Black Drum on Board

Acrylic

Black Drum Matter!

Black Drum are numerous here in our lowcountry salt estuaries and are delicious to eat.  A cousin to the Red Drum or Channel Bass, it is highly underrated by fishermen when compared to its cousin. Due to their broad sides, their fight, once hooked, is a challenge. These fish may become quite large and weigh up to nearly 100#s! Usually, however, they are 5-30 pounds when caught locally. Just like the Channel Bass, the larger the specimen, the less tasteful they become.

Luckily, "Blackened Drum" never caught on as did the "Blackened Redfish" in recent years. The "Blackened Redfish" craze nearly wiped out the Channel Bass on the gulf coast prior to measures to restrain overfishing. 

 Like the Channel Bass, this fish is a bottom feeder, feasting on shellfish, crabs, shrimp and small fish and minnows. Shaped somewhat like the Sheepshead, and banded in its pattern, some may mistake one for the other. However, the Black Drum sports whiskers about its mouth and a Sheepshead has human-like teeth in its mouth.