Fishing for Freshwater Drum

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FRESHWATER DRUM FACTS

BOTTOM FEEDERS that eat mollusks, snails, crayfish, small fish and insects.

MOST COMMON in 5’ – 60’ of water. May go shallower at night.

TOLERATES muddy water, but definitely prefers clear water with clean bottoms.

ALL TACKLE World Record is 54-pound, 8-ounce fish from Tennessee taken in 1972.

PENNSYLVANIA State Record is a 19-pound, 14-ounce drum taken in 1994 from the Monongahela River.

FISHING FOR FRESHWATER DRUM

Wham!

You have a nibble, the rod bounces, you strike to sink the hook. The “Wham!” is the fish pulling the rod down even further as the two of you begin the fight we all seek.

Regardless of a fisherman’s pet target, we all love the thrill of the bite and the sinking of the hook into something solid. Something heavy enough to contest our pulling ­ something that doesn’t give up, keeping a throbbing bow in the rod.

Many a western Pennsylvania angler has had that fight ­ a battle with a freshwater drum. The targeted walleye or perch may not have performed well. Yet, the freshwater drum hits and the adreneline rush is on. Even when the sought-after species are cooperating, drum are often the largest and hardest fighting fish taken.

The freshwater drum has the familiar profile of the many saltwater drum species. Like the Atlantic croaker, a saltwater cousin found in the Chesapeake Bay, the freshwater drum will often make a croaking sound.

Making a trip specifically for drum makes sense. You’ll be fishing for a common, easy-to-catch fish. This drum is abundant in the 3- to 7-pound range. And when fishing for it, flipped roles will make catching a nice walleye, perch or channel cat great incidentals.

The baits of choice for these drums are night crawlers and minnows. The main goal is to keep the bait next to bottom where the drum feeds. Any bottom reaching rig gets the job done.

Learning from the Great Lakes’ walleye fishermen, walleye spinners are deadly on drums. They could justifiably be called drum spinners. As with walleye, dressing the spinner up with a juicy night crawler will more than double the catch. These can be cast, drifted or trolled.

If you’ve never caught a drum, then a trip to Lake Erie or the Ohio River could be in your future. In my experience, drums are more dependable than many other species. A trip for them should bend your rod enough to make a repeat trip certain.

They are available for both bank and boat fishermen. Drum can be taken on most any kind of tackle, so go get ’em. Have fun!