Targeting Drum...any tips?

[MSA]

Has anyone on here caught more than one or two a day on Sakakawea? They fight hard and hit a jig like a brick, so far all I have figured out for them is a jig n a crawler on rocky points...and even that only gets me the occasional one. Im also wondering if theyre bigger in certain parts of the lake? The biggest ive caught is maybe 7lbs, but mother of god that state record 26lb donkey! can you imagine that thing hitting your jig and then taking off like a runaway train. Was that just an absolute freak of nature, or have any of you regularly seen drum over 10lbs? Have any of you found a lure or bait that they wont leave alone?

 

[cooter00]

Fish lake eerie I went there and got a charter for walleye it was the first week of August we couldn't keep the drum off probably caught 20 of them in a couple hrs biggest was 16 lbs they were all huge

 

[Brian Renville]

We I was a kid I forgot to put the crawlers back in the fridge the night before. They weren't that nasty but bad enough to piss off my ol man and while he went to get more I sat in the boat and caught them as fast as I could reel in. That state record was a brute. He caught it on a spinner and crawler.

 

[SDMF]

Have you tried targeting them shallower in the water column with a slip bobber to keep bottom dwellers away? Hang whatever bait you want maybe 18-36" under a bobber. If nothing else you'll probably catch some magnum sized freshwater tarpon (skippies) that way.

 

[Twitch]

Fish one of the many tourneys up on sakakawea....every one I used to fish was good for several drum between 8-10 lbs it seemed just to frazzle the nerves

 

[Kurtr]

seems on oahe if we have the spinners to high of the bottom that the drum nail it. try an inline weight with some big blades about 10 feet off the bottom i bet you could pound the drum

 

[Wildyote]

Try in the back of bays with lindy and worm. I have caught plenty in backwater areas on oahe too. I would say there are more drum on the west end of Sak.

 

[sierra1995]

Biggest one i ever caught was in the canals west of west park lake. bottom bouncer, spinners and crawlers. Was just over 8 lbs, and shaped like a dinner plate!

 

[LBrandt]

die-no-might. long fuse. rain coat.

 

[guywhofishes]

Fish lake eerie I went there and got a charter for walleye it was the first week of August we couldn't keep the drum off probably caught 20 of them in a couple hrs biggest was 16 lbs they were all huge

that sounds fun and frustrating

 

[gonefshn]

Tips? Don't give up yet. It might take a little time but you'll learn how to catch eyes soon enough. ;:;blahblah

 

[Fishmission]

Biggest ones I see are in audobon. Caught one that was 12 plus last year. The year before my budy had one that was bigger than that.
Was targeting smallmouth in just a few feet of water right off the bank. Years ago I caught some crawdads and used them bank fishing on Sak near the intake off the rocks using slip bobbers a few feet down. We could not keep the drum off.

Buddy holding lasted year's drum

 

[Duckslayer100]

You do realize that if you specifically go out to target drum, you'll catch nothing but walleyes. I hope you enjoys getting harassed by those "trash" fish.

Then again, you may be on to something.

Ehem, I'd like to formally announce that I will be SPECIFICALLY targeting drum, sucker and carp this summer. Just so the power's that be realize that...

 

[fly2cast]

Are you going to eat the drum? I do. They are pretty good.

 

[KDM]

Biggest drum I've come across were in the Honey Hole of the tailrace. Didn't get any weights, but double digits were in the mix. Jig and a third or half a crawler chasing walleyes. Caught catfish, walleyes, sauger, drum, suckers, northerns, and one big carp. It was a fun day to say the least. Always yanking and pulling on something. Late July if I remember right and from late afternoon til way after dark.

 

[Walleye_Chaser]

Are you going to eat the drum? I do. They are pretty good.

:;:huh

 

[Captain Ahab]

I could help you a bunch on the Red, but not on that end of the state. I got a 10+ pounder that really messed with me one day. Most are 1.5-3.5lbs though.

 

[powerman]

Not the first time I have heard that drum is good. Haven't tried it myself though.

 

[sig357]

Seen a gew nice ones in New Johns lake. Even got one bowfishing out of New Johns. I ate a smaller one last year and it was pretty good. Caught that one out of the river. As far as targeting them seems like a crap shoot. But spinners and jigs were always the tools that caught em.
This one was shot with a bow.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Not the first time I have heard that drum is good. Haven't tried it myself though.

I've come across some Russian/Slovakian folk that really like them. English is tough, but drum is easy in their minds.