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catalog Sciaenidae · predator

black drum

Pogonias cromis

EstuarySea

A large coastal croaker with chin barbels, striped when young and dark grey when adult, that crushes shellfish and crustaceans. From the North American Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico.

Also called: miraguaia-negra, perombeba, black drum, big drum, banded drum

forecast for black drum where found
Scientific illustration of Black drum
common size
40–80 cm
maximum
170 cm
common weight
0.8–6.5 kg
record/max.
51.3 kg
depth
0–30 m
ideal water
18–28 °C
overview

who is the black drum

The miraguaia-negra, the black drum of American anglers, is one of the largest croakers in the Atlantic: it reaches 170 cm and 51.3 kg and lives up to 43 years. It inhabits coastal waters with sand and mud bottoms, especially where large rivers discharge, and also mangroves, and juveniles enter estuaries. It eats crustaceans, mollusks and fish, which it crushes with strong throat teeth. It matures at about 65 cm. It occurs from Nova Scotia to Florida and northern Mexico; in Latin America it is a fish of the Gulf of Mexico and Cuba. In Brazil and Argentina its relative is the miraguaia (Pogonias courbina), which is Critically Endangered on the Brazilian national list.

fun facts

  • Juveniles have four or five black vertical stripes on the flanks, which disappear with growth.
  • It can live 43 years, according to FishBase, and the swim bladder has many interconnected appendages.
  • The English name, drum, comes from the low sound the species makes with its swim bladder.
how to recognize it

identification

Tall, heavy body, silvery to very dark. Juveniles have four or five black vertical stripes on the flanks, which fade with growth. Pelvic and anal fins usually dark. The chin has five pores and 10 to 13 pairs of short barbels along the lower jaw, increasing toward the back: this is the surest clue. The miraguaia (P. courbina) of the South Atlantic has the same fringe of barbels; what separates the two is the fishing region.

how black drum fishing looks

Loading the next 7 days…

Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Western Atlantic: from Nova Scotia to Florida and northern Mexico. In Latin America it appears on the Mexican coast of the Gulf of Mexico and in Cuba.

Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms in coastal waters, river mouths, channels and mangroves; juveniles stay in estuaries.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Feb–May and Oct–Nov
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Present all year in the Gulf of Mexico; the best months tend to be late winter and spring, when adults gather near inlets. The sources consulted do not detail the spawning season by region.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Night and twilight. It tends to feed more at dusk and at night, near inlets and channels. Scientific sources do not detail the timing; the indication comes from bottom-fishing practice.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the black drum
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

A cold front slows activity in shallow channels; the fish drops back into deeper holes.

atmospheric pressure

A pressure drop ahead of the front usually produces a short spike in activity.

moon

Moderate effect; spring tides increase the current that brings food.

rain

It likes river-mouth areas; heavy rain that drops the salinity moves the school.

water level

Does not apply at sea; in estuaries, tide and river discharge decide where the fish feeds.

noise

Less wary than other croakers, but engine noise over the hole scares the school.

wind

Strong wind muddies the water and makes heavy casts hard; moderate wind does not get in the way.

tide

Fish the tidal current at inlets, channels and sandbar edges.

depth

Usually 2 to 15 m; larger adults use deeper holes and channels.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Natural bait on the bottomBeach fishingBottom fishing from a boat
rod
7' to 9', heavy action, 20 to 50 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 5000 to 8000 or high-profile baitcaster
line
braid 30 to 50 lb
leader
monofilament 40 to 60 lb, 40 to 60 cm
hook
circle 5/0 to 8/0

natural baits

  • cut crab or blue crab
  • shrimp
  • marisco
  • piece of mullet or sardine

accessories

  • sinker of 60 to 150 g
  • luvas
  • long-nose pliers
  • large landing net

tip from an angler

Use a whole crab or shrimp bait on a circle hook and let the fish swallow it: the bite is heavy and drags the line.

what the law says

rules for the black drum

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.

Brazil: IN MMA 53/2005 cites Pogonias cromis, but the Brazilian miraguaia is banned

65 cm (TL) under the old rule; catching the Brazilian species is bannedESRJSPPRSCRSSoutheast CoastSouth Coast

Annex I of IN MMA 53/2005 lists the miraguaia under the scientific name Pogonias cromis, with a minimum size of 65 cm total length from Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul. The miraguaia of the Brazilian coast is today treated as Pogonias courbina, Critically Endangered on the 2026 national list, and catching it is banned (see the miraguaia entry). The miraguaia-negra on this page, from the western North Atlantic, does not occur in Brazil.

Source: Instrução Normativa MMA nº 53/2005 (Annex I), MMA; Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026

Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day

5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish

In recreational sport fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, no more than 5 of the same species. The miraguaia-negra (tambor negro) is not among the species with their own limit (billfish, sharks, giant pescada, tarpon, dorado, roosterfish and baya). Fish above the limit must be returned alive to the water, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Fishing from a boat requires a permit, and sport fishing is banned in closed zones and seasons.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), signed Oct 14, 2013, items 4.3, 4.9.1, 4.9.5, 4.10 and 4.11 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

Large spawners, above about 65 cm (size at first maturity), are worth more alive: bring them in from shallow water carefully, without lifting them by the eye or gill, and release them quickly.

in the kitchen

Smaller fish are best for the table; large spawners are worth more released. FishBase gives no traditional recipes.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00912, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

—

sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on field experience from anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species and may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the rule and link. The fishing depth range, the common size and the ideal water temperature range, when FishBase does not give a value, are editorial estimates based on the species' biology.

  1. scientific FishBase: Pogonias cromis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Pogonias cromisNames by country and language. The name miraguaia-negra was adopted on this page from the English (black drum) and Spanish (tambor negro), to separate the species from the Brazilian miraguaia (Pogonias courbina).
  3. official NOM-017-PESC-1994, Para regular las actividades de pesca deportivo-recreativa en las aguas de jurisdicción federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (modificação de 2013)Daily limit of 10 marine fish and 5 per species (item 4.9.1), return of the excess (4.9.5), closed seasons (4.10) and sales ban (4.11). Text checked in the DOF on Oct 13, 2026.
  4. official Instrução Normativa MMA nº 53, de 22 de novembro de 2005: tamanhos mínimos de captura no Sudeste e SulAnnex I: miraguaia, cited as Pogonias cromis, 65 cm total length. The Brazilian species is today treated as Pogonias courbina.
don't confuse

similar species

Illustration of Miraguaia
SciaenidaeCR

Miraguaia

Pogonias courbina

The giant of the South Atlantic drums. Critically Endangered: fishing prohibited.

EstuarySea
time of yearbest: Oct–Dec
Illustration of Whitemouth croaker
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Whitemouth croaker

Micropogonias furnieri

The most fished fish on the beaches of the South and Southeast. Bites shrimp and corrupto on the bottom, by day and at night.

EstuarySea
time of yearbest: Oct–Mar
Illustration of Acoupa weakfish
Sciaenidae

Acoupa weakfish

Cynoscion acoupa

The largest weakfish on the coast, over 1 m. Hunts in murky water with the tide running, at dawn and at night.

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time of yearbest: Oct–Mar
Illustration of Red drum
Sciaenidae

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

Large croaker of the beaches and estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern United States, caught for sport. No record in Brazil: it was introduced in the Bahamas and Ecuador, where it is exotic.

EstuarySea