UTERBlack drum fishing in Delaware Bay and Ocean City
In Delaware Bay and Ocean City, black drum peak May–June and are around April–August, spawning in May, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. May: The Delaware Bay drum run — Slaughter Beach, Broadkill Slough, the Coral Beds; fresh surf clams, late afternoon into dark.
Not in Delaware Bay and Ocean City this month.
Black drum in Delaware Bay and Ocean City, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilArrivingTog on the inlet rocks; Delaware River striper spawn; first fluke. Green crabs on the Indian River Inlet rocks; minnow-and-squid drifts in the back bays for early fluke; first drum and blues show in Delaware Bay late in the month.
- MaySpawningThe Delaware Bay drum run — Slaughter Beach, Broadkill Slough, the Coral Beds; fresh surf clams, late afternoon into dark.
- JunePeakDrum still on the bay lumps; the bite moves to the surf.
- JulyLeaving
- AugustAround
- SeptemberNot here
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish black drum near Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City
Delaware Bay's big, shoaly estuary with the lumps and sloughs off Slaughter Beach and the Coral Beds; the Delaware, Maryland and Assateague surf; the inland bays and back bays behind them (Rehoboth, Indian River, Assawoman, Sinepuxent, Chincoteague); Virginia's wild seaside barrier islands; and the offshore lumps (Jackspot, Hambone) out to Baltimore, Poor Man's and Washington canyons.
What to use for black drum
- Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Fiddler crabsA #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait.
- Leader30–50 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook3/0–6/0
- Braid20–30 lb
Feeds in 48–78°F water, best at 54–70°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch black drum in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Peak season is May–June, with fish spawning in May (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Black drum are in Delaware Bay and Ocean City April–August. May: The Delaware Bay drum run — Slaughter Beach, Broadkill Slough, the Coral Beds; fresh surf clams, late afternoon into dark.
Where do black drum hold in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Look on bridge, grass flat, channel edge — around Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape May.
What is the best bait for black drum in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Live bait: blue crabs, live shrimp, fiddler crabs. Blue crabs: Whole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia. Tackle: leader 30–50 lb fluorocarbon, hook 3/0–6/0, braid 20–30 lb.
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