4 Best Fishing Lures For Black Drum (When To Use & How To Rig Them)

Want to know what the best lures for black drum are?

Many people think that you can only catch black drum on live baits, such as blue crab, but there are several lures that I’ve used to catch a ton of BIG black drum.

Want to see what they are?

Watch the video below.

Best Lures For Black Drum [VIDEO]

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The best times to use lures for black drum are when you’re sight fishing for them or they’re schooling up on the flats.

If you’re fishing for them around bridges it can be more difficult to catch them with lures, but if you know exactly where they are thanks to your fish finder, it’s definitely possible.

Another thing to consider when targeting black drum with lures is the type of lure to use.

Black drum are usually nosing around in the grass and mud looking for crustaceans, so you’ll want your lure to mimick these food sources.

Another tip is to place your lure in front of their face while they’re nosing in the mud and grass to increase your chances of hooking up.

And finally, one more tip is to use scent.

Black drum are using their noses to find food and using scented lures or adding scent can help, too.

Now, onto my four favorite lures for catching big uglies.

Gulp Jerk Shad

I’ve caught lots of black drum on a 5″ Gulp jerk shad in the camo color.

This color has a green back with a red belly, but watermelon works well, too.

I usually like to rig it on a 1/8 oz jig head.

Black drum have small, tough mouths, so jigs heads work great because they’re small and the hook is exposed.

You can get the gulp jerk shad from Amazon here.

Chasebaits USA Crusty Crab

Since black drum are usually digging in the mud or grass for crabs, it’s easy to see why this lure works so well.

It’s 2″ long, it imitates a crab well, and is small enough to fit in their small mouths.

It’s best in water that’s clear because since it’s small and looks just like a crab, it relies on black drum seeing it.

One thing I do to increase the effectiveness of this lure is dab on a little bit of Pro-Cure gel in the blue crab scent on it.

You can get this lure from Amazon here.

Slam Shady Paddletail

This lure doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest.

I don’t usually put scent on it, and it doesn’t imitate a crustacean like some of the others, but I’ve actually caught lots of black drum with it.

And it’s not just me—watch the video below.

The thing about paddletails is that black drum need to be in an aggressive feeding mode for them to work.

You can work it slowly on the bottom on a jig head if they’re tailing, or you can use a lighter jig head, keep it higher in the water column and drag it in front of a school of black drum to get a strike.

Get the Slam Shady paddletail from our shop here.

Gulp Shrimp

My favorite lure for black drum is a 3″ Gulp shrimp in the New Penny color.

I’ve caught more black drum on this one lure than any other soft plastic.

I like to rig it with a 1/8 oz jig head and toss it in front of schooling or tailing drum.

Get these Gulp shrimp from Amazon here.

Redfish & Black Drum School vs. Slam Shady [VIDEO]

What an awesome video!!

Get the Slam Shady paddletail from our shop here.

Conclusion

Although most people only think about using live bait for black drum, I’ve had lots of success catching them with these lures:

• Gulp shrimp
• Slam Shady paddletail
• Gulp jerk shad
• Chasebaits USA Crusty Crab

I have the most luck when they’re out on the flats, but you can also catch them with lures in passes and inlets if you know exactly where they are.

Have any questions about using lures to catch black drum?

Let me know in the comments below!

And if you know someone who wants to catch more black drum this year, please TAG or SHARE this with them!

Now, the thing about catching black drum with lures is that they only work if you’re in the right spot.

If you want help finding the best fishing spots in your area, click here to learn more about the Insider Club.

Related articles:

• The Best Lures For Redfish (Surprise Answer With Video Proof)!
• Massive School Of Drum Inhaling This Lure (All Caught On Film)!
• How To Catch Black Drum (Plus Free PDF Catch Card)

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