Drum Spawn

September and October on the Space Coast are a magical time. Fall is always great fishing and these few months are famous for our drum spawn.

This time of year the redfish and black drum group up in large numbers and start their spawn. Typically, this is when we see the largest numbers of breeder fish which are anywhere from 15-30 pounds or more. These fish are extremely important to our lagoon system and this is what has made our lagoons world famous. When seeking out these schools, look for deeper bars, deeper shorelines and sharp drop-offs, or even bridge pilings. Fortunately, these fish aren’t too picky. Large gold spoons, soft plastic jigs and swimbaits are just a few “go to” baits, in addition to large mullet and blue crabs, for those who would rather use live bait.

I strongly recommend using lures without treble hooks, and circle hooks for bait methods, and to handle these beauties with much care — try to use wet hands, hold horizontally for photos and get the fish back in the water ASAP! The better we take care of these fish the more we will have for the years to come!