Fresh Water Drum

Colorado, with its diverse landscape, provides opportunities to fish for many different species.  By my count, there are in excess of a hundred, many of which are “catchable” if you set your mind to it.

Limiting the list to “sportfish,” those that interest most anglers, fifty or so is probably about it, not including endangered or threatened species such as the Colorado pikeminnow.  Too bad we can’t fish for them, especially the pikeminnow, a fish that’s known to reach 40 pounds or more. Pikeminnows take lures, flies, and bait aggressively, they’re hard fighting and good table fare. What more could one wish for in a sportfish?

When determining the sporting qualities of fish, edibility is probably the determining factor for most species.  After that, good looks (think trout versus catfish), ease of catch, cultural bias, and fighting ability all play a role in deciding the worth or sporting quality to anglers.

Trout are highly prized by many.  Let’s face it, they’re a pretty fish, easy to catch, put up a decent fight, and are edible.  Personally, trout doesn’t appeal to my palate.  I much prefer eating walleye, perch, and white bass/wiper.  Catfish, sunfish (including black bass), northern pike, and drum also make a good meal.  Some species, such as carp, suckers, and chub, are considered edible, but boniness, flavor, and cultural bias keep them from most tables.

As I fish primarily for the fun, releasing the majority, I’m primarily interested in the challenge of getting the fish to take a fly and their fighting ability.  Consequently, many of the so called rough fish hold great appeal. Carp and drum are two such species.

While I somewhat understand the distain for carp, they’re reportedly bony, strong flavored, not exactly pretty, and there is a strong negative cultural bias against them in the US, I don’t understand why freshwater drum are viewed in the same light.

Maybe it’s due to their body shape.  They are a deep bodied fish with a high back, similar to, but more prominent than, the common carp.  Plus, they have an inferior mouth with rubbery lips that give a rough impression of a sucker or carp 

Freshwater drum actually belong to the drum family, a huge family of sportfish, including sea trout, weakfish, croakers, white sea bass, and red drum.  It’s the only freshwater member of the family. Native to North America, it is one of the more widely distributed fish on the continent. 

Drum does not appear to be native to Colorado.  They were first stocked in Bonny Reservoir during the fifties, with later stockings occurring in other South Platte and Arkansas River drainage reservoirs.  Today, reproducing populations exist in Jumbo, Jumbo annex, Prewitt, North Sterling, and Jackson Reservoirs. 

Freshwater drum readily take a variety of lures, flies, and baits.  These bright silver chunks are hard fighting fish.  Further, they’re good eating and grow quite large.  While Colorado’s state record is a bit over seventeen pounds, the national record exceeds fifty.  I don’t know about you, but big, hard fighting, predatory fish have a lot of appeal.

While I occasionally fish specifically for drum, primarily at Jumbo Annex out east, the truth is they’re rare enough that most of my catch has been incidental when fishing for other species, such as bass, walleye, or carp.  To date, my largest fish have been twenty inches, coming from Prewitt and Jackson Reservoirs.

I wish drum were more common. However, they’re considered “rough fish”. Even Colorado Parks and Wildlife lumps them in with suckers and carp in the record book and there’s no limit on them. That’s too bad as they’re a unique fish with great sporting qualities. 

First published in the Fort Collins Coloradoan Sunday Explorer section July 26, 2015.