Caught my first drum, and was amazed at how hard it fought for its size. Looked up to see if they were good to eat and found this story on a Bass Pro article and thought it fit for Halloween.
“Can you hear the drum singing, Bill?” I asked. He said nothing for a long time as if thinking. Then he told me a story. “I heard them one night a long time ago when I was fishing here with an old river rat who lived on an old boat at the mouth of the White. He said a long time ago one of those big paddle wheelers was steaming up the river not too far from here. It was nighttime and the steamboat was all lit up and the folks on board were having a good time. An orchestra was playing music, then suddenly the steamer hit a snag and sank. All the people on board were lost. The Mississippi just swallowed them up. The old man said that sound you hear is the sound of the orchestra that drowned. Every year their ghosts come back and play the same eerie melody over and over again.” “ You believe that?” I asked. “Well, you and I both know it’s just a bunch of freshwater drum making that noise. That’s how they got the name drum. Every year when they are ready to spawn the males sing to their sweethearts and make that strange noise. Every time I hear it though, I can almost see the paddle wheeler coming up the river and hear the orchestra playing inside.”
I love catching drum. Very hard fighters. They are terrible to eat.
Gordon
Loc: Charleston South Carolina
That's a hood story Apollo. Salt water drum sound the same.
They are a hard fighting fish hard to keep a hold of them also to get the hook out of the mouth lol. Buddy of mine said his grandmother used to grind them up and make fish cakes out of them he said his grandfather loved them. I've never ate one personally😁👍
My first big black drum caught today on cut mullet
Nice Drum.
Thanks for pic. JKnotts
And thanks for the Story Apollo.
BD
Probably more than you want to know...
Jknotts wrote:
My first big black drum caught today on cut mullet
Welcome to the stage! Congratulations that is a great fish, and makes mine look like a minnow!
WiBob wrote:
Probably more than you want to know...
Thanks for the research publication! My brother-in-law told me that drum were strictly a bottom feeder which this publication shows otherwise, and that I caught it on a crankbait. I released this fish, but think next time I catch one, will see how they taste. Thanks again!
Please post again if you do give it a try Apollo. My brother and I have been discussing it for a couple years but can't seem to get over the mental hurdle. It doesn't help that our river was pretty badly polluted during our childhood (pre-Clean Water Act for you old timers) and the only fish we would catch were carp, bullhead, and drum. It's a nice clean smallmouth river now, but we still seem to have some reservations about the drum.
Thanks for the welcome Sir
mbrillhart1957 wrote:
I love catching drum. Very hard fighters. They are terrible to eat.
Soon as the hook is out put them on ice. After filleting place them in a bucket and use a jet nozzle to wash them until water is clear of foam. It's all in the handling ! Drum are the only fish I bring home from the Mississippi river !
agatemaggot wrote:
Soon as the hook is out put them on ice. After filleting place them in a bucket and use a jet nozzle to wash them until water is clear of foam. It's all in the handling ! Drum are the only fish I bring home from the Mississippi river !
Thanks for the tip, it is appreciated!
agatemaggot wrote:
Soon as the hook is out put them on ice. After filleting place them in a bucket and use a jet nozzle to wash them until water is clear of foam. It's all in the handling ! Drum are the only fish I bring home from the Mississippi river !
Jet nozzle will that tear the fillets up🤔
Rhyno
Loc: Santa Rosa,California
Congratulations on the couch! But from what I have heard, they are a catch and release fish, very bad on the pallet🎣
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