8. Freshwater Drum/Sheepshead
If you’re not an avid fisherman, chances are you’ve probably never heard of the freshwater drum. That, by no means, makes them a rare catch. Also commonly referred to as “sheepshead” and native to North and Central America, the freshwater drum, one of the easiest fish to catch, is so widespread throughout these regions that they are known to have the greatest latitudinal range of any freshwater fish in North America. They can be found in many ponds, lakes, and rivers from Canada all the way down to Guatemala! They’ve even found their way to parts of the United Kingdom, although the one’s that have made it to Europe and Japan aren’t as lucky, as they are typically imported from the U.S. Reason being is that they are actually quite appetizing, although many people who catch them don’t realize how tasty they are and often release them back into the water. Because these tasty fish are a bit inconspicuous in the eyes of most anglers, it makes them more abundant since they are ignorantly being tossed back into the water, which means more for us! When you take a closer look at this fish you’ll see it has teeth! They have pharyngeal teeth, which are basically located in the back of their throat. The “throat teeth” gives the sheepshead the ability to eat a wide range of other little creatures that your average fish cannot. This special diet not only makes them exceptionally delicious but it gives you many more options for bait Aside from the spoons, plugs, and jigs you might enjoy using and the cut bait, minnows, insects, etc. you would typically use to catch other fish, the freshwater drum is also capable of eating different mollusks and crayfish. When I go fishing it’s really not hard to start finding oodles of little snails and clams. Next time I go, I’ll have to remember to scoop some little snails up to use as drum bait!
Now, as if the sheepshead didn’t already have enough going for it, you will typically find that not only do they bite all year long, but they will feed all throughout the night as well. Whereas, most fish you can only catch during a specific season and tend to be less active at night. Although, I wouldn’t recommend night fishing to an inexperienced angler. The dark has a tendency to make everything you do a bit more difficult and, well long story short, hooks in the ears is never a pleasant experience.
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