Species guide · Alabama
Black drum fishing in Alabama
Pogonias cromis, an inshore species also called drum, boomers and bull drum. Listed for the Eastern Gulf region. Shoulder season, about 19 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Perdido Bay Area at 60, one of 4 Alabama bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Eastern Gulf
Shoulder season, about 19 more weeks- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Peak season
- Mar: Peak season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Shoulder season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Shoulder season
- Dec: Shoulder season
Peak: Feb to Apr. In season (shoulder or peak): all year.
Research notes, Eastern Gulf region
FWC reports nearshore spawning in winter and early spring, when big fish school around passes, bridges and jetties. Smaller fish stay on oyster bars and docks all year.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 4
Alabama bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's black drum score this hour.
Best window today 11 AM-12 AM (61) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (65) · 20 named spots
Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (61) · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (65) · 33 named spots
Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (63) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (66) · 21 named spots
Best window today 6-10 PM (64) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (67) · 53 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 50°F to 88°F, best between 58°F and 78°F.
- Water depth
- 2 to 40 ft of water.
- Structure
- Oyster, channel, bridge, pier, flat, jetty and shoal, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers incoming tide and outgoing tide, with light current.Black drum find food by smell and feel, so a moving tide spreads the scent of bait, but heavy current makes bottom rigs hard to hold. Many anglers fish the last hour of a tide and the turn around bridges and channel edges. Large Chesapeake fish are often worked on shoals during slower current.
- Light
- Some lift around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 3 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Black drum root along the bottom around oyster reefs, bridge and pier pilings, channel edges and shallow mud flats. TPWD notes they rarely take artificials, so fish peeled shrimp, crab, clams or sand fleas on a bottom rig and let the fish load the rod before setting the hook. Big spawning schools gather near passes and bay mouths in late winter and spring, and in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay the large fish show up on the shoals from April into June.
- Methods
- bottom fishing, surf fishing, anchoring on shoals, sight casting to tailing fish
- Lures
- jig tipped with shrimp, scented soft plastic crab
- Bait
- peeled shrimp, blue crab, peeler crab, sand fleas, clams, cut mullet, squid
Regulations
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division. Synced with ADCNR Marine Resources Sep 18, 2026.
No reviewed black drum rule for Alabama is on file yet. Check with ADCNR Marine Resources before you keep one.