Eat those Drum!

[Sam]

All my life I've sort of despised the Freshwater Drum, and I bet many here consider them a "trash fish" like I always did.  I think it's because every Drum we catch is a disappointment at the time - they're a strong, hard-fighting fish that we struggle to get in, especially on light tackle.  When I get ahold of one I always think I've got something GOOD hooked (thinking/hoping - "Well, it's strong as all get-out, it's not coming to the top like a bass, it's not fast like a white bass, not really jerking like a catfish, so maybe, just maybe, I've got a BIG walleye!").  Then I get it in and it turns out to be a dang Drum.  ☹️

But I did a little thinking and then some online reading.  Drum are the only freshwater members of the croaker family, and their two closest relatives are Redfish around Florida and the Gulf Coast and Yellow Croaker in the Pacific.  I've caught both while saltwater fishing, and they're both good eating.  Drum rib bones are NOT forked like those of carp and the meat isn't full of tiny bones like suckers, etc.  They filet out like any normal fish, and the fillets are thick white meat with a good texture and mild flavor.  There's a thin layer of darker meat on the outside of each filet that can be trimmed off if you want - I didn't.

So, this spring and summer I've been keeping and filleting Drums when I catch them.  My wife and I have frozen some and eaten some fresh, working our way through the many online recipes I've found.  I'm not going to include links to recipes - just search for "freshwater drum recipes" and there's plenty.  I've got orders from my wife to always bring Drum home now, and she describes the flavor as "a little like catfish but milder".  We like 'em!

[Johnsfolly]

31 minutes ago, Sam said:

So, this spring and summer I've been keeping and filleting Drums when I catch them.  My wife and I have frozen some and eaten some fresh, working our way through the many online recipes I've found. 

Congrats on trying out an underutilized species. I have not eaten freshwater drum, but eat the salty drum species and like those guys. I know that larger black drum due get wormy. Not sure if that is the same with freshwater drum. Just something to consider on those bigger guys.

Keep catching them and enjoy them with your family!

[Dutch]

My older brothers used to go drum fishing on the King’s when I was a kid.  They caught crayfish in Flat Creek for bait.  They liked to eat them but I never developed a taste for them.

[MoCarp]

Their meat is a touch firmer and flaked fillets are perfect for California style sushi and fish tacos

[liphunter]

Many time I have drug one in and wondered what they would be like. I think maybe sometime this year I am going to find out. Thanks for the input.

[BilletHead]

3 hours ago, Sam said:

All my life I've sort of despised the Freshwater Drum, and I bet many here consider them a "trash fish" like I always did.  I think it's because every Drum we catch is a disappointment at the time - they're a strong, hard-fighting fish that we struggle to get in, especially on light tackle.  When I get ahold of one I always think I've got something GOOD hooked (thinking/hoping - "Well, it's strong as all get-out, it's not coming to the top like a bass, it's not fast like a white bass, not really jerking like a catfish, so maybe, just maybe, I've got a BIG walleye!").  Then I get it in and it turns out to be a dang Drum.  ☹️

But I did a little thinking and then some online reading.  Drum are the only freshwater members of the croaker family, and their two closest relatives are Redfish around Florida and the Gulf Coast and Yellow Croaker in the Pacific.  I've caught both while saltwater fishing, and they're both good eating.  Drum rib bones are NOT forked like those of carp and the meat isn't full of tiny bones like suckers, etc.  They filet out like any normal fish, and the fillets are thick white meat with a good texture and mild flavor.  There's a thin layer of darker meat on the outside of each filet that can be trimmed off if you want - I didn't.

So, this spring and summer I've been keeping and filleting Drums when I catch them.  My wife and I have frozen some and eaten some fresh, working our way through the many online recipes I've found.  I'm not going to include links to recipes - just search for "freshwater drum recipes" and there's plenty.  I've got orders from my wife to always bring Drum home now, and she describes the flavor as "a little like catfish but milder".  We like 'em!

                           One that we like Lobster imposter ,

 

 

[netboy]

When we lived on North Padre Island (Corpus Christi) we used to catch quite a few saltwater black drum. We liked the meat better than redfish or speckled sea trout. There is a thriving commercial market for them down there. They are not considered a game fish like the redfish and speckled trout so it is legal to sell them.  The commercial guys catch them on long trotlines. They were fun to catch on a fly rod as they feed in very shallow water and it is mostly a stalking game and then sight casting to them.

As Johnsfolly said, the larger ones (over about 25") are not worth keeping as the meat is coarse and they typically have worms in the meat.

I have never caught a freshwater drum, but I don't see why they wouldn't be great eating.

[snagged in outlet 3]

5 hours ago, Johnsfolly said:

Congrats on trying out an underutilized species. I have not eaten freshwater drum, but eat the salty drum species and like those guys. I know that larger black drum due get wormy. Not sure if that is the same with freshwater drum. Just something to consider on those bigger guys.

Keep catching them and enjoy them with your family!

I've caught and eaten the saltwater black drum before.  Couldn't tell the difference from a redfish.  Are the freshwater ones the same??

[MOPanfisher]

I have eaten several drum.  Always seemed like one or two out of the bunch would be rubbery and rkugh, while the rest would be just fine, taste was mostly dependent of what you seasoned it with.

[Seth]

I grew up eating a lot small drum that we'd catch on the MO River on worms. They were one of my favorite fish. They had to be small ones like what the guy has in the video though. If they got much bigger, they would start to get a sort of rubbery texture.