# Fresh water drum ?



## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Drum , buffalos , sheepshead , whatever you call them. Anyone know of a decent clean water place ( not Erie ) to catch them ? The only place I know of where they can be caught often enough to target them specifically is Erie where they can usually be caught as easily as falling off a log but since I have an interest in eating them and they are bottom feeders I kinda want to avoid Erie.


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## shore warrior (Apr 5, 2015)

I had one this year from Erie. They get a bad rap, but it was really good, I know it's an ugly fish, but it was really good honestly. Will you boiled it in salt water after we cut it into strips. Then we had cocktail sauce with it. It was freaking awesome!!

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

I use to get them at dale hollow in tn fishing for other fish. but haven't fished it in probably 20 yrs.
sherman


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

Ive made a dish before called poor mans lobster. You fillet a drum, cutting away all the red meat so your left with all white fillets Cube these up then boil the cubes Stick them with cocktail sticks and dip in a good horseradish cocktail sauce They actually do taste like lobster
I guiltily admit I fed these to my kids before I tried them. They were my guinea pigs when they were younger They loved it tho As for the sheepshead, theres alot in the Maumee. Wiers rapids and Grand Rapids would be good spots to target them


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

how do you figure they are bottom feeders in Erie? we catch them as we are trolling for suspended walleye and they are feeding on the same yozuri stick bait or spoon as the walleye... they even put up a better fight than a walleye. perhaps elsewhere they are bottom feeders, but not in central basin of Erie.


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

Here is a link to a Cleveland article on sheepshead. 
http://ediblecleveland.com/stories/summer-2012/bringing-in-the-sheepshead

btw, watch out for the Lake Erie yellow perch, i hear they are poisonous. (read the article...)


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

Attached file is a recipe for sheepshead from Montana Outdoors.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

privateer said:


> how do you figure they are bottom feeders in Erie? we catch them as we are trolling for suspended walleye and they are feeding on the same yozuri stick bait or spoon as the walleye... they even put up a better fight than a walleye. perhaps elsewhere they are bottom feeders, but not in central basin of Erie.



They aren't strictly bottom feeders but their mouth points downward indicating that's where they predominantly feed and they are usually caught at or near the bottom. I know they aren't strictly bottom feeders but compared to some other species that's what they are usually considered.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Ive ate them before as a kid but its been a long time. I seen some recipes for them on youtube and really they seem like an unutilized source of fishing fun and food since a lot of people consider them trash fish. Fish from lake erie kinda give me the creeps though , seems like there should be a cleaner source around somewhere but so far I haven't heard of any


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

yonderfishin said:


> They aren't strictly bottom feeders but their mouth points downward indicating that's where they predominantly feed and they are usually caught at or near the bottom. I know they aren't strictly bottom feeders but compared to some other species that's what they are usually considered.


you are right about their mouth structure. perhaps in another 10,000 years they will adapt to have a mouth like the walleye or steelhead since they tend to fight more like steel. note that i strictly did not say "evolve" as while i believe in adaptation, i do not believe in evolution... if evolution were true, why are there still monkeys? (humor - don't start a creation vs evolution fight)


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## M R DUCKS (Feb 20, 2010)

Google:
are lake erie fresh water drum safe to eat
or/and
*2019 Ohio Sport Fish Health and Consumption Advisory*
*Advice for anyone who eats fish caught in Ohio. *


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## matticito (Jul 17, 2012)

I've seen enormous buffalo cruising around Chicago shores of lake michigan.

Aren't drum in Hoover?


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

didnt catch as many drum this year, usually we get some beasts trolling but this year not so much..


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## thegrump1 (Jan 20, 2011)

Here in southern Ohio the creeks and streams I frequent for bass fishing I always manage to catch a few sheephead. Use ned baits alot and the sheephead really seem to love them. Fish in the 4-5 lb range are not uncommon. Expect I would catch more with live or cut bait but I really don't target them. Then again maybe I should if they are as good to eat some of you say they are.
Anyway, in my experience, if you fish in areas that hold bass you will probably find sheephead.


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## Kayaking_Kev (Jul 18, 2018)

I been catching a lot of them at Bresler Reservoir on a 1" Gulp Minnow while fishing for Slab Bluegills. I'm getting ready to post a video of it.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Kayaking_Kev said:


> I been catching a lot of them at Bresler Reservoir on a 1" Gulp Minnow while fishing for Slab Bluegills. I'm getting ready to post a video of it.



Please do post a video of it that would be interesting


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

In years past Ive caught a lot of them while fishing for perch at Huron pier. When I brought them in caught from the front side of the lighthouse I released them on the back side so I wouldn't keep catching the same ones. The drum are so easily caught there that looking back I almost wish I kept them. Problem is , even keeping perch out of there makes me ill when I think of how much sewage and other crap is in that water , some days you can even smell it. When the perch are biting there you sometimes catch two at a time ( well , inbetween the gobies and drum anyway ) and often just as soon as the bait hits bottom , its a great time but that water is seriously nasty and it bothers me to eat fish out of there.


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## Kayaking_Kev (Jul 18, 2018)

yonderfishin said:


> Please do post a video of it that would be interesting


I posted the video shortly after I replied to your post, did you get a chance to see it?


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Kayaking_Kev said:


> I posted the video shortly after I replied to your post, did you get a chance to see it?



No , I don't see it. Where did you put it ?


Nevermind , I just found it on your youtube channel. Thanks


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