The species prefers deep water in both lakes and rivers and spawns in mid-summer.Īlthough often classified as a bottom-feeding “ rough fish,” freshwater drums lack the sucking mouths of carp and suckers. This species inhabits the Great Lakes and Mississippi river drainages stretching from eastern and central Canada all the way down to Louisiana in the southern United States. Mature freshwater drums sport a prominent humpback. This is a shame, because in addition to being a fascinating species, the sheepshead is a tough fighter at the end of a line, a worthy addition to a summer fish fry and a welcome consumer of the notorious zebra mussel, which is among the most prominent of Great Lakes invasive species.įreshwater drums are a pearl-grey colour with the occasional bronze, blue and silvery reflections, depending on the quality of water they live in. Otolith drum ear bones (Photo by the Ohio History Connection blog) Yet anglers and commercial fishers alike have long dismissed the freshwater drum as a nuisance undeserving of either a food or a sport fish status. For centuries, native peoples in the Great Lakes region ate sheepshead and made its unique otolith (ear bone) into jewellery commonly called a " lucky stone," which modern Great Lakes residents continue to seek out. The sheepshead is the only freshwater-dwelling member of the Scianidae family, a group of primarily coastal marine species that includes popular sport fish such as the red drum. We caught plenty of those fish but we also caught a hard fighting, yet sadly unwanted (at the time) guest: the freshwater drum, known in the Great Lakes region as the sheepshead. The biggest thrills came when my dad and grandfather hired a charter boat to take us out for a day of reeling in Erie’s best game fish, including walleye, perch and smallmouth bass. I grew up a mere hour’s drive from majestic Lake Erie, and that meant lots of great fishing. Freshwater drum swimming (Photo by Florida's Online Educational Clearinghouse)
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