Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Don't worry, we don't spam. Black drum are basically harvesters. I have eaten them and I think they are as good as Black Drum or Red Drum (freshly caught in Nags Head. large sharp spines and a razor-edge gill cover make handling and ... Their skin and scales are close to armor plate. Here’s how Capt. Black drum are edible, but fish over 15 lbs should be released as they can become tough and have the consistency of chicken rather than the flaky texture of most other species. x2!! It is really good in a tomatoe sauce. The drum is a bottom hugger, as you soon find out when you hook one. Newsletter. Once its fried to a golden brown color take it and put it into a flour tortilla with some lettuce strips and a spicy chipotle mayo. Chefs in New Irleans think so. 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The freshwater drum, one of the most wide-ranging species in North America, can be good to eat if prepared properly. Louisiana and most Gulf states have abundant black drum that are fairly easy to catch with some skill and prayer. Favorite foods include bivalve mussels and insect larvae. Poll: What Will Be The Outcome Of The LSU-Alabama Game? The best live bait for black drums is shrimp and crabs. They will root around on the bottom looking for food in the grass, sand and mud. When to Get it: With a season that peaks in the winter months, Black Drum can offer a nice change of pace for those willing to fish with their coats on. All rights reserved. I will have to try them next time.do they have a lot of bones in them like freshwater drum or are they more like reds.I have a young son and a picky wife so cant feed them a lot of bones.I would eat them if it was me but got to keep the wife happy.I just hate wasting fish. The bellies of older fish are white but coloration of backs and sides can vary greatly. Black drum are saltwater fish are found in the western Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Antilles (uncommon), the southern Caribbean coast; also from the Orinoco delta to Argentina. Black Drum. Started to cut him open and found these worms in the tail section. Is this fish ok to eat? Black drum are great eating. I don't go fishing in south louisiana that much, but the few times I've been, we've caught a good bit of black drum and just tossed them back since the guy that took us said they were no good. They will vacuum up most anything that has meat. It doesn't take a lot of effort to do so, and a pair of hemostats or small sized needle(small in the size of the pincer portion of them) nose pliers can be used to do it. Caught mine and my sons first black drum friday night.I never cleaned or eatn one soninwas wondering if they were any good to eat and how hard they are to clean.I cleaned a fresh water drum before and it was full of bones are black drum the same way.I let all the fish go because I didnt want to experiment on a fish and end up wasting it. Also, because it requires less effort and time. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting. Saltwater - Presented by Slowride Guide Services, Bass Fishing - Presented by Mariner Sails, Kayak Rigging - Presented by Hook1 Kayak Fishing Gear, General Discussions(Request Access to the General Discussion Usergroup). If you doubt me, fillet the next drum you catch and try some of the recipes that follow. Despite misconceptions, they do not contact the small Y-bones often seen in fish like carp and pike. Black drum have dark vertical bars similar to sheepshead. Young drum are good to eat. Black drum are edible, with a moderate flavor and are not oily. Get the best fishy photos, videos, and stories straight into your inbox! We're in Destin, Florida for Christmas vacation and caught sheepshead, black drum and red drum. Final Thoughts. King mackerel has one of the highest levels of mercury out of all of the popular saltwater fish. Thanks for the reminde[…]. Variable flavor. Some restaurants in the southern US serve smaller black drum. Send out a shrimp or a crab with a split shot in the vicinity of a tailing black drum and they will most likely smell it and then eat it. Drop a rig like this in the correct habitat and enjoy. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); - All times are UTC-04:00 - Saute, fry, grill - anything you'd do with trout or redfish. However I personally won't keep a black drum over 2' they tend to get wormy. My mother said "Goo" was good baked, so when I caught one, or two, that was how she would prepare it, baked with a bit of butter and seasoned with black pepper and salt. The freshwater drum is an important commercial and sport fish in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, so apparently a lot of people do eat them. In fact, some people prefer the black drum to redfish. Larger black drum do tend to host parasites - worms for example - but so far as I know, they're harmless when cooked thoroughly. The Best Black Drum Fish Recipes on Yummly | Stir-fry Thai Noodles With Chicken Meatballs, Golden Parmesan-herb Crusted Salmon, Salmon And … Strong, slow methodical runs are to be expected from the black drum. Less crowds, cle[…], Heard you loud and clear! However, it’s the larger “ big uglies” that most anglers are usually interested in catching. The last drum I caught was made into fish soup...best soup I ever had. Al Bermitz fishes those black drum spots: Strong hook, some leader, live shrimp and just enough lead to get to bottom. Black drums are greatly cherished for its mild and sweet flavor. Last one I caught I cut it into strips/chunks, dropped it in a beer batter and fried them up. But, you may want to focus on Redfish smaller than 24 inches or so. FDA warns children, pregnant women and lactating moms to NOT eat any king mackerel due to their very high mercury content. Black Drum. Puppy drum - in the 16-22" range are excellent. I was watching The Weekend Fisherman this morning and the show was on Black Drum. When you have perch and walleye though, you dont eat sheephead. As food. Heck of a fun time for a guy that's barely been out of Oklahoma! Unsubscribe anytime. Reason No. Smaller drum, such as the one pictured above, are often referred to as puppy drum. Redfish are a very popular with anglers across the Southeast. Delicious! They were catching Black Drum and several times Captain Herb Gordon said that the fish they were catching were good eating, and the fish when he was saying that seemed to be in the lower 40" range. If I season a red and a black drum and leave them on the half shell you can't tell the difference in taste when I pull them off the smoker. In the 1980s it… Not the big ones, but the 18-25" range are easy to clean and cook up nicely. We called them Gasper Goo. Black drum are the largest species of drum in Florida and can get over 100 pounds. Black drum are long-lived fish, with most studies indicating a maximum age of over 40 years and one study in Florida estimating a maximum of 58 years of age. Short answer: yes, 'puppy' size black drum are good to eat. Unlike the larger black drum, which have coarse, oily flesh, the puppy drum are very similar in taste and texture to redfish. The black drum is a chunky, high-backed fish with many barbels or whiskers under the lower jaw. Fun to catch and good to eat---what's the downside ... A "gaspargoo"is a freshwater drum. Not the big ones, but the 18-25" range are easy to clean and cook up nicely. Overall, It’s a great food fish and can be prepared in many different ways. Spaghetti worms in black drum are more common near the tail of the fish with a typical fish hosting 5 to 15 specimens. The freshwater drum prefers clear water, but it is tolerant of turbid and murky water. I myself have never eaten them but I have heard they are good grilled. Pretty much like everyone else is saying, keep the ones in the lower range, better eating. Even better in S. Mississippi they are not considered game fish - no limits on size or creel. Those who know their seafood will tell you that these “puppy drums” (anything ten pounds or less) are the tastiest of the tribe. However, my older brother said they were good to eat. Yes they are good to eat, the guide you had was a moron at best. From small crabs and small fish to mollusks, worms and shrimp the shallows are a buffet for black drum.. 6: Drum Are Good to Eat Growing up I caught fresh water drum often. I have be[…], Winter is the BEST time to fish. Oh caught this … Wild fish live in a variety of lakes and rivers and eat a variety of food items that can influence the flavor of their meat. All I can say for a big drum to catch and release, fish bottom with a 1/2 crab on … Thanks for the quick responses. When they get really big you need to look for and extract worms in the flesh. Shoffer. The spaghetti worms we see in these fish are really parasitic tapeworms of sharks, who are just using the trout or drum as an intermediate host. It was not until I moved to Louisiana that I learned how to cook "Goo". Some states, such as Texas (as of summer 2017), allow spearfishing for black drum which often frequent jetties and other near shore structure. Check locally to see if spearing black drum is legal in your area. Its Game Day: LSU vs. Alabama In Tiger Stadium, Photo: Mike The Tiger Gets His Alabama Game Meal, Watch: This Impression Of Nick Saban Calling Coach O Before Saturday's Game Is Great. They are mostly bottom feeders that eat mostly mollusks, oysters and crabs. You just need to have ample patience to learn the fillet technique. I stick with the smaller end of the slot. Drum fillets are firm yet delicately flavored, comparable in taste and texture to redfish or swordfish. Commercial harvest in the Mississippi has been over 300,000 pounds each year in the past decade. by Matthew 22.5k Views. Updated August 23, 2018. Just wondering how they are on the table. I tend to throw them back at the 30 inch or larger range not because of the worms, but because I usually end up having to use a damn hacksaw to get through that stiff bone in filleting. Strong Angler Cameron Parsons with a nice kingfish. The problem may be that you don’t know how to cook drums. In short, Yes, Redfish are good to eat. Caught the fish at a bridge, 19 fish in all, using shrimp and Berkley Gulp artificials. They do get "wormy" at 25 inches plus, but so do big specks. They are most common within the Mississippi River basin, but can be caught in at least 27 states, from Montana, Nebraska and Texas in the west to Vermont, Virginia and Georgia in the east. The large drum are not good to eat. RESTRICTED Elite says...when Black drum get over a certain size, they tend to get this "harmless" parasite in them and when people fillet them, they are turned off by these wriggling parasites found in the meat so you will hear a lot of people say they are not edible. I'll keep the small ones then! The smaller drums often taste very similar to redfish. Back drum are great! When they get really big you need to look for and extract worms in the flesh. M T Stringer wrote: Black drum are great eating. brian, Oct 18, 2005. I had heard that the bigger Black Drum have worms in them and are not good to eat. Just be sure that you're aware of the size limits. Even so, drum is underrated when it comes to its reputation as a table fish. Sablefish/Black Cod (from Alaska and Canadian Pacific) Related: 15 Best Fish to Eat, Plus Recipe Ideas. As you know, the fillet is basically a procedure to free the bones from the fish. See more. Eat or Be Eaten Drum are bottom feeders that eat mollusks, insects and fish. Finding safer seafood can be challenging and requires you to consider many factors, including sustainability, nutritional value, mercury levels and the risk of contamination with pollutants, pesticides or harmful chemicals. The smaller ones are excellent eatin'. Black drum are delicious fried! Awesome. Thanks for your support, Capt. Drum range from Lake Winnipeg in northern Manitoba, Canada, south through the U.S. and Mexico to Guatemala. Vivid black and white bars make the sheepshead or "convict fish" distinctive among fishes of the Texas coast. Drum fillets are not bony and the firm texture can be an asset if prepared correctly, but one bad-tasting bite is enough to make most fish-eaters swear off a species for life. As stated previously above, excellent eating. This morning we caught a big black drum. GZIP: On. Yes they are good to eat, the guide you had was a moron at best. Size: Black drum from 1 to 10 pounds are very common and often referred to as "puppy drum." Red drum fish tastes similar to black drum and many other predatory saltwater white meat fish – which means it’s good to eat too! Younger fish have four or five dark vertical bars on their sides but these disappear with age. The smaller ones are good, the bigger they get, the parasites become a problem, Yes, when you fillet the big ones they are full of worms. Like their cousin the red drum, black drum are edible, though their flesh becomes coarse and less enjoyable after they reach lengths of more than 30 inches. Don't expect a light, flaky texture, though— drum has a firm, meaty texture. It doesn't take a lot of effort to do so, and a pair of hemostats or small sized needle(small in the size of the pincer portion of them) nose pliers can be used to do it. Give me one about 18" and I call it dinner. Easy to clean just flick off scales behind the head so its easier to cut through and follow the bckbone with the knife. They tend to get large in northeast Florida, but it is more common to catch them in the 30- to 50-pound range. Previous article Black Drum; Redfish, blackfish... don't matter to me. Copyright @2020 TigerDroppings.com. Want more stuff like this? It has a mild, sweet flavor with firm meat that flakes into large chunks. That was nice! So spool up you reels with fresh line, get a stout jig head, and a back brace! These smaller fish are actually quite good to eat. Red drum have whitish-green flesh when juvenile that turns darker and grey as they grow older. So if they're any bigger they're not as good im guessing? Yes they are excellent. So now I'm confused. Smaller black drum are known as "puppy drum" and average about five to 10 pounds. Are sheepshead good to eat? They fry up great but blackened is just the death.