How to target drum?

MSA · May 29, 2015

I can target pike and catch nothing but pike, and the same goes for many other species of fish. about 4 years ago I decided to keep a couple drum I caught and see how they filleted out and tasted, well they rate a 9 on the fillet scale, an 8 on the fight, and a 10 on the taste. some of the best tasting freshwater fish in my opinion.

My problem is I can never target them with any success, much less ever count on catching one. So far the only thing I have narrowed down is rocky points on sakakawea, and random in the tailrace, but even then I still only get one or two if I am lucky.

Have any of you had any success and caught more than a couple of these in one day? what were you using? how and where were you fishing? it seems they'll hit anything from minnows to smelt and cranks to jigs.

Kurtr · May 29, 2015

It seems we catch them when letting cranks out alot so maybe they suspend. Never targeted them but caught a bunch on oahe 2 years ago.

squirrel92 · May 29, 2015

Used to catch them all the time drifiting a slip bobber with a chunk of nightcrawler on the red fishing for cut bait.

guywhofishes · May 29, 2015

MSA said:
I can target pike and catch nothing but pike, and the same goes for many other species of fish. about 4 years ago I decided to keep a couple drum I caught and see how they filleted out and tasted, well they rate a 9 on the fillet scale, an 8 on the fight, and a 10 on the taste. some of the best tasting freshwater fish in my opinion.

My problem is I can never target them with any success, much less ever count on catching one. So far the only thing I have narrowed down is rocky points on sakakawea, and random in the tailrace, but even then I still only get one or two if I am lucky.

Have any of you had any success and caught more than a couple of these in one day? what were you using? how and where were you fishing? it seems they'll hit anything from minnows to smelt and cranks to jigs.

on the Red I normally caught them often while targeting other fish of course - once I stumbled into them I usually left or switched tactics because they interfered with catching cats or eyes I was targeting

I guess I misspoke when I said they are easily targeted in the Red - at least in a "specific" sense that you can catch only drum. The Red is so crawling with fish of all types in good zones that you will be forced to endure goldeye and cats while pursuing drum.

I have had many dozen-plus drum days and quit fishing or changed tactics because of them.

I would say a floating jig with crawler or minnow with a 6" lead is the numero uno presentation in the Red for drum if I was to target them

Now you have me thinking I have to figure the drum-specific targeting thing out - thanks for the thought Thumbs Up

I will report back when I try but it'll be a while - the Red is about to flood again : (

KDM · May 29, 2015

The few times a year I have the opportunity to fish the Tailrace, I seem to catch lots of drum on a 5 inch paddle tail jig. They hit in that 6-10 feet of slower water right along the rocks. A guy might load up on them by using a bobber rig with a minnow or crawler drifted right down the rocks. IDK, I've really never targeted them, but they're a pretty good tug on the line when you get one.

Captain Ahab · May 29, 2015

I was told by an old river rat that he caught a bunch of smaller crayfish for bait one time to try them and the drum went nuts for them. They are pretty easy to catch on the Red at times. This spring I had a 30-40 drum afternoon trying to target walleye.

Brian Renville · May 29, 2015

That's a good question. I have caught plenty of them both river and lake minnows and crawlers but I really haven't seen any pattern to it. I know they fight a lot like a walleye in the river current though. I can say I've caught more drum quickly at boat ramps, pretty sure that means nothing strategy wise(dumb luck the likely culprit) but that is where I have caught the most by far. When I was about 8 my dad and I put the boat in at bear den(near New Town) and he had a "gotta go" moment. Well there was a temporary facility up towards a popular for the time camping spot and he started walking that way. I still can't stand and wait without fishing so I threw on a crawler and a lindy rig and tossed it in. Easily a drum every minute, just hammering them. Well this went on for as long as it took, can't trust the witness time of an 8 year old catching fish that's for sure, and my ol' man returned and we went around the corner and stopped at the first point to start with the spinners and bouncers. Now after I told the ol' man about my luck he gave me a "no kiddin'?" and a little fake laugh, that laugh was gone once he opened the first carton of used to be crawlers. "Where's the worms?" I had nothing. All I did was put my hand up and say "I told you I caught fish!" He had nothing, except a couple containers half empty of carwlers, didn't say a word for about 5 min then I hear "you better hope we don't run into a school of little perch." Didn't hear about it again til we went fishing again with some of his buddies. He had obviously went to the bar and told the story and his buddies never let me live that one down. They thought it was the funniest thing since they left a 6 year old in the warm pickup with a couple pounds of turkey and goose jerky while they went to set tip ups, jerky didn't stand a chance.

svnmag · May 29, 2015

He had obviously went to the bar and told the story and his buddies never let me live that one down. They thought it was the funniest thing since they left a 6 year old in the warm pickup with a couple pounds of turkey and goose jerky while they went to set tip ups, jerky didn't stand a chance.[/QUOTE]

Freakn' awesome DBS!

iceman1944 · May 29, 2015

MSA said:
I can target pike and catch nothing but pike, and the same goes for many other species of fish. about 4 years ago I decided to keep a couple drum I caught and see how they filleted out and tasted, well they rate a 9 on the fillet scale, an 8 on the fight, and a 10 on the taste. some of the best tasting freshwater fish in my opinion.

My problem is I can never target them with any success, much less ever count on catching one. So far the only thing I have narrowed down is rocky points on sakakawea, and random in the tailrace, but even then I still only get one or two if I am lucky.

Have any of you had any success and caught more than a couple of these in one day? what were you using? how and where were you fishing? it seems they'll hit anything from minnows to smelt and cranks to jigs.

Agree 100 per cent. Lake audubon off the shore line just left of the boat ramp in July egg sinker 18 in leader hook and nightcrawler also, across the road near the intake/outflow off the rocks same set up. check this out when i catch them i call them Gaspergou! :;:howdy

5575 · May 29, 2015

Just enter one of the big tourneys on sak and concentrate on catching a big "tourney fish" it works every time!

MSA · May 29, 2015

5575 said:
Just enter one of the big tourneys on sak and concentrate on catching a big "tourney fish" it works every time!

Haha, no shit!

svnmag · May 30, 2015

Contact Geddy Lee or Alex Lifeson. They have good success:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47yxLg2RyXM

SDMF · May 30, 2015

1/2 crawler on a Lindy/floating jig anywhere on the Red. You're not so much targeting drum as much as everything in the red that lives within ~18" of the bottom, which is a whole lotta fish.

huntorride365 · May 30, 2015

I always thought they probably hang out by themselves, as I've never had a double on drum. They will make you think you've got a nice walleye for a while.

NodakBuckeye · May 30, 2015

Interesting reading many comments about drum being tasty, I like them. In Ohio, most guys on Erie won't allow sheepshead in their nets, let alone eat one. Erie has some real bruisers in it; not uncommon to catch one close too or over 30". Doesn't seem to matter in what- they hit everything and they will come up high to eat on Erie. Fun to catch but will admit to dissapointment after seeing the board go under and your 34 inch walleye turned into a 22" sheepshead on the way to the boat.

MSA · May 30, 2015

I will admit that every drum i have ever caught fooled me into believing i had a big walleye on my line. a small drum hits and fights just like a 10 lb eye.

guywhofishes · May 30, 2015

Strange - they aren't an impressive fighter lb for lb in the Red.

Rowdie · May 30, 2015

I caught five today on cranks, and they are one fish that will feel like walleye. I noticed today that their head shake is a little more violent than a walleye though.

muskelllunge13 · May 30, 2015

svnmag · May 30, 2015

That was horrible.

How to target drum?

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