Red hot Red Drum

Every year is different, but some things remain the same.

Some years we have them of all sizes, mixed up year classes,   "pup pups" of about a year in age and not quite legal, some who have made it a couple of years like these 20 inchers.

 A dozen double headers like this today. They tend to gather up this time of year....

Some years we'll be throwing these back to pick our keepers from the ones at the upper end of the slot, close to 27 inches.   Some years keepers are hard to come by and all you have are the  "yearlings" more than 30 inches long who the following year will be mixed in with the spawners and most likely will leave shallow waters for ocean.  We seem to be letting enough get through to make more drum.  Maybe some of these will make little drum down the beach where their great great grandmama might have done it back in the day.

Things that remain the same?  The red drum that we do have are  gathered up in the lower Neuse River/western Pamlico Sound and they are available for light tackle anglers willing to put on a jacket and take some salt spray.

Thanks Capt. Jennings for the report and pics.