Do you take the rocks out of their after you filet them? They are kinda pretty thats what they use to make theit noise. They rub then together, They are right behind the knot on top of their head. The bigger the fish the bigger the rocks. Really I think they are bone but there is a pair and I havd always called them rocks.

Rick

It seems that once I get into the goo I don't catch anything else! plenty good fun on the flyrod! My latest creation "jigfly" here's the group shot

Those are pretty cool!

You decide to sell em - look me up for a web site (shameless plug )

But seriously - those things look deadly!

What do you call it? Curly tailed water rat?

I catch them, clean them and cook them for the in-laws followed up with some crappie for me and the wife. They cant keep there hands out of the fish basket as its coming out of the grease. Its just as good as white bass and the meat is more appealing to the eye.

That's one fish I don't catch much of. RedTopMama however, seems to get them almost everytime we fish...she calls them "Dumb Drum". One place we have not caught any at all is JP Barge. Every other Barge or Bank we fish she catches em. She also, has quite a few "Drum Rocks". Never knew anyone that cooked them, we always throw them back. But, Hal, if you cook them I might try it. Not!

But, they do put up a good fight!

Coach...that's a very nice pic of your Drum

hook-line&sinker...I like those "Water Rats"

What size drum do you guys usually eat? The only one I've eaten so far was the 8 pounder I caught on the rattle trap a while back. It was really good, very firm white meat, clean taste, but maybe a little smaller fish would be better?

anything over 11 inches but I dont keep the big ones. I dont always clean them but I never treat them any less than I would a gamefish.

i was catching some the other night, i was told that those are sandys, but what are the real names of em. drums??

Fishnuker - The real name is Freshwater Drum. Sandies would be White Bass, and look quite a bit different. Freshwater Drum are very closely related to Red Drum (Red Fish) and Black Drum, so they fight hard and taste good.

We always called those rocks "Lucky Stones". I don't think they are bone though, since they are hard as teeth.

That little sucker did fight hard!

Fun to catch and even better to eat, we keep just about all we catch, fillet them like a crappie and you dont have any bones. Try one next time you catch one.

I would rather have a 4" gaspergoo than a shad any day for striper bait. I do catch them in the cast net from time to time.