The loved, and dreaded drum. Release, kill, or eat?

[SpurHunter]

I have seen so many reports of folks catching drum, and have been wondering some things about this hard fighting fish. I think I even remember a report from around Hiwasse/I-75 where a guy caught dozens of them while LM fishing one day. It may have even been "team-d" from Knoxvegas?</p>

Here are some thoughts, please add anything you have read, heard, experienced. Thanks</p>

1) There seems to be a VERY abundant population of them in the TN river system.</p>

2) I dont know of anyone really eating them to my knowledge.</p>

3) I hear they have "pearls" behind there eyes, but obviously need to be killed to harvest them. </p>

4) Has there been any research about benefit, or negative affects of them?</p>

5) Would removing more of them from the river help or hurt?</p>

6) As they seem to be caught by a lot of bass fisherman, are they also consuming  food that the bass are after?</p>

7) Is it legal to kill one, and throw it back in the river? (wanton waste issue?) </p>

8) Do you think it would benefit other species to do so?</p>

 

[Guest]

They are on the TARP list. They are mostly bottom feeders. If you want their pearls then all you have to do is follow after the gillnetters. I have gotten disgusted and quit counting in the 40's one day watching a netter down by Burns Isl. Throwing the dead ones back in the water. We don't need to start a panic and have an all out assault on the drum. The very small ones are o.k. if they are baked with butter and salt and pepper. Kinda oily texture. Since they are worthy of a TARP and gracious enough to be easy to catch certain times of the year.(Take a kid and watch them catch drum so big they can barely hold them up).... I say let them be. My.02

 

[SpurHunter]

Excellent point Whisler!

 

[Guest]

Personally I don't know why the CPR guys don't target the drum. They fight better than any bass and don't hurt a thing. I guess it's a pride thing.emoBigsmile

 

[SpurHunter]

There is no D.R.U.M. club I guess. If there was I wonder what these letters would stand for??

 

[flip1up]

Theres a 2-3 week time period, I think its in March, that you catch them all day below Nick Dam. With or without current. My 2 boys have said those trips have been more fun than any other for them. I like to use spinning tackle and 8 pound test. 1/2 ounce spoons usually never make it to the bottom along the walls if they are in there thick. You can usually catch all the live bait you want with a net during this time. I never kill any fish in the river unless I'm taking it home. They are loads of fun to catch and pretty easy to target. You will know when its the right time when you start seeing pics and posts about it. When I was a kid I cut ones head open to see what the "pearls" looked like. I remember thinking they looked like small rounds of cartlidge or something like that.

 

[DHaun]

The larger smallmouth I have caught the past couple years felt like big drum when they first hit. When my son caught his big smallmouth I basically told him to horse it on up thinking the way it fought was just like a big drum....only to see a 5-1/2 lb smallmouth come up next to the boat!

One of the first big fish I ever caught as kid was a nice drum that made my day and really got hooked on chasing bigger fish...so I think they are great for some smiles and teaching young ones how to fight a big fish! I try to be careful and revive them just like any other fish I release.

 

[fishinvol]

Apparently I am one of the few that hate drum. Now if I catch one I don't kill it or anything, but I have only caught a few that gave me any kind of fight at all. They usually just spin around, but are heavy enough to make it feel like a fight. They obviously have a place in the food chain, so they can't be completely worthless just mostly.emoLaugh ( Just my opinion)

 

[Guest]

Chris you ought to catch one about 15 or 20 pounds on some 4 pound line.emoDance emoBigsmile

 

[keithcatfish]

I like them and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Last fall I caught one that was easily 35 pounds below Ft Loudon Dam while striper fishing. I thought it was going to pull my arms off. Best fight I ever had by far. I don't target them but they are a "bonus' fish in my book.

 

[Guest]

SpurHunter - 12/4/2007 8:09 PM]

1) There seems to be a VERY abundant population of them in the TN river systemQUOTE]Yeah it seems that way.

2) I dont know of anyone really eating them to my knowledge.

I have, not my favorite, but not horrible. I fried mine, might be better some other way. They are related to the saltwater redfish, which most people consider pretty good eating so maybe try some blackened

3) I hear they have "pearls" behind there eyes, but obviously need to be killed to harvest them.

My understanding is that the pearls are otlith ear bones, same ones biologist use to age fish

4) Has there been any research about benefit, or negative affects of them?

Don't know but here is a good website to find research: http://afs.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=search-simple

5) Would removing more of them from the river help or hurt?

I highly doubt you could remove enough to make a difference

6) As they seem to be caught by a lot of bass fisherman, are they also consuming  food that the bass are after?

Don't know, maybe you will find something in the research link I gave above and report back to us

7) Is it legal to kill one, and throw it back in the river? (wanton waste issue?)

I don't know, but I don't think it would be very ethical, at least take it and use it for fertilzer

8) Do you think it would benefit other species to do so?

Nope, they been there along time and have there place in the ecosystem.

 

[Guest]

oh my, I don't know what is up with all them linesemoScratch

 

[Fishin Fool]

Well I have to give them points. There have been many days when a drum has livened things up in the boat on an otherwise boring day. I was thankful to catch them. I've gotten into big ones before and thought they were going to wear me out before I got them in. So I agree with Steve, leave 'em be and enjoy them.

 

[drumking]

The disappointment from catching a drum probably comes mostly from bass fishermen who are so intent on catching a huge smallie or largemouth that catching anything less than what they target receives the same amount of disdain. They should just chill out and enjoy whatever jerks on their line. Unless they are the jerk on the other end of the line. emoBigsmile

I enjoy catching anything that swims. A 3 oz bluegill gives me a thrill as much as a 1 pound crappie. It's not the catch as much as the thrill of fooling a fish in his own environment into biting something that is not real. I'm not railing on live bait fishermen or trollers, but that is cheating. emoPoke JK. One of these days a live bait fisherman is going to invite me to go along and I'm gonna be begging for a minner before the day is over. I can just see it coming. emoLaugh

Drum are just lazy fish. They may be big, but they are just lazy fish, usually swims in slow circles when hooked and don't resist too much at the boat. They take good pictures. They are brown colored and have a smallmouth. Even if it is turned down, just pretend that it is a world's record smallie and it will help your attitude a whole bunch. Fishing should be fun! emoBigsmile emoGeezer emoFish emoDance emoTeacher emoAngler

 

[flip1up]

Good comments here. I have had different experiences with large Drum though. I think they fight extremely hard. Sometimes they will fight til their death it seems. I have caught 15 pounders while flippin a jig on a short line that nearly jerk the rod out of your hand on the first run. The smaller ones dont have the power and seem wimpy. The only time I'm dissapointed in one is during a tournament and I think maybe its a big Bass at first. But you usually figure out its a Drum when it wont come up. I'm glad that people have different opinions on topics like this though, if we all thought alike it sure would be boring.

 

[Dropshot]

I was fishing a night tournament two years ago out of Chester Frost. I had just caught two large bass, a 4lb largemouth and a 3.5 smallie when on the next cast I had a hard strike on a 4 inch finesse worm with megastrike attractant. Fought the fish for twenty minutes or so, by which time the realization had set in that I either had hooked a monster catfish or a drum. Ended up being a monster drum. Sure was fun to catch, but it was a downer that night. I have caught several in the past, usually on scented baits. I did catch a nice one in August right before I caught my big meanmouth on a spinnerbait in shallow water.

 

[fishinvol]

drumking - 12/8/2007 10:49 AM

The disappointment from catching a drum probably comes mostly from bass fishermen who are so intent on catching a huge smallie or largemouth that catching anything less than what they target receives the same amount of disdain. They should just chill out and enjoy whatever jerks on their line. Unless they are the jerk on the other end of the line. emoBigsmile

I enjoy catching anything that swims. A 3 oz bluegill gives me a thrill as much as a 1 pound crappie. It's not the catch as much as the thrill of fooling a fish in his own environment into biting something that is not real. I'm not railing on live bait fishermen or trollers, but that is cheating. emoPoke JK. One of these days a live bait fisherman is going to invite me to go along and I'm gonna be begging for a minner before the day is over. I can just see it coming. emoLaugh

Drum are just lazy fish. They may be big, but they are just lazy fish, usually swims in slow circles when hooked and don't resist too much at the boat. They take good pictures. They are brown colored and have a smallmouth. Even if it is turned down, just pretend that it is a world's record smallie and it will help your attitude a whole bunch. Fishing should be fun! emoBigsmile emoGeezer emoFish emoDance emoTeacher emoAngler

I fish for several species of fish and pound for pound I don't think drum can hang with most of the other sport fish. I feel the same about a blue catfish( I know I'll catch crap for that comment).emoGoofy

 

[foodsaver]

let me know when you catch a bass that pulls as hard as a 30 lb blue

 

[Guest]

You won't be hearing anything on that request Craig.emoBigsmile

 

[MrWiskers]

I love the poor misunderstood drum. They basically have the same feeding habits as bass and target crawfish and shad. Drum to my knowledge and experience are NOT scavengers and I have never caught one catfishing with cut bait. They L.O.V.E. crawfish imitations and can be caught in the spring in the shallows while bass fishing. The old saying is when you catch drum you are fishing in the right spots to find bass. Someone told me they used to be fished commerically for use in making fish sticks but I have been unable to confirm this. As far as fighting I have caught 15 lb drum that have fought as hard as any fish but have also caught 15lb drum that quit just after hook set. I would put the drum even with blue cats for fight, kind on the weak scale pound for pound when compared to flat heads, channels and bass. They seem to fight better in the spring for some reason. One interesting fact is that drum are the only fish in the Tennessee river that have floating eggs.

Give the drum some love!!!!!!