Is black drum open in Texas?
Live status for · rules verified 2026-08-14
Know the fish
Deep, high-backed silvery-gray to black body with chin barbels; juveniles ('puppy drum') show vertical black bars. Galveston pups run 14–25" for eating; big 'bull' black drum 30–50"+ roam the jetties and channels.
When they bite
Year-round; excellent cold-weather option. Big black drum school and spawn late winter-spring (Feb–Apr) at the jetties and passes — a reliable big-fish target when trout/reds are slow. Puppy drum available all year. Historical catch records along the Texas coast peak in Jan, Feb, Mar (GBIF occurrence data, coastwide).
Where & how
Where: Around hard structure and shell: the jetties, Texas City Dike, Seawolf Park, piers, bulkheads, channel edges, bridge pilings, and oyster reefs. Big drum school in the ship channel and at the jetties, especially late winter/early spring.
How: Bottom-fish with a Carolina/fish-finder rig along structure; dead-stick fresh crab or shrimp on the bottom and wait. No need for fast action — let the scent work. Around the dike and jetties, cast to the rocks and hold bottom in current.
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