Waterlands

Species guide · Georgia

Black drum fishing in Georgia

Pogonias cromis, an inshore species also called drum, boomers and bull drum. Listed for the South Atlantic region. Shoulder season, about 13 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Coastal waters from Altamaha Sound to Fernandina Beach FL out 20 NM at 58, one of 2 Georgia bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder season
Where it's scoring nowAll Georgia waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

South Atlantic

Shoulder season, about 13 more weeks
  1. Jan: Shoulder season
  2. Feb: Peak season
  3. Mar: Peak season
  4. Apr: Peak season
  5. May: Shoulder season
  6. Jun: Shoulder season
  7. Jul: Shoulder season
  8. Aug: Shoulder season
  9. Sep: Shoulder season
  10. Oct: Shoulder season
  11. Nov: Shoulder season
  12. Dec: Shoulder season

Peak: Feb to Apr. In season (shoulder or peak): all year.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Northeast Florida jetties and the St. Johns River, Georgia sounds and South Carolina bridges produce big fish in late winter and spring. Year-round in the estuaries.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 2

Georgia bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's black drum score this hour.

1
58Good
Coastal waters from Altamaha Sound to Fernandina Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 4-8 PM (71) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (74) · 44 named spots

2
55Good
Coastal waters from Savannah GA to Altamaha Sound GA out 20 nm, including Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Best window today 5-7 PM (63) · Best day Sun, Nov 8 at 9 AM (71) · 26 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

GADNR CRD saltwater regulations Buy a Georgia fishing license License types

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division. Synced with GADNR CRD Oct 31, 2026.

No reviewed black drum rule for Georgia is on file yet. Check with GADNR CRD before you keep one.

Other Georgia species