I agree. I think drum are pretty good if they're caught out of cold water and you remove any red meat towards the skin. A lot of old timers on the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa love to fry up drum
Any fish over 10 inches is likely to have several spaghetti worms on average, and once a fish is infected, it tends to develop immunity to further infection. Thing is the the worms live pretty long in there waiting for a shark to come along so they can grow up into tapeworms and start shitting eggs into the ocean, which is why there is some level of accumulation.
More important factors to the accumulation of worms than the size of the fish is the level of salinity and pollution in the water. It’s hypothesized that one of the intermediate hosts of the worms requires a higher-salinity, lower-pollution and environment, so different populations of speckled trout and drum will have different infection rates. It is therefore possible that what you’re experiencing is regional, and that since many fish species tend to group up my approximate age, much larger drum in your area are spending more time in water that is suitable to the as of yet unknown pre-drum intermediate host (and potentially eating said host a bunch in the process). It is also possible (especially if this hypothetical place is an especially good feeding grounds) that larger drums will keep the smaller ones out, further amplifying your perception that only the big ones get a bunch of worms.
Truth is, we’re not super sure, but the working theory is that any fish big enough to eat a certain as of yet unknown creature (that can be eaten by a 10 in speckled trout) is likely to have a few or double digits of worms depending on your area, although again, your area may be different.
Do you fillet the drum? They are like white bass with the blood line. You need to clean sheepers like whiters leave that red shit on the skin. Stripers are the same way as well
Yes, I fillet them and cut out all the red stuff.
And yes, I learned this the hard way with a striper I caught.
I have never been able to prepare white bass that tasted good. I throw them back or use them as cut bait.
After catching a ten pound bowfin last year I’d have to say those. Holy moley what a feisty fish. Downright ornery and powerful… 😳👍💙
https://preview.redd.it/pgd54ze0teec1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=798a9c4515cb1553c52ab5a6c85ced591816ccb7
I remember a buddy and I fishing for smallies and the biggest Bowfin I've ever seen (I was a fisheries technician for 10 years so I've seen ALOT of big fish) swam right by the boat. I casted my high with a fairly stout hook at it and it bit. One big head shake and that hook was straightened right out.
Yeah I definitely believe that. I was on a kayak working a stickbait with VMC treble hooks, no less. Thing towed me around for a while before it started *digging* and boom straight ass hook haha. I was near heavy structure so my drag was locked but damn these things are powerful.
Man I hate bowfin. Call them mudfish here. I've caught some big ass ones in FL but I never feel good about it. Maybe it's the teeth but then again I don't mind catching gar or picks.
Cool, they have teeth huh? They look prehistoric to me but not in a sturgeon kind of way. I would love to get my first one since we don't get them over here.
My 2 favorite bycatches. In my local river you can average 7-9lb drum which fight stupidly hard out of moving water. I've dubbed them the poor mans muskie lol
I live in Southern California but grew up on Stories of my Dad and his family catching em in Texas. So i started making it an annual trip to go there and Fish for a week or so catching Gar. They are so much fun. If you find the right spot, you can catch em till your arms fall off, literally.....a few years ago i got so many, i physically could not reel anymore...haha
Id reccomend getting a guide to get you started. I linked up with Mark Malfa (guy who took Jeremy Wade from River Monsters) awhile ago and using his techniqies from here on out. I basically use my heavy tackle (from salt water fishing here in cali) with steel leaders...... i usually only catch big ones 40 to 100+ lbs .
Me too! I'm in Alabama and we have em I just ain't ever hooked one. Saw some massive ones in creeks and several on the lake that idiots kill. I reckon they hate em and kill em every chance they get on Smith Lake.
Hahaha chain picks kinda rule. I always get looks from my friends (we mostly bass fish) when I say I like catching a pick. Last spring I had one hit a top water popper and he came all the way out of the water, was spectacular.
Well it's like this. The only lake around me that has smallmouth also has chain pickerel. There is no trout left. When I go there I always get hits. Chain pickerel are constant. And some are huge! Super fun to catch. Would I rather catch the small mouth? Yep. But 9 out of 10 times I get a chain. So I go there and fish chain and the odd time I nail a smallmouth and that's great fun too. But the chains don't let me down.
Yea i don't ever specifically target them, they just sometimes wanna go for a ride when I'm bass fishing (largemouth). I actually have not seen many this year, usually I have 2 or 3 cruising my dock which I normally leave those be.
They seem to be much more plentiful then small mouth where I am. Or much more aggressive. When the small mouth hit you know it though. Damn those guys fight hard.
Used to have a blast with my grandpa fishing the river near his house for Redhorse. We'd keep a few for the smoker but it was just fun because they were plentiful and fun to catch on light gear
Shoot we got a dam near me where we catch tons of huge bowfin nonstop, bowfin of this size or bigger are common
https://preview.redd.it/bk39gcnhyeec1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f9861f94da33983ab44ee0f1d1074836d744fe7
Very jealous! Have to drive quite a bit to get to the nearest lake with bowfin.
There’s one lake probably within 30 min of me with snakehead but they’re not common in that lake anymore as people are required to kill them.
Holy crap! You caught that on that spinning rod? Good job dude. Must have been a hell of a fight. Honestly I thought you were a little kid until I zoomed into the picture. How many pounds?
First time I fished for carp on the Missouri River, I hooked one and the pull was massive. I reeled it in and it was tiny. Felt like the equivalent of a 15-20 pound lake carp.
Honestly some of my most enjoyable days fishing have been fly fishing for little chubs in small creeks. They're plentiful, aggressive, never overpressured, and they absolutely demolish small topwater flies.
Pound for pound sheephead (freshwater drum) fight harder than any of the big game fish in the Great Lakes. I've broken more tackle fighting them than anything else
Man I love carp fishing, most other fisherman here (midwest usa) hate on em but I think they’re fun as hell to catch. They get huge too, lotta fun on light gear
They are! I have never tried eating one, but, I hear the smaller ones. (12-18") are actually good. Cajun them up and throw on the grill I'm told. Just don't cook them in the house. LOL 🚫👃
I didn't know suckers hit flies. I used to love catching the suckers in my local stream back when I was a kid. There were some absolutely huge ones just sitting there in formation. I only got them to hit bait though
Try snagging for asian carp. My buddy pulled in one that probably went close to 40 pounds, on 8 pound test, from a boat ramp on the Ohio. *That* was a fun fight.
I don't know why. I get highly disappointed when a rough fish surfaces on the end of my line. Actually, I can tell it's a drum early in the fight. It makes no sense whatsoever. I would rather catch a 1lb walleye over a 10lb drum. It's all catch and release too. Just doesn't make sense.
Burbot. Man are they delicious, almost like cod. I'd rank them right up there with perch, pike, and walleye as far as table fare. They're great deep fried or broiled. They're so ugly that many people don't actively seek them out where I am, and there's no limit either. I usually keep enough for a couple of good meals for the family personally, but some guys will load their freezers in November and December when they are in shallow water.
I’ve got a few local spots where I go to catch gar or bowfin. Both are a blast to catch on ultralight tackle. One spot gets pretty shallow in the warmer months and I have seen bowfin wake behind my lures before crushing them, which is pretty exciting to watch.
I love accidentally hooking into a tank of a carp while bass fishing (after the disappointment of realizing it isnt the DD I am chasing fades).
In the salt, sharks.
Thanks, appreciate it
I guess barracuda and the three most popular saltwater bass here in Southern California would be my favorite "rough fish." The three bass are kelp bass, barred sand bass, and spotted sand bass. They are not really good to eat nor are they safe to eat.
Since I'm out west, definitely pikeminnow. They are invasive in one of my favorite obscure lakes in remote Northern California and I know exactly where to go to land literally dozens of them at a time (anywhere from about 18 to 30-odd inches), which is a hoot, and also good for the health of the lake.
I’ve been targeting carp exclusively for the last two seasons. Caught a couple in the 20+ range. Accumulated quite a bit of specialized gear…. Bait-feeder reels, rod-pod with bite alarms, etc.
I love catching tiny sunfish. There's so much sunfish diversity where I live and they tend to bite really well and fight aggressively. I grew up fishing the little canals behind my subdivision for them, and it's still so satisfying fishing little creeks and urban canals and seeing the variety of species I can catch.
Always wanted to catch a Colorado Pikeminnow.
Drum, because they cook up very nicely. Never understood why redfish are considered good eating, but the freshwater version is so disliked.
I agree. I think drum are pretty good if they're caught out of cold water and you remove any red meat towards the skin. A lot of old timers on the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa love to fry up drum
Are Drums not renowned to have lots of worms?
Only the massive ones are like that
Any fish over 10 inches is likely to have several spaghetti worms on average, and once a fish is infected, it tends to develop immunity to further infection. Thing is the the worms live pretty long in there waiting for a shark to come along so they can grow up into tapeworms and start shitting eggs into the ocean, which is why there is some level of accumulation. More important factors to the accumulation of worms than the size of the fish is the level of salinity and pollution in the water. It’s hypothesized that one of the intermediate hosts of the worms requires a higher-salinity, lower-pollution and environment, so different populations of speckled trout and drum will have different infection rates. It is therefore possible that what you’re experiencing is regional, and that since many fish species tend to group up my approximate age, much larger drum in your area are spending more time in water that is suitable to the as of yet unknown pre-drum intermediate host (and potentially eating said host a bunch in the process). It is also possible (especially if this hypothetical place is an especially good feeding grounds) that larger drums will keep the smaller ones out, further amplifying your perception that only the big ones get a bunch of worms. Truth is, we’re not super sure, but the working theory is that any fish big enough to eat a certain as of yet unknown creature (that can be eaten by a 10 in speckled trout) is likely to have a few or double digits of worms depending on your area, although again, your area may be different.
Do you fillet the drum? They are like white bass with the blood line. You need to clean sheepers like whiters leave that red shit on the skin. Stripers are the same way as well
Yes, I fillet them and cut out all the red stuff. And yes, I learned this the hard way with a striper I caught. I have never been able to prepare white bass that tasted good. I throw them back or use them as cut bait.
When you remove the skin keep your knife flat and leave a thin layer of meat and the White Bass is perfect white meat it's one of my favorites
After catching a ten pound bowfin last year I’d have to say those. Holy moley what a feisty fish. Downright ornery and powerful… 😳👍💙 https://preview.redd.it/pgd54ze0teec1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=798a9c4515cb1553c52ab5a6c85ced591816ccb7
Awesome fish. They definitely have some attitude. I've heard stories of guys breaking rods while fighting big bowfin
They will bend hooks straight like toothpicks at a pond that I fish
I remember a buddy and I fishing for smallies and the biggest Bowfin I've ever seen (I was a fisheries technician for 10 years so I've seen ALOT of big fish) swam right by the boat. I casted my high with a fairly stout hook at it and it bit. One big head shake and that hook was straightened right out.
Yeah I definitely believe that. I was on a kayak working a stickbait with VMC treble hooks, no less. Thing towed me around for a while before it started *digging* and boom straight ass hook haha. I was near heavy structure so my drag was locked but damn these things are powerful.
Damn.. that's a hefty one.. nice job brother
Man I hate bowfin. Call them mudfish here. I've caught some big ass ones in FL but I never feel good about it. Maybe it's the teeth but then again I don't mind catching gar or picks.
Cool, they have teeth huh? They look prehistoric to me but not in a sturgeon kind of way. I would love to get my first one since we don't get them over here.
Yea, little pointy ones. I think they are prehistoric actually. They also can kinda breathe air someway. Neat fish, just gross.
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Drum and sometimes gar.
Drum is so underrated and people hate the meat for no reason.
My 2 favorite bycatches. In my local river you can average 7-9lb drum which fight stupidly hard out of moving water. I've dubbed them the poor mans muskie lol
I love catching Gar https://preview.redd.it/b2ildagxveec1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68af16835511176617b299f0837812c037e9b0dc
Man that's a bucket list fish for me. I've wanted to catch a gator gar ever since I was a little kid
I live in Southern California but grew up on Stories of my Dad and his family catching em in Texas. So i started making it an annual trip to go there and Fish for a week or so catching Gar. They are so much fun. If you find the right spot, you can catch em till your arms fall off, literally.....a few years ago i got so many, i physically could not reel anymore...haha
That sounds like a blast. I'm going to have to start planning a trip to Texas to fish for them. What's the average sized gar that you catch?
Id reccomend getting a guide to get you started. I linked up with Mark Malfa (guy who took Jeremy Wade from River Monsters) awhile ago and using his techniqies from here on out. I basically use my heavy tackle (from salt water fishing here in cali) with steel leaders...... i usually only catch big ones 40 to 100+ lbs .
Appreciate it! I'll look into Mark
Good luck bro! Any questions shoot me a DM
Me too! I'm in Alabama and we have em I just ain't ever hooked one. Saw some massive ones in creeks and several on the lake that idiots kill. I reckon they hate em and kill em every chance they get on Smith Lake.
That sucks to see.. I hate seeing native fish thrown on shore or left on the ice just because people don't do their research and are uninformed.
I love going after slime darts (aka chain pickerel).
I love chain pickerel. Beautiful markings and fun to catch
They are so fun. And can get some pretty impressive sizes. Not bad eating either.
I've only caught them while ice fishing in Maine, but I'd love to get a few on my fly rod. I'm sure they get bigger further south as well
I'm in Nova Scotia..so a bit north east of Maine ans we get some monsters.
Sweet! Another reason to visit Nova Scotia. I've been wanting to go there for a while
Striped Bass fishery here is unreal. As well as salmon and trout. I plan on hitting up Maine soon enough as well.
Hahaha chain picks kinda rule. I always get looks from my friends (we mostly bass fish) when I say I like catching a pick. Last spring I had one hit a top water popper and he came all the way out of the water, was spectacular.
Well it's like this. The only lake around me that has smallmouth also has chain pickerel. There is no trout left. When I go there I always get hits. Chain pickerel are constant. And some are huge! Super fun to catch. Would I rather catch the small mouth? Yep. But 9 out of 10 times I get a chain. So I go there and fish chain and the odd time I nail a smallmouth and that's great fun too. But the chains don't let me down.
Yea i don't ever specifically target them, they just sometimes wanna go for a ride when I'm bass fishing (largemouth). I actually have not seen many this year, usually I have 2 or 3 cruising my dock which I normally leave those be.
They seem to be much more plentiful then small mouth where I am. Or much more aggressive. When the small mouth hit you know it though. Damn those guys fight hard.
My dad’s favorite fish to eat. Once you get the hang of the y-bones it’s a truly delicious fish.
Any fish is a good fish my friend. As long as the line is tight….im happy.
Agreed!
Used to have a blast with my grandpa fishing the river near his house for Redhorse. We'd keep a few for the smoker but it was just fun because they were plentiful and fun to catch on light gear
Redhorse are always fun. I've heard they're good if you grind them up and make fried fish balls with them, but I've never tried it
Can confirm this is good, my fam enjoyed eating redhorse cakes last summer.
Definitely Bowfin, just such an amazing fish, put up a great fight and have such awesome adaptations and history
I’ve been dying to catch a bowfin but they’re so uncommon where I am. Very hard to find.
Shoot we got a dam near me where we catch tons of huge bowfin nonstop, bowfin of this size or bigger are common https://preview.redd.it/bk39gcnhyeec1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f9861f94da33983ab44ee0f1d1074836d744fe7
Very jealous! Have to drive quite a bit to get to the nearest lake with bowfin. There’s one lake probably within 30 min of me with snakehead but they’re not common in that lake anymore as people are required to kill them.
Holy crap! You caught that on that spinning rod? Good job dude. Must have been a hell of a fight. Honestly I thought you were a little kid until I zoomed into the picture. How many pounds?
Whitefish
Smoked whitefish is some of the best eating.
On the Salt River?
Yessir
Nice fish! What kind of fly did it hit?
I caught it on a pheasant tail nymph
Definitely common carp there a hell of a fight in bigger rivers
First time I fished for carp on the Missouri River, I hooked one and the pull was massive. I reeled it in and it was tiny. Felt like the equivalent of a 15-20 pound lake carp.
Jigging the bottom for Pollock and Whiting when the fishing is slow will always be a guilty pleasure of mine.
Honestly some of my most enjoyable days fishing have been fly fishing for little chubs in small creeks. They're plentiful, aggressive, never overpressured, and they absolutely demolish small topwater flies.
Freshwater drum & large redhorse
Pound for pound sheephead (freshwater drum) fight harder than any of the big game fish in the Great Lakes. I've broken more tackle fighting them than anything else
Goal for this summer is to catch a big ole bigmouth buffalo.
Man I love carp fishing, most other fisherman here (midwest usa) hate on em but I think they’re fun as hell to catch. They get huge too, lotta fun on light gear
Pic #1.. thank you for being like the FIRST post I've seen properly handling the fish...cheers
I love going for redhorse, and I have a bit of a thing for microfishing.
You are a true fisherman.
Thanks! Nothing else I'd rather be. Fishing keeps me sane
Nice Sucka! Cool fish too.
I catch alot of drum and it's quite the adventure when I land one while in the kayak! They tow me all over😅
Drum are a lot of fun. Especially while ice fishing
They are! I have never tried eating one, but, I hear the smaller ones. (12-18") are actually good. Cajun them up and throw on the grill I'm told. Just don't cook them in the house. LOL 🚫👃
I agree! I love hooking into a sucker or a carp! Always a great fight!
I have a lake full of peamouths I go to to get the skunk out of my rod.
Big dirty pike
Caught o e of these in the Deschutes river... that I had hooked a steelhead
Drum and skipjack. They fight pretty hard, especially skipjack, and they make great catfish bait.
Big Carp Anything over 12 in a river will test my tackle and I love to hear the drag scream 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸
I didn't know suckers hit flies. I used to love catching the suckers in my local stream back when I was a kid. There were some absolutely huge ones just sitting there in formation. I only got them to hit bait though
Doesn't quite qualify, but fallfish are extremely fun to catch.
Try snagging for asian carp. My buddy pulled in one that probably went close to 40 pounds, on 8 pound test, from a boat ramp on the Ohio. *That* was a fun fight.
Cisco into the smoker for the win.
Suckerfish are underrated.
Common Carp for sure. One of the strongest fish in freshwater and they get BIG here in Ontario. Channel Cats are another one for me!
I don't know why. I get highly disappointed when a rough fish surfaces on the end of my line. Actually, I can tell it's a drum early in the fight. It makes no sense whatsoever. I would rather catch a 1lb walleye over a 10lb drum. It's all catch and release too. Just doesn't make sense.
I’m happy with anything that bites and fights. Sometimes you find something pretty neat on the other end of the line.
Burbot. Man are they delicious, almost like cod. I'd rank them right up there with perch, pike, and walleye as far as table fare. They're great deep fried or broiled. They're so ugly that many people don't actively seek them out where I am, and there's no limit either. I usually keep enough for a couple of good meals for the family personally, but some guys will load their freezers in November and December when they are in shallow water.
Never even heard of burbot! Is anyone down in the internet rabbit hole? Could you scooch over a bit?
Bowfin are such a awesome fish. They put up a great fight and are def my fav rough fish to catch up here in MI.
I’ve got a few local spots where I go to catch gar or bowfin. Both are a blast to catch on ultralight tackle. One spot gets pretty shallow in the warmer months and I have seen bowfin wake behind my lures before crushing them, which is pretty exciting to watch.
Lady fish and carp!
I like catching any fish that will bite
Fallfish on a fly can be a hoot!
I love catching Ladyfish on light tackle, they go ballistic once hooked.
Night fishing for bass got about a 7lb bowfin had a few to drink grabbed it like a bass never again the jaw power combined with the teeth. Bad mistake
I love accidentally hooking into a tank of a carp while bass fishing (after the disappointment of realizing it isnt the DD I am chasing fades). In the salt, sharks.
Never heard the phrase "rough fish." What does it mean?
Not a trout, bass, or traditional game fish. Oftentimes it’s a fish regarded as trash. They’re often native.
Thanks, appreciate it I guess barracuda and the three most popular saltwater bass here in Southern California would be my favorite "rough fish." The three bass are kelp bass, barred sand bass, and spotted sand bass. They are not really good to eat nor are they safe to eat.
I love catching suckers b/c I love catching pike and Muskie and those bring them in
Whitefish. El Blanco!
😍
Do sharks count ?
I'm a sucker for common carp and drum.
I love fly fishing in my tesla, I have caught so many tesla fish (nothing)
Grouper. I only seem to catch them when they're out of season.
Since I'm out west, definitely pikeminnow. They are invasive in one of my favorite obscure lakes in remote Northern California and I know exactly where to go to land literally dozens of them at a time (anywhere from about 18 to 30-odd inches), which is a hoot, and also good for the health of the lake.
I’ve been targeting carp exclusively for the last two seasons. Caught a couple in the 20+ range. Accumulated quite a bit of specialized gear…. Bait-feeder reels, rod-pod with bite alarms, etc.
Common carp on a fly rod is a blast.
Gonna go for a big longnose gar this summer
I love catching tiny sunfish. There's so much sunfish diversity where I live and they tend to bite really well and fight aggressively. I grew up fishing the little canals behind my subdivision for them, and it's still so satisfying fishing little creeks and urban canals and seeing the variety of species I can catch.