US Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service and US Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Ecology Group, Biological Report 82(11.51), 1986George, Gerald. Ohio State's Sea Grant Program printed the Guide to Utilizing the Freshwater Drum, which includes more information about freshwater drum and detailed instructions for preparation. Editors.
Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico); Biological Report 82 (11.51); US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service; and US Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal Ecology Group Waterways ExperimentGeorge, Gerald.
Freshwater drum has a reputation for tasting bad, but that could be the result of its diet in some waters.More likely, though, it is the drum's reputation as a "trash fish"—arguably it is not— and its resemblance to such "rough fish" as carp and suckers with their down-turned mouths and large, rough scales.
Facts About 6 of the Most Common and Popular Sunfish SpeciesThe Bream Species: Sunfish, Bluegills, Shellcracker, Warmouth and MoreHow Anglers Can Help Prevent the Spread of Exotic Species Master's Thesis, Louisiana State University, p. 6Black Drum. Fish over 15 lb can become tough and have a consistency comparable with chicken, rather than the flakey texture of many species of fish. www.fishbase.org, version (07/2009). US Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service and US Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Ecology Group, Biological Report 82(11.51), 1986Black Drum. Freshwater drum
Acoustic Tagging of Black Drum on Louisiana Oyster Reefs: Movements, Site Fidelity, and Habitat Use. Freshwater drum fish, Aplodinotus grunniens, are a native, freshwater fish with the greatest range of any fish in North America. It can also be made into a bouillabaise or chowder and works well in fish tacos or as fish kebabs. Even so, drum is underrated when it comes to its reputation as a table fish.
Younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor from Pogonias cromis, Froese, R. and D. Pauly. For the best flavor, put the fish on ice as soon as you catch it.
Unlike trash fish like carp and suckers, the drum does not have numerous small Y-bones. Its main diet consists of insect larvae, mussels, and, in some waters, small fish. Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico). Fish Bioindicators of Ecosystem Condition at the Calcasieu Estuary, Louisiana. Another reason I came to love drum fishing is the size these brutes attain. Anne Henderson-Arzapalo, Robert L. Colura, Anthony F. Maciorowski, Journal of the World Aquaculture Society Volume 25 Issue 2, Pages 289 - 296
It has been found that freshwater drum larger 10 inches will eat zebra mussels in rivers and lakes. Check locally to see if spearing black drum is legal in your area. USGS National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, LA, Open-File Report 2004-1323Ken Schultz's Essentials of Fishing, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010, p. 70-71Ken Schultz's Essentials of Fishing, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010, p. 70-71Ken Schultz's Essentials of Fishing, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010, p. 70-71George, Gerald. Small to medium size drum are 10 to 17 inches and have a better texture than larger drum, which have have a tough texture.
2007. Recent research has been done on the freshwater drum as a possible means of controlling the invasive Zebra mussel in northern lakes and rivers.