Large Bull Red Drum

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Lower Bay
Location: Solomons, MD right outside mouth of Patuxent River

My dad, brother, and I took a charter out with Capt. Don Layton aboard the Jeanie's Catch out of Solomons over the Labor Day weekend. We started to jig with light tackle under a big bait ball right outside the mouth of the Patuxent and after some mediocre success, hooked into the big bull red drum. After getting spooled twice and chasing the fish down successfully, we managed to get as much of it as would fit into our landing net and got it in the boat. This was my first red drum ever and it measured 45 inches and approximately 40 pounds. After a couple quick pictures, it was successfully released and swam away fine. The rest of the trip we managed to land a couple bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and undersize rockfish. But this was definitely the highlight of a great trip.

Present in the attached photo, from the left: Father, Al Miller, and son, Shaun Miller.