Oldies but goodies

For Capt. Bobby Brewer of Baldheaded Bobby Guide Service, September can never come fast enough. That’s when he said the waters around Oriental and New Bern are at their peak for old drum.

“September is typically the second month of old drum season, but it’s when we have the most fish in the area. The weather in August always takes a toll on the fish, but when they feel even the slightest hint of cooler weather coming on, it makes a big difference in how they feed,” said Brewer.

Many anglers spend a lot of time concentrating on bait balls at the surface, and Brewer said that’s always worth a try. But he said when the big drum under those bait balls aren’t responding, it’s best to find other bait balls down in the water column.

Brewer said anglers can catch these fish in a variety of ways. Bottom fishing using cut mullet or cut menhaden for bait with an Owen Lupton rig is very popular. He also uses popping corks with artificial lures quite a bit. Spoons are also good choices. And other times, he uses hard baits like 1-ounce Rat-L-Traps, and topwater lures.

When he’s using those hard lures, he replaces the treble hooks with single hooks. This helps protect the fish, and it also makes it much easier for the angler to remove the lure.

“You can really catch them good with a variety of tactics this time of year. I also fly fish for them, and that can be a very exciting way to catch them,” he said.

When flyfishing for these huge fish, Brewer suggests anglers use a 10-weight rod with a floating line spliced to a 6-foot leader tied to a popper. Then tie a 2-foot, 40- to 50-pound leader to the popper, with the other end tied to a sinking fly.

The release

No matter what type of gear you’re using, Brewer said fighting these fish is pretty simple, at least on paper. His goal is to land the fish as quickly as possible, but that doesn’t mean he wants his anglers reeling non-stop.

“Landing them quickly is safer for the fish, so we want to tire them out in the quickest manner we can. So when the fish is running to your left, point your rod tip in the opposite direction. And when it turns its head, then point your rod tip in the other direction,” he said.

This makes it easier for the angler to get the fish to the boat, get the hook removed, then get the fish revived. During long fights, these fish expend much more energy, so they have a longer recovery time, and that makes them vulnerable to the conditions, as well as to sharks.

“If you want a picture, take a good one or two, then get the fish back in the water. Then the next one you catch, just leave it in the water and unhook it. It’s going to look pretty much like the last one you photographed. So minimize the risk to more fish by just releasing them while they are still in the water,” he said.

Most years, Brewer sees the biggest numbers of bull drum through about the second week of October, but he sees slight changes in that timeline depending on the weather.

To book a trip with Brewer, check out his website at baldheadedbobby.com, or call 919-349-6112.