Dyers Creek - 20 April

[nomad60]

I drove out to Dyers Creek again this morning but made a resolution; that after the first bass, I would concentrate on pan fish the rest of the time.

http://www.landinglunkers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_1473.jpg
I caught the above on a 4" Senko, black with blue flakes, wacky-rigged. As much as I hated to put the Senko rod down, I did and picked up my ultralight.

http://www.landinglunkers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_1479.jpg
No crappie, again. I caught bluegill, white bass and some long silvery fish that looked like shad, they were about 8 inches long. But the highlight was when I saw my bobber go down and the fish started taking out drag. I thought I had hooked a decent bass but it ended up being this sheephead. I was sweating it for a while because I have 4-pound test on the reel and this fish was putting up a pretty good fight.

[white95v6]

sounds like you had a good day. congrats.

and those long silver fish sound like skipjack.

[nomad60]

Yep, just did a google search and that's what they were; skipjack.

[jad2t]

That's not sheephead, that's a saltwater fish. What you caught is a Black Drum. Or maybe they're just called Drum. Either way, it looks very similar to the Black Drum I've caught plenty of when I used to live in south Florida and fish in the Keys. First time I caught one here I was scratching my head because I had no idea a freshwater version existed haha

[nomad60]

That's not sheephead, that's a saltwater fish. What you caught is a Black Drum. Or maybe they're just called Drum. Either way, it looks very similar to the Black Drum I've caught plenty of when I used to live in south Florida and fish in the Keys. First time I caught one here I was scratching my head because I had no idea a freshwater version existed haha

You may be right; we used to call them sheephead or drum when we caught them out of Lake Erie...I've always thought they were one and the same with various names. Back in Ohio, we considered them trash fish about the same as carp (with my apologies to the carp fishermen :)). I thought they were bottom feeders so I was shocked when this one hit my live minnow but I'm glad it did because that was one hell of a fight on 4-pound line.

[Maxxpro]

They do call them sheeps head up north around MI. All they are is a fresh water drum. They will hit just about anything Ive caught many on jigs and cranks.

I do know one guy who claims if you cut the cheeks out that they are delicious other than that I dont know anyone that eats them.

[agelesssone]

About the taste of sheepshead/freshwater drum, whatever you want to call them. I was curious about the taste since I had caught and released many of them, but had never eaten one. So I kept about a two pounder, took it home, cleaned it and cooked it in the same breading I use for crappie, bluegil, etc.

It had the flavor of the spices and breading we used. It was a rubbery texture that was not like any fish I had eaten, more to the texture of octopus, not the flakiness of crappie or bluegill, nothing mushy like trout and nothing like catfish.

I think it's "rubberishness" was due to their muscularity, as they are a very strong fighting fish. My three year old daughter loved it and ate more of it than she will of crappie.

My thoughts are try it, it may be a flavor and texture to your liking. Don't worry about general opinions or thoughts of it being a trash fish or bottom feeder. They are feeders of opportunity. Just like a catfish is.

[MNfisher]

Yep, up in MN, Sheepshead is all we called them! I have eaten a few, not bad. Not amazing either though. If you clean one, cut in the head, they have 2 rocks in their head. I worked at a bait shop and the owner had earrings made out of Sheepshead "pearls!" Fun fish to catch!

On my home lake in MN, you would catch 4 sheepshead to every walleye.

[SAMBOLIE]

My father and I fished for small mouth at Joe Wheeler. Always caught drum any place there was smallies. We regularly carried drum to a gentleman who liked to eat them. I could not resist cooking one to sample. When fried they are tasty if eaten while HOT. They are chewy when hot and almost tough when cooled down. I also baked some and they were OK but not as good as baked stripe or crappie.
Fishing JPP at night for smallies usually produces a large drum or two. These two species must like to hang together.

[Maxxpro]

On my home lake in MN, you would catch 4 sheepshead to every walleye.

Ive always used the rule of thumd that if your trolling for eyes and catching sheeps heads your going just a little bit too slow and it tends to be fairly true.

[agelesssone]

When we fish the Gallatin Steam Plant, we usually catch four or five good sized drum. They are a fun fighting fish, that's for sure.

[nomad60]

For the most part, I'm a catch & release type guy, but if I ever do manage to get into some keeper crappie, I'll have to take some home because THAT is some good fish, IMHO. My problem so far has been; that I fish from shore and so far, I haven't been able to find them. Now, I do admit that I waited a long time (maybe too long) before I finally picked up my gear and started exploring this area a bit. And from some of the threads on here, it seems like keeper crappie are not all that easy to find unless you have a boat and some knowledge of the local waters. I hope to buy a boat this winter; nothing fancy (I have a kid starting college this fall so a Ranger with a 200hp motor is out of the question LOL) but I've been looking at the bass tracker 165 or some of the lower alumacraft boats.