View Full Version : 5 pound Freshwater Drum.
We went to the bluffs up near Beaver damn today "Sat, 8-12-06". I ended up getting lucky enough to have this guy swim by me and present a shot. I was in 20 feet of water and about to end my dive when I saw what seemed like a huge tail fin swim by about 3 feet deeper and 10 feet away. Once I saw the scales I knew he was a shooter fish, I aimed and nailed the trigger. He peeled all 30 feet of line I had on my reel off in about 1/2 a millisecond and I thought for sure I had got a fish that was going to drag me around. Ended up I just swam to shore and he kept off of the bottom during the short but fun fight. Total weight was 4 pounds 11 oz on the veggie scale when we got home. Gun was a Sporasub Black Viper, 90 or 100cm I can never remember which.
Oh yeah no comments on the receding hairline :scratch:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d123/Omni123/DSC00880.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d123/Omni123/DSC00881.jpg
Omni
ETA: I would of had the pics show up without having to link them but my [IMG] code is turned off for some reason, It works in the test forums but not in this post??. :confused:
cool! do you eat those up there?
I am going to eat this one. This is the first FW Drum that I or anyone I know have seen. We new they were around but until today we had never seen one. I am thinking about firing up the grill tonight and adding some Italian seasoning.
Omni
scubadown16
08-12-2006, 05:19 PM
Did you remember to take the rocks out of its head??? If your not sure what they are. They are two pearl white stones behind the eyes and are really cool to see if you have never taken them out. Congradulations Nice work. Oh yea tell me how you like the taste? I have never tried drum how ever I have heard you'll have to lick your ass to get the taste out. Take care
James
Shot one down here a few years back, was real chewey, almost rubbery. dont shoot them anymore.
We will see how it tastes, I wasnt able to cook him today. I was also informed by my wife that he weighed 4 lbs 15 oz. Seems I read the scale wrong.
Omni
chuck41
08-13-2006, 10:53 PM
We will see how it tastes, I wasnt able to cook him today. I was also informed by my wife that he weighed 4 lbs 15 oz. Seems I read the scale wrong.
Omni
I don't think you will be overjoyed by the experience, but well-seasoned, they are not too bad. I would definitely eat them when really hungry. Watch out for the bones though. They have a more-than adequite supply.
sticknrelease
08-17-2006, 09:05 PM
I agree with Scubadown, they are a rough scaled carp like fish for a reason, God is trying to keep that nasty meat inside!
I just finished eating him and I was really impressed. The meat was flaky and white with nothing but normal fish taste. It seemed to flake easier than catfish but it did require more prep. I filleted him cut off all the red meat and all of the funny looking stuff. I let him set in the fridge since Saturday and gave the meat a good rinse today. Then I dipped him in some egg, rolled him in flour, cornstarch and a ton of Cavenders seasoning. Added some salt and fried him in veggie oil. I was quite impressed since so much was said about the taste being bad.
When I filleted him I did it different than most do. I slit down his backbone and behind his gills, I then proceeded to cut the meat out just like I was cutting out a deers backstrap. Once I got to the belly the meat ran out and I settled for the "upper shoulders". The only bone I had trouble with was the one that runs to the jaws/crusher teeth. After cutting around that I found no "floater" bones at all.
All in all I would not hesitate to shoot another one.
Omni
Also I only cooked one "large" piece. Everything else I cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks. I easily got enough meat to stuff me and two people could of ate him with some sides. Maybe all of you pissed off the cook when you tried it?
Omni
scubadown16
08-18-2006, 12:53 PM
Everyone has there personal likes and dislikes.... I am glad you were able to enjoy your catch... As for me I am still trying to bend over to lick my ass to get the taste out of it from when I ate my drum... How ever I don't believe I took the time you did to prepair my fish. I think I'll stick to fish that are more desireable.
James
Yep, I think that the time I spent on prep was well worth it.
Omni
Nice omni, I was just down at beaver this past weekend. I shot a drum too, i think...im from hawaii so i dont really know what all the fish look like yet...I filleted him and threw him in the deep frier with fish fry...I have to say that he was pretty good...Im starting to get a liking to the fresh water fish.
http://photos-635.facebook.com/ip006/v42/46/53/16902043/n16902043_31555635_1547.jpg
Stumpjumper
08-18-2006, 06:46 PM
They really are not that bad, they just take a little effot to clean.
We usually cook them in a courtboullion ( red gravy & roux) over rice.
On any given day, we may see as many as 30 or 40 of those, many in the 10lb range.
We no longer shoot them, since the pneumatics seem to spook the big flatheads.
Thats the prize!
55kg,
You didn't happen to be out at hwy 12 bridge a few weeks ago did you? The guys at the scuba shop were talking about a Hawaiian dude who was freediving and had so much bottom time that they thought he had drowned.
Omni
haha, I would like to say that it was me...but I didnt go to a scuba shop, but i was definetly off hwy 12 bridge...that was the first place i stopped. water was muuuuuurky! I'll be back down there probably over the second weekend of sept...we should go diving...
That must of been you they were talking about then. Another diver had seen you and was telling the owner about your bottom time when I walked in to get a new stringer. He said that the first time you went down he watched and you just didnt surfaace, he thought that you had drowned, anyways he was real impressed.
The water at 12 bridge is always murky, the best I have seen it is about 5 feet. If you want to try another spot we will be camping below Beaver dam next weekend "25th and 26th". We will be out at the bluffs Saturday morning, you are more than welcome to come. When I shot my drum we had vis of about 10 feet and a few weeks ago we were looking at 15-20.
Omni
ETA: just saw that it will be in Sept before you get back down. Shoot me a IM or email and we can set something up.
Omni
Was he an older guy? I was talking to some guy who swims there like everyday...I really wish i could make it down there next weekend...but i dont know if i can...im bout 7 hours away, i go to Iowa state...and my girlfriend is a razorback...ill def. try to make it, if i would go i would be down there on thursday and leave on saturday sometime. ill let u know..
Yes he was an older gentleman. No sweat on meeting up, if you make it fine, if you dont that is fine also.
Omni
chuck41
08-20-2006, 03:30 PM
They really are not that bad, they just take a little effot to clean.
We usually cook them in a courtboullion ( red gravy & roux) over rice.
On any given day, we may see as many as 30 or 40 of those, many in the 10lb range.
We no longer shoot them, since the pneumatics seem to spook the big flatheads.
Thats the prize!
Ever notice the "pharyngeal teeth" in those dudes? Now that is really strange.
http://www.royalcs.com/scuba/ouachita/index.html#thing
Since you and Omni have told us how to prepare them, I am going back out to try to find a gud ol big un.
Stumpjumper
08-20-2006, 04:21 PM
Ever notice the "pharyngeal teeth" in those dudes? Now that is really strange.
http://www.royalcs.com/scuba/ouachita/index.html#thing
Since you and Omni have told us how to prepare them, I am going back out to try to find a gud ol big un.
Which fish are you refering to?
kjflyfish
08-20-2006, 04:38 PM
Did you remember to take the rocks out of its head??? If your not sure what they are. They are two pearl white stones behind the eyes and are really cool to see if you have never taken them out. Congradulations Nice work. Oh yea tell me how you like the taste? I have never tried drum how ever I have heard you'll have to lick your ass to get the taste out. Take care
James
The "rocks" are called otoliths (ear bones) and are used by fish for balance. They grow rings similar to tree rings, adding one for every year. If freshwater drum are rare in that area, the otoliths could give good info to fisheries biologists who might be interested in freshwater drum statistics.
chuck41
08-21-2006, 08:54 AM
Which fish are you refering to?
The subject fish Re: 5 pound Freshwater Drum.
The one with rocks in his head and teeth in his throat.
I noticed them and the wife thought they looked cool. Didn't take the time to cut them out though.
Omni
SoCal Fisher
08-22-2006, 10:11 AM
I was visiting some family in Arkansas this summer and managed to do some spearfising too. I am used to diving in SanDiego and Catalina Island, so I didn't have very high hopes of finding clear water or challening fish. I was wrong though. My brother lives in Lead Hill, near Bull Shoals lake and I got hm into spearfishing and he loves it. He took me to an area called Chimney Rock and I tagged this drum. I'm not sure how much it weighed, but it was a toad! We deep fried it in dark beer batter and it was awesome. When I saw it, I was about 25ft. down and at first I thought it was a big carp. After I was sure I had a solid shot I realized it wasn't a carp. But as I'm swimming over to the bluff to try and get a hold of him, my dumbass brother shoots it again! I said "what the hell are you doing?" He told me he was just making sure my big carp didn't get away. I said to take a closer look at it you dumbass, and then he realized it was a drum. I also managed to get a few Blue cats and a couple crappie. For those of you who don't know, Bull Shoals doesn't have any weeds and the vis was really good. 15-20 ft. I was there in June and the water was temp was just right. I hear now the water is so warm there that the fish are too deep for my bro to find them(of course he could probably find them on scuba, but that would defete the whole purpos). ;)
I tell ya, the first time I dove in that lake it was creepy as hell to be kicking down and see these old dead trees looming out of the darkness.
scubadown16
08-22-2006, 07:16 PM
I take the "Rocks" out of every drum I get. People I know make jewelry out of them.
vBulletin® v3.8.1, Copyright ©2000-2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.