fishing ever. The Howard Franklin is good and so was the old Skyway when they opened it but before they wer4 charging people to fish there


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## BullyTek (Aug 28, 2010)

Looks like a blast.  Can't wait till we go.


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