Fresh Water Drum

[Bucky]

Never caught one, but they are a very cool fish. They have numerous large pharyngeal teeth (teeth in the throat) that they use to crush mollusks etc. Really neat to see those.

[Kaboom1]

Thats it---the sheephead has been thrown !!!

Im bargaining for a dock up your way in may and june---ill get the "dough god" and we can have a sheephead tournament when they are on the beds. Fly Only!!!--- You're gonna need a 10 wt---none of those pamby wamby 3 wts.

Looser samples some cedar planked sliders .

Mike

I'm in Buddy! Let me know when and where the dock is amd we will get together and beat the lake to a froth!

Brad

[FishnDave]

The first one I remember catching was sightfishing off a dock at Lake West Okoboji in NW Iowa. It was 19.5" long. I was 13, and my grandparents had taken my cousin and my sister and I up there to vacation for a week. The resort had a weekly contest...biggest (longest) fish of the week would win a prize. Even though I was nervous all week as I watch guys fishing from boats bring back nice smallmouth bass and some northern pike, I ended up winning! I got a nice new Diawa spincast rod & reel.
Because of this, Freshwater Drum will always be special to me.
I did a little research trying to figure out how much the 26" fish in my picture would weigh. I never did find a good conversion, since I didn't measure its girth, just its length. But I did discover that even though the can grow to 40-50lbs (very rarely), my fish was a very large specimen and would likely have been at least 15 years old! Plus, I also discovered it qualifies me for an Iowa Master Angler Award. SWEEET!

[wgflyer]

Haven't got one on a fly, yet, but I've caught quite a few on jigs with plastic grubs, so I know they'll readily take a fly. Drum in these parts average roughly 2 to 6 or 7 pounds and their characteristic battle mode seems to be an initial drive for deep water that is very persistent. They really make the drag sing. I have noticed that they lose steam after the initial bursts of energy. But if you tie into one you better have your drag set properly.
Enjoy them. They're great fun.
Bill

[Bluegill222]

My best luck has been on small minnow patterns, very sparsely tied clousers, crawfish, and large dark nymphs. I've eaten a few, a bit oily, but not bad. On neat little fact, their native range is the largest north to south range of any fish out there and can be found from Manitoba clear south to Guatemala. Very adaptable critters indeed.

[Panman]

I want to thank all of you for the education. FishnDave the pictures are great and the others have been a basket of information on this fish.

As far as I know there are not any drums in Oregon, but if there was I would like to give them a try.

Thanks Again

Tim

[hungNtree]

My Dad caught one when I was a kid. We weren't sure what it was, but my Great-Uncle knew what it was and he kept and ate it. If memory serves he said they were more bone than fish? Maybe somebody with more experience and a better memory will come along and tell us for sure. I bet they'd be a lot of fun on a fly.

hNt

[shorthaul]

I did a little research trying to figure out how much the 26" fish in my picture would weigh. I never did find a good conversion, since I didn't measure its girth, just its length.

FishnDave----the 28's that i was getting ran around 12#---a 28" walleye runs 7-8#---Im going to guess that your 26 was between 8 and 10#

Mike

[FishnDave]

FishnDave----the 28's that i was getting ran around 12#---a 28" walleye runs 7-8#---Im going to guess that your 26 was between 8 and 10#

Mike

Thanks Mike. I caught this one while fishing for white bass , largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and walleyes that were up on a shallow flat chasing shad! It was a great fight! I've caught others on lures, so I'm sure I can get one on a fly someday...but I'll definitely have to be in the "right place at the right time"!

[biot midge]

I catch drum quite frequently while fishing for stripers in the Arkansas River.







Most of mine were caught on clouser minnows or rabbit strip streamers.
Steve