Jknotts Loc: Texas

Actually they are a slot fish 14"-30" and one over 52"

Apollo Loc: Grand Lake, Ok

Thanks Rhyno! I have heard that they are not good to eat also, but if I catch a smaller one again may have to give it a try and see for myself. Tried a bite of fried carp when I was in the service many moons ago and lived through that, however have not eaten carp since. Will post if I actually eat one.

WiBob Loc: NE Wisconsin

For those trying to keep up at home, the freshwater drum from the original post isn't quite the same creature as the monster black drum in jknotts photo.

forrest r Loc: NE ohio

Caught countless 1000's of them in ne ohio in lake erie. One of my favorite things to do is shore fish for them using my 9' catfish rods & 2OZ sinkers. This gets the crappie rigs I use out 50/60yds which mean I get 50/60yds of pure fun fighting the sheephead reeling them in.

A bunch of different ways to clean & eat the fresh water drum (sheephead). Fillet them as you would any other fish skinning them also. Then cut the dark veins out of each side/fillet and soak the fillets over night in milk. The deep fry the fillets with your favorite batter the same way you would deep fry any other fish.

Fillet the drum the same way as described above and soak them in milk overnight. The next day take the fillets out of the milk and rince them off & drop them into a pot of boiling salt water and boil until cooked. Pull the fillets out of the boiling water and let them cool to the touch. Make up a garlic and butter dip (or whatever you like) & enjoy the poor man's lobster. You can also make a poor man's crab meat cocktail this way by cutting the fillets into +/- 1" pieces.

They are excellent broiled also. Fillet them & cut the dark veins out and soak the fillets in milk for at least 2 hours. Then mix 1/4 C French dressing, 3 T soy sauce, 3/4 t ground ginger and use +/- 2 lbs sheepshead fillets. Put the fillets in a 12 x 12 inch pan and and pour that mixture over the drum fillets. Place the pan about 4" from the broiler/heat source and cook for around 15 minutes or until the fillets flake apart.

They are down right tasty by simply broiling them (as described above) with salt & lemon pepper and lemon juice squeezed over them before broiling.

Anyway just keep in mind that drum (sheephead) are an oily fish. Cutting the dark vein out and soaking them in milk cuts down on their "game taste".

WiBob Loc: NE Wisconsin

Finally, an expert weighs in. Thanks Forrest!

Apollo Loc: Grand Lake, Ok

Thanks for the tips and the recipes Forrest! My wife does not like fish with a strong taste, so appreciate the advice on getting rid of the gamey taste. Hopefully I can get her to try some!

forrest r Loc: NE ohio

No big deal

Keep in mind that any spices can go into a pot of boiling water. The water will not only take the oil/taste out of the fish. It leaves a blank slate that what you use for spices will fill/paint.

Sort of like pork, you can easily make pork taste like anything you want after you mask the true taste of it. Hence a little smoke/bbq/spices.

Any cook/chef will understand what they are trying to manipulate. The hardest part is to neutralize what you don't want/like and leave a clean/neutral fillet to flavor to your taste.

The less you can manipulate the taste of the fillet the more you have to deal with it's actual taste/flavor.

nutz4fish Loc: Colchester, CT

Thanks for the info.... I hear they are around here ( Connecticut) but have occasionally fished for carp, cats, bullheads, suckers, for over 60 years and never caught one nor has anyone I know. Sometimes ya just gotta try something that goes against prevailing wisdom. I eat white suckers that I sometimes catch incidentally while trout fishing, in the spring. I harvest stocked trout for friends, as I don't care for it to eat. But the suckers are tasty to me. Many turn up their nose, but that's their right. Otherwise if I don't injure a fish, I C&R.
If no heath advisory exists, why not try a "lesser" fish for the table ? Worst case ya waste a bit of oil, Flour, salt/pepper and maybe some herbals from the garden. Then make something else to eat.