How To Find & Catch Black Drum Around Bridges & Piers
- By: Capt. Peter Deeks
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing, Black Drum
This is just a small clip from Capt. Peter Deeks’ upcoming course, The Underwater World of Inshore Saltwater Fish.
Most anglers have never seen footage of black drum like this before.
In this short preview from the full course, you’ll see how black drum actually position around bridges and pilings, how they feed along the bottom, and why small bait placement adjustments can make a huge difference when fishing bridges and piers.
And this is only scratching the surface.
The full course is loaded with underwater and drone footage showing how inshore saltwater fish truly behave around structure, current, bait, and changing conditions.
This full course is officially live, and all current VIP and LIFER members get FREE access.
Inside, Captain Peter Deeks goes DEEP into what inshore saltwater fish are actually doing below the surface around:
- Inlets & Passes
- Bridges & Piers
- Flats
- Open Water Structure
- Shoreline Structure
If this preview blew your mind a little… just wait until you see the full thing!
If you already have access to the course, click here to start watching all the lessons.
If not, click here to grab the course.
Where Do Black Drum Position Around Bridges & Piers?
One of the biggest takeaways from this footage is just how tight black drum stay to the bases of bridge pilings and heavy structure.
A lot of anglers are fishing too far away from the pilings entirely…
Or too high in the water column.
Capt. Peter shows how these fish are often glued to the bottom right beside the structure.
Why Is Bottom Presentation So Important For Black Drum?
Black drum are bottom feeders.
In this footage, you can clearly see how they move along muddy and shelly bottom looking for crabs, oysters, clams, and other food sources.
That’s why keeping your bait pinned to the bottom is such a huge deal around bridges and piers.
What Baits Work Best For Big Black Drum?
Capt. Peter explains that bigger baits often help target bigger fish.
Half blue crabs are one of the best options for giant drum, while shrimp can sometimes attract smaller fish like catfish and sheepshead before the drum get to it.
Why Do Some Bridge Pilings Hold Fish While Others Don’t?
One interesting point from this lesson is how active you need to stay when targeting black drum.
If you’re not getting bites near a section of pilings…
There’s a good chance the fish simply aren’t there.
Moving to another stretch of structure can make a huge difference.
How Do Giant Schools Of Black Drum Behave?
The underwater footage also shows the difference between isolated fish sitting near pilings and giant migrating schools moving through deeper water near bridges.
These schools can become extremely aggressive and competitive when feeding.
Final Thoughts
Watching black drum underwater completely changes the way you think about fishing bridges and piers.
And this short clip is only a tiny sample of what’s included in Capt. Peter Deeks’ upcoming course, The Underwater World of Inshore Saltwater Fish releasing May 27th.
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great video and tips. I do a lot of bridge fishing so I now have more info for getting them. Thanks
Gonna watch it right now. Heading to the Jetty tomorrow morning with my son looking for some slots and putting this to use. ! Appreciate you sharing. See you out there.
Peter, Thanks for the info. I do the same thing when I am in the IC in North Carolina. I grew up in the FL area, where you are fishing. Cocoa was home for many years.
Super cool David….small world! Thanks for the positive feedback 🙏💪
Thank you Peter very interesting video can’t wait to do all this probably in Texas it’s closer to home
Thanks James!
Excellent footage and analysis. Thank you Peter and anyone who helped to make it possible.
Very Cool footage…now I know….Thanks Peter !
My nephew has taken me fishing for sheepshead near bridge pilings. Didn’t get into any drum – but now I know we can cast around a bit away from the structure to see if there are any drum around. Thanks for these tips!
we used to catch very large black drum from the Gandy bridge in Tampa at night with crabs around the pilings from the catwalk. Some of the fish were over 40 lbs. Great fight but you don’t want to eat them because they are full of worms. It always amazed me that these large fish had a soft bite because they inhaled the fish- it most cases you only felt the line get taught. If you are in Tampa give it a shot
Thanks Peter for another well presented video.
Thank you Scott!