What Do Freshwater Drum Eat?

The freshwater drum is a species of fish. Freshwater drums live in freshwater in North and Central America. Freshwater drums are also found in Canada. The freshwater drum also goes by the name gray bass, sheepshead, sunfish, grunter, Lake Drum, thunder pumper, and wuss fish.

A freshwater drum weighs from 2 kilograms. The largest freshwater drum was 54lb 8oz. The largest freshwater drum was caught in Tennessee. The freshwater drum can live in both muddy or turbid water and clear water.

When in muddy water, the freshwater drum looks grey. If in clear water, it looks brown. The freshwater drum loves to live in clear water and loves swimming on the lakebeds where the sand is clean.

Freshwater drums have a lifespan of between 6 years to 13 years. Male freshwater drums become sexually mature at age 4 while female freshwater drums become sexually mature from five to six years. A female freshwater drum can lay between 34,000 to 67,000 eggs.

For the freshwater drum to grow, they need to feed. What do they eat? This article will give you further insights into what the freshwater drum eats.

What does freshwater drum eat?

The freshwater drum is an omnivorous fish. The freshwater drums are bottom feeders in the ecosystem. Being a bottom feeder means that the freshwater drum feeds at the bottom of the lake. That is one of the reasons why the freshwater drum prefers to swim on the bottom of lakes.

Being a bottom feeder, the freshwater drum has a variety of diets. The freshwater drum uses its mouth or snout to look for food on the bottom by moving the rocks they find along their way. The freshwater drum hunts and feeds during the night.

A freshwater drum’s diet consists of the following:

• Aquatic insects for example mayflies
• Snails
• Larvae of other fish
• Small fish like shad
• Zooplankton
• Crayfish
• Flies
• Carrion
• Terrestrial worms
• Aquatic crustaceans

Is freshwater drum good to eat?

Humans make up the main predators of the freshwater drum. Humans do eat freshwater drum fish. Some humans only fish freshwater drums and use them as bait. Others say that freshwater drums are not supposed to be eaten.

The market for freshwater drums is not big, as many people prefer not to eat them. Freshwater drums are prized because they act as bait. Freshwater drums are bonny and do not have enough meat. A freshwater drum can however be made to be fillet and someone can enjoy eating the fillet.

Freshwater drum taste is a bit different from other fish. A freshwater drum is semi-sweet and mild in taste. A freshwater drum’s meat is firm and is flakier. When a freshwater drum grows bigger, its meat becomes tougher. This makes it difficult to fry and bake it.

Some people who enjoy eating the freshwater drum use it as a substitute for shrimp. When a freshwater drum is fished, it is cut into smaller pieces. Cutting the freshwater drum into small pieces will help to tenderize it. The freshwater drum gets boiled and grilled and people enjoy its meat.

Some restaurants use the freshwater drum to make fish tacos and fish kebabs. They season it well with different spices then cook it by deep-frying. If prepared well, the freshwater drum is very tasty. It can however be bad if not well prepared and one will prefer to never eat it again.

For you to enjoy the freshwater drum, you should clean it well after fishing it. A fillet knife might be used to clean the fish. You should also remove the fish’s skin and the bones. You can either fry the fish, grill it, bake it (takes around 20 minutes to bake), or broil in the oven.

For an even tastier feeling, squeeze a lemon or lime before eating the freshwater drum. The freshwater drum is also eaten in soups and stews.

One of the reasons why people do not eat freshwater drums is water contamination. Some lakes where the freshwater drum lives are contaminated. Some of the lakes have warnings that the water is contaminated and people should not eat the fish that are there.

If the water in a lake is contaminated, people will not fish and eat the freshwater drum found in the lake.

Is red drum good to eat?

The red drum fish can be dark red or orange. It has some black spots on the tail. The largest red drum fish ever caught weighed 42 kilograms.

Yes! The red drum fish are good for human consumption. A red drum’s meat has a mild and sweet flavor. Just like the freshwater drum, its meat is firm. Younger red drums taste better than the older ones hence the reason why the larger red drum fish are let go after being caught.

Is black drum good to eat?

Black drums are bottom feeders. They are saltwater fish. The black drum is meatier than the other types of drums. A black drum is edible. Depending on how it is prepared, some people find it a delicacy. Black drums taste better when baked or fried.

A smaller black drum’s meat can be eaten raw, as it is softer. A black drum tastes like red snapper. The larger the black drum, the fleshier it is.

Does freshwater drum taste good?

Freshwater drums are safe for human consumption. They however have a lot of bones which might be a turn-off for a lot of people. The freshwater drum is semi-sweet in taste. Most people use freshwater drums in soups and stews.

A freshwater drum’s taste will vary. If cooked well, it can be the tastiest fish you have eaten. On the contrary, if not well cooked, you might not enjoy having a piece of it.

How big does freshwater drum get?

Freshwater drums are bottom feeders. They feed on small fish, larvae, snails, and aquatic insects. A freshwater drum’s average length is between 10 inches to 20 inches. The freshwater drum has an average weight of 0.9 kilograms to 5 kilograms. The biggest freshwater drum caught weighed 24.7 kilograms.

How to catch freshwater drum

Catching a freshwater drum is easy as they fall for the bait. All you need to have is a fishing rod and line. Put your bait there. You can use a variety of bait like red worms, crayfish, and jerk baits. Make sure your fishing line is long enough and goes to the bottom of the lake.

Within no minutes, you will catch a freshwater drum because it will be attracted to the bait you have set for it.

Conclusion

The freshwater drum’s habitat is North and Central America. Freshwater drums are bottom feeders and feed on aquatic insects, snails, zooplankton, and small fish. The freshwater drum, red drum, and black drum are edible. They are tasty if well cooked.

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