| Other Fishing Articles |
John N. Felsher's Other Fishing Adventures
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Articles and photos on this website are for the viewing pleasure of patrons of this site. All articles and photos on this site are protected by the copyright laws of the United States. Any unauthorized usage is strictly prohibited. If you wish to purchase an article or photo, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Articles and photos on this website are free for your viewing pleasure, but it takes money to keep this site up and running. If you would care to help keep this site up and running for the use of all outdoors patrons, you can make a cash contribution. If you care to donate, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Protected by Copyright |
| How you can help keep this site operating |
Lowly freshwater drum can provide
big-game excitement on light tackle
big-game excitement on light tackle
Noe Garcia of Zwolle, La., shows off a freshwater drum, or gaspergou
he caught at Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Louisiana-Texas state
line. Looked upon with scorn by many people, freshwater drum can
provide plenty of sport on light tackle.
he caught at Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Louisiana-Texas state
line. Looked upon with scorn by many people, freshwater drum can
provide plenty of sport on light tackle.
About 12 feet down, the big fish grabbed the live shad and started
running for deep water, making the drag scream.
“Got one,” I shouted. “Feels like a good one.”
I envisioned breaking the state smallmouth bass record as a huge
brown object appeared beneath the greenish river waters. Upon landing it,
we determined that the fish easily outweighed the largest smallmouth on
record, but it didn’t make the books. In fact, it didn’t even make the livewell.
On the Tennessee River, Alan Norris and I caught about 30 freshwater
drum in a few hours. Abundant, underutilized and growing to more than 50
pounds, freshwater drum provide outstanding action for anyone who wants
to fish for them. They offer anglers incredible sport and an opportunity to
catch huge fish without spending enormous amounts of money.
“Drum are an overlooked and under appreciated species,” said Jerry
Crook, a Tennessee River guide. “Often, when people catch drum, they
are pleasantly surprised by how much fun it is. Until it comes to the
surface, people don’t know what kind of fish they have on the other end of
the line. It’s fun fighting big fish.”
In Louisiana, people call drum “gaspergou.” Other people call them
sheepshead, croaker, grunt, white perch, rock perch, grinder, silver bass,
thunder pumper, lake drum, bubbler and several other names not fit to
print. Biologists call them “Aplodinotus grunniens.” In Latin, “grunniens”
means “grunting.” A freshwater drum makes sounds with muscles that
vibrate against its swim bladder. It may also croak like a bullfrog when
taken from the water. In the days before electronic fish finders, anglers
used to listen for the drumming before fishing.
Among the most populous and widespread fish in North America,
freshwater drum range from Hudson Bay to Guatemala. They inhabit lakes
and rivers from the Rockies to the Appalachians. Although freshwater drum
prefer large rivers with little to moderate current, they also thrive in deep
reservoirs. They prefer open water or water with isolated hard structure to
vegetation. They often hang around the dams along the Mississippi, Ohio,
Tennessee, Red, Arkansas and other major rivers and their tributaries.
Related to black drum and similar saltwater species, freshwater drum
closely resemble their marine cousins. Deep-bodied and equipped with
long dorsal fins divided into two sections, freshwater drum usually look
silvery, bronze or brownish-gray depending upon their habitat.
Although they make exciting sport, few people intentionally fish for
them. People might catch drum when targeting catfish, crappie, bass or
other species. Hoping to entice smallmouths, Norris and I caught our drum
by clipping small split-shot sinkers about two or three feet above hooks
baited with live shad. As we drifted downstream, the sinkers bounced over
the rocky bottom, but with three feet of leader, the shad could swim
somewhat freely above the bottom.
“Drum can be caught in droves by drifting a live minnow, shad or shiner
on just a hook and a split shot,” Crook said. “We also catch drum catfishing
with cut bait or stinkbait.”
Opportunistic feeders, drum eat crawfish and other crustaceans, night
crawlers, shad, minnows, cut fish and many other natural baits. Primarily
bottom feeders, they occasionally strike morsels on the surface. Where
water boils from running turbines on river dams, anglers sometimes see
drum smashing shad on the surface. They might think they stumbled upon
a school of feeding striped bass or smallmouths.
In sandy or muddy areas with isolated rocks or shell beds, they
overturn rocks to search for crawfish, insects and other aquatic animals.
With plates of crushers in their throats, freshwater drum can smash snails
or mussel shells. Therefore, they serve a beneficial service by eating huge
quantities of noxious zebra mussels. Anglers sometimes “bait” an area with
cracked clams to attract drum.
Occasionally, drum strike lures. When feeding on shad, they may hit
silver, blue or grayish crankbaits or Rat-L-Traps. They might also take a
white spinnerbait or a chrome jigging spoon. Infrequently, they hit small
jerkbaits or topwater poppers. On bottom, drum often hit plastic worms,
jigs, grubs or creature baits. As many bass anglers discovered, soft plastic
minnows, tubes or crawfish creations make excellent temptations, especially
those with build-in or added scent.
Although not for everyone, few freshwater species allow anglers to
catch such large species and plenty of them with little or no competition
from other anglers. Abundant, large, aggressive, widespread and easy to
catch on almost any bait, they also offer children and inexperienced anglers
opportunities to learn how to fight big fish.
running for deep water, making the drag scream.
“Got one,” I shouted. “Feels like a good one.”
I envisioned breaking the state smallmouth bass record as a huge
brown object appeared beneath the greenish river waters. Upon landing it,
we determined that the fish easily outweighed the largest smallmouth on
record, but it didn’t make the books. In fact, it didn’t even make the livewell.
On the Tennessee River, Alan Norris and I caught about 30 freshwater
drum in a few hours. Abundant, underutilized and growing to more than 50
pounds, freshwater drum provide outstanding action for anyone who wants
to fish for them. They offer anglers incredible sport and an opportunity to
catch huge fish without spending enormous amounts of money.
“Drum are an overlooked and under appreciated species,” said Jerry
Crook, a Tennessee River guide. “Often, when people catch drum, they
are pleasantly surprised by how much fun it is. Until it comes to the
surface, people don’t know what kind of fish they have on the other end of
the line. It’s fun fighting big fish.”
In Louisiana, people call drum “gaspergou.” Other people call them
sheepshead, croaker, grunt, white perch, rock perch, grinder, silver bass,
thunder pumper, lake drum, bubbler and several other names not fit to
print. Biologists call them “Aplodinotus grunniens.” In Latin, “grunniens”
means “grunting.” A freshwater drum makes sounds with muscles that
vibrate against its swim bladder. It may also croak like a bullfrog when
taken from the water. In the days before electronic fish finders, anglers
used to listen for the drumming before fishing.
Among the most populous and widespread fish in North America,
freshwater drum range from Hudson Bay to Guatemala. They inhabit lakes
and rivers from the Rockies to the Appalachians. Although freshwater drum
prefer large rivers with little to moderate current, they also thrive in deep
reservoirs. They prefer open water or water with isolated hard structure to
vegetation. They often hang around the dams along the Mississippi, Ohio,
Tennessee, Red, Arkansas and other major rivers and their tributaries.
Related to black drum and similar saltwater species, freshwater drum
closely resemble their marine cousins. Deep-bodied and equipped with
long dorsal fins divided into two sections, freshwater drum usually look
silvery, bronze or brownish-gray depending upon their habitat.
Although they make exciting sport, few people intentionally fish for
them. People might catch drum when targeting catfish, crappie, bass or
other species. Hoping to entice smallmouths, Norris and I caught our drum
by clipping small split-shot sinkers about two or three feet above hooks
baited with live shad. As we drifted downstream, the sinkers bounced over
the rocky bottom, but with three feet of leader, the shad could swim
somewhat freely above the bottom.
“Drum can be caught in droves by drifting a live minnow, shad or shiner
on just a hook and a split shot,” Crook said. “We also catch drum catfishing
with cut bait or stinkbait.”
Opportunistic feeders, drum eat crawfish and other crustaceans, night
crawlers, shad, minnows, cut fish and many other natural baits. Primarily
bottom feeders, they occasionally strike morsels on the surface. Where
water boils from running turbines on river dams, anglers sometimes see
drum smashing shad on the surface. They might think they stumbled upon
a school of feeding striped bass or smallmouths.
In sandy or muddy areas with isolated rocks or shell beds, they
overturn rocks to search for crawfish, insects and other aquatic animals.
With plates of crushers in their throats, freshwater drum can smash snails
or mussel shells. Therefore, they serve a beneficial service by eating huge
quantities of noxious zebra mussels. Anglers sometimes “bait” an area with
cracked clams to attract drum.
Occasionally, drum strike lures. When feeding on shad, they may hit
silver, blue or grayish crankbaits or Rat-L-Traps. They might also take a
white spinnerbait or a chrome jigging spoon. Infrequently, they hit small
jerkbaits or topwater poppers. On bottom, drum often hit plastic worms,
jigs, grubs or creature baits. As many bass anglers discovered, soft plastic
minnows, tubes or crawfish creations make excellent temptations, especially
those with build-in or added scent.
Although not for everyone, few freshwater species allow anglers to
catch such large species and plenty of them with little or no competition
from other anglers. Abundant, large, aggressive, widespread and easy to
catch on almost any bait, they also offer children and inexperienced anglers
opportunities to learn how to fight big fish.
