Freshwater Drum on a Berkley Pit Boss : )

[J.Vincent]

Went fishing for Largemouth today in Southeast Michigan. I was pitching a Berkeley Pit Boss along a reed line where I generally catch Largemouth in May; and caught a Godzilla sized Freshwater Drum. I didn't have a scale to weigh this monster but it was half as long as my body, and way rounder than a regulation football. Is there anyway to calculate the weight ? Or does anyone have a guestimation on the weight ? 

[Bluebasser86]

I'd guess somewhere in the 14-16 pound range. I've caught them up to the low 20lb range, doesn't look quite that big, but that's a nice one, well into the double digits for sure. 

[J.Vincent]

Also the length was calculated at just over 2 1/2 of my size 10 hiking boots. So conservatively between 31 and 32 inches

[J Francho]

That is a tank!

 

This one was 17 lbs.

[scaleface]

I tried eating one of those huge drums and it was the worst . The stones in its hear were cool though .

[TnRiver46]

On 4/23/2019 at 10:45 AM, scaleface said:

I tried eating one of those huge drums and it was the worst . The stones in its hear were cool though .

Are you trying to send me on another snipe hunt?? I cut ones head all open and found no rocks. I think it's what my elders tell me to pull my leg 

[Tennessee Boy]

I would say that fish is a little over 15lbs.   My grandfather used to tell me that when he was a kid,  people liked to eat drum. He said his parents liked them more than catfish.

[TnRiver46]

18 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I would say that fish is a little over 15lbs.   My grandfather used to tell me that when he was a kid,  people liked to eat drum. He said his parent liked them more than catfish.

I've eaten 3 of them. Not bad 

[Bluebasser86]

On 4/25/2019 at 12:01 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Are you trying to send me on another snipe hunt?? I cut ones head all open and found no rocks. I think it's what my elders tell me to pull my leg 

I watched my uncle cut one out, they're a real thing. Maybe like a pearl in a oyster in that not every one has them?

 

On 4/25/2019 at 12:23 PM, Tennessee Boy said:

I would say that fish is a little over 15lbs.   My grandfather used to tell me that when he was a kid,  people liked to eat drum. He said his parent liked them more than catfish.

My uncle prefers them and gar over about anything, but he's a bit of a strange individual so take that for what it's worth. Lots of folks around here eat them though. The bigger ones mainly eat fish and craws, so it makes sense they'd be decent eating fish. 

[BASS302]

On 4/25/2019 at 10:01 AM, TnRiver46 said:

On 4/23/2019 at 7:45 AM, scaleface said:

I tried eating one of those huge drums and it was the worst . The stones in its hear were cool though .

Are you trying to send me on another snipe hunt?? I cut ones head all open and found no rocks. I think it's what my elders tell me to pull my leg 

I think they are fish ear bones - otoliths.  They can supposedly be used to estimate the age of the fish.

[Log Catcher]

The stones are real. I have some I cut out of some years ago. There is one bank we would fish out of aluminum boats. If the wind was calm and you drifted along not using the trolling motor much they would stay with us under the boat making there noise with those stones against the bottom of the boat for a long distance down that bank.

[TnRiver46]

I’ve heard them make the noise but dad gum if I couldn’t find the rocks . Seemed to me like it’s head was one big rock 

[smr913]

I mean they are related to redfish, which were considered a trash fish until relatively recently. If the water is clean I don't see why they wouldn't be good to eat. They more closely resemble a Black Drum which are also tasty. 

[Bluebasser86]

14 hours ago, smr913 said:

I mean they are related to redfish, which were considered a trash fish until relatively recently. If the water is clean I don't see why they wouldn't be good to eat. They more closely resemble a Black Drum which are also tasty. 

This is always my argument when people automatically dismiss them as trash fish. 

 

I'll never eat them, but I don't crappie or walleye either because I don't like the taste of them so I wouldn't be a good judge. Lots of people love to eat channel catfish, which eat all sorts of junk, while larger drum feed almost exclusively on fish, craws, snails, and mollusks. 

[soflabasser]

Nice freshwater drum, I have caught a couple of them while fishing up north. They remind me of the black drum I catch in South Florida.