Family Bowfishing Adventure in Crystal River

Black Drum

## Black Drum (Pogonias Cromis) ## Black Drum Description The Black Drum is a fish in the Sciaenidae family. The Black Drum is also the largest fish of that family, including almost 300 species, including their popular cousin, the Redfish. They are known as drums or croakers due to the repetitive drumming or croaking sounds they make. They are black and or grey and have powerful jaws with strong teeth capable of crushing prey like shellfish and oysters. ## Black Drum Size The Black Drum's typical weight range varies considerably from 5 to 30 pounds but can reach a weight of up to 90 pounds. If you intend to eat your catch, you may want to release Black Drum over 15 pounds. As they grow larger, the meat is tough and more comparable to chicken than a flaky texture. Also, the flavor of the older fish is not as tasty as the smaller-sized fish. ## Black Drum Spawning Black Drum have mating calls that they use to seek out others during the spawning season, capable of producing tones that reach 100 to 500 Hz. Black Drum grow rapidly and reach maturity within the first 2 years of their lives and live to 50 years. The females can lay eggs every three days during the spawning season. Their spawning seasons vary due to location, spawning occurring in February and March in southern areas like Texas, and April to June farther north. ## Black Drum Habitat Black Drum typically prefers brackish waters and estuaries. The adults live closer to the saltier areas near the ocean. They can be found around an oyster bed and other areas with plentiful food sources. The juveniles prefer the less salty areas of the same estuaries with sandy bottoms. Black drum are extremely adaptable when it comes to temperatures and salinity and can be attracted to freshwater creek openings and extremely shallow water, but are also found in depths of up to 100 feet. ## Black Drum Fishing You will find the best Drum fishing is on shallow water, muddy flats, and oyster beds, but they can also be found near inlets, pier pilings, creeks and estuaries that make way inward. Most anglers also fish for the Black Drum in the spring around the spawning season. At this time, the fish school up and are easier to target. After the spawning season, the fish disperse and become much harder to target. ## ## Black Drum Bait and Lures The best bait an angler can use for Drum fishing is live bait because they are bottom-feeders. Live bait such as fresh soft crabs, mollusk, peelers crabs, sea clam, or crushed mussels are the preferred bait. Anglers like to use crab because it does not tend to get eaten by catfish and other bait stealers. If you are not using live bait, then choose very slow-moving jigs like bucktail jigs. It is also vital to use the correct weighting for the conditions to ensure that your bait is on the bottom. When fly fishing, most anglers prefer to use a 7- or 9-weight fly rod, leaning towards a 9-weight for throwing heavier flies and a little extra strength when pulling on fish that may be more than 20 pounds. You will want to present your fly on the bottom, and weighted black flies that get to the bottom quickly are best such as the Redfish Worm, Merkin, and Clouser Minnow. ## Distribution and Range The Black Drum has a wide range and extends as far north as Nova Scotia, down the whole Atlantic coast of the United States, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. ## Black Drum Regulations Check the state you are fishing in as they each have their own regulations, but you will find most at 5 fish per day between 14 and 24 inches long, with one allowed over 24 inches.

Bowfin

Bowfin (Amia Calva) Fish Description

Bowfin fishes are bony fish and are commonly considered “trash fish” by recreational anglers. Possibly, this may be due to the number of bones in the fish which may make it annoying to eat. After all, nobody wants to spend 40 minutes deboning a bowfin fish only to get a teaspoon of meat.

The bowfin has a smooth head that doesn’t have any scales hence its Latin name calva, meaning “smooth.” The bowfin’s large mouth is equipped with several rows of teeth to devour other game fish or freshwater crayfish. Along their back, Bowfins have a long dorsal fin and contains approximately 45 rays. None of its fins have spines. Their tails are short and rounded, similarly to a Plakat Betta (or a Fighting Fish known for its rounded tail), with its backbone extending into it. It has olive-green spots and smears covering its body while having a lighter green underbelly. The Bowfin is also known for its dark green dorsal fin whereas the rest of its fins are light green.

It also has a large gular plate which is unique to fish living within its habitat. For males, it also has a yellowish ring spot near its tail.

Bowfin Diet and Size

The Bowfin eat freshwater crayfish, speckled perches, and catfish. They are also known to feast on a lot of the game fish which is why anglers also find it annoying to be in a habitat full of them.

Bowfin female fish can reach up to 30 inches (75 cm) and weigh up to 8.5 pounds (3.8 kg). Males on the other hand can grow up to 18-24 inches. However, the biggest bowfin ever caught is measured at 34.3 inches in length and weighed at 21 lbs. 
 

Interesting Facts about the Bowfin

• The Bowfins are considered primitive in nature because of some of their aesthetics belonging to older fish.
• Bowfins can breathe both air and water, giving them an advantage in low oxygen waters.
• Unlike other fish, Bowfin fish are capable of storing oxygen in their blood.
• Them being primitive and an older race gives them a higher resistance to toxins such as chromium, mercury, and arsenic. Because of this, many would recommend not eating the Bowfin.
• Eating bowfin appears to be an acquired taste. Some say it rolls up into a ball of cotton and is only “palatably passable” while others claim it is the “best-smoked fish”.
• These fish are known to have survived since the Jurassic Era.

Bowfin – Fishing Techniques: How to Fish for a Bowfin

Some anglers love a good fight and the Bowfin is one of those few fishes that do give a good fight. In fact, it’s notoriety for giving a good fight made a fishing sport named after it: bowfishing.

Bowfishes normally stay in places that have a lot of vegetation. So, choose places like wetlands and marshlands. Places that common gamefish can’t stay in. They’re also quite easy to catch if you have the right bait. Some people use bluefin and chop off the fins. Once the fins of the fish are off, they then hook it up and sink it into the habitat of the bowfin fish. According to some anglers, they go quite crazy over that as they are carnivorous in nature.

Bowfin are nocturnal fish; they prefer feeding at night. So, consider it one way to exhaust yourself if you have too much energy from the day. Go out, fight with a bowfin fish, and you can declare that you’ve fished up a fossil. These bowfin fish are still considered primitive and are said to have lived even during prehistoric times so, it still fits the saying that you somewhat fished out a dinosaur.

They are also quite aggressive and they will not hesitate to attack you. So, keep your flesh away from them unless you plan to brag to your friends that you got bitten by a prehistoric fish.

Bowfin Habitat 

Bowfins love lakes, seepage ponds, and brackish wetlands. They also swim into river cutoffs and floodplains. Bowfins also have the ability to survive in drained floodplains due to their ability to also breathe in air and store it in their blood. They also inhabit ditches, pits, and pools of slow streams. Provided of course, if there is a lot of vegetation where they can stay.

Sheepshead

Sheephead Fish (Archosargus Probatocephalus) Description 

The Sheepshead is a beautiful fish with a deeply compressed grey body. They have five to seven dark bars on the sides of its body, giving it the nickname of convict fish. They also have sharp dorsal spines, but what they are really famous for are their human-like teeth. 

Size 

Sheepshead are common at 1-8 pounds and 14-20 inches. However, if you are lucky, you could come across one at 20 pounds, 35-inches. They live a relatively long life, about 20 years. 

Spawning 

Sheepshead form spawning groups of up to 10,000 fish. They migrate to structures at channel passes and offshore reefs, jetties, and oil platforms. They primarily spawn in the early spring from February through April. 

Interesting Facts 

• Sheepshead fish are nicknamed convict fish for their gray and black stripes.
• Sheepshead Bay in New York got its name from these fish there were once abundant. However, the bay's popularity caused water pollution, and the Sheepshead have all but disappeared from the bay.
• The delicate white flesh and delicious mild flavor of the Sheepshead make it excellent table fare, but their tough scales and strong fin spines make this species difficult to clean or fillet. Because of this, it is sometimes passed over in favor of other food fish.

Habitat and Distribution

You will find these fish around structures of any kind, docks, bridges, petroleum rigs, and reefs. Any barnacle-covered pilings make for great places to catch some big Sheepshead fish. Although they usually stay near cover, occasionally, they will also come closer to shore to feed on sand fleas (a type of crab). 

Sheepshead are found along the entire east coast of the United States and around Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. The highest concentrations are found in south Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. Because of the large number of artificial structures and pier pilings in northwest Florida, you will also find large concentrations. They can also be found as far north as Nova Scotia. 

Fishing Techniques - How to Catch Sheepshead

If your fishing from a boat, pull up to the structure without dropping an anchor, if possible, as it will startle the fish. They seldom go after baits too far from their cover, so get as close as you can. Anglers on land can still catch the big one off the dock or seawall. Just as the boat angler would do, cast your bait as close to the pilings as possible. Using light tackle, let the bait hit bottom, then slowly bring the bait up in 1-foot increments to determine where the fish are suspended in the water as they are pelagic. They may lurk near the bottom or hover in any depth. Sheepshead are notorious bait stealers. They will nibble on the bait in an attempt to loosen it from the hook, so always have it set up firmly. They also have powerful mouths and jaws, so once you feel the fish's weight nibbling at the bait, set the hook aggressively.

Look for these King-of-the-Reef fish around structures where they love to feed on barnacles, small stone crab, and fiddler crab. They also eat shrimp, mollusks, minnows, clams, and squid. When choosing a bait, a natural one is the best way to go. However, if you are looking for a jig to use, consider a shrimp-tipped jig. The heavier weight helps keep the bait down and from being dragged with the current. If your local laws allow, you may even scrape barnacles off the pilings with a rake to create a seeping area of meat pieces in the water. The Sheepshead will quickly hone in on the scent, and you will have them come to you. 

Sheepshead Good to Eat?

Sheepshead is an excellent choice for those who love delicious, sustainable seafood options. This fish has a mild flavor that makes it suitable for any palate. Its white, sweet and succulent flesh is a perfect complement to any dish. Sheepshead is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, making it a healthy choice for anyone looking to maintain a well-balanced diet. It is also low in mercury, which means you can enjoy it without worrying about any potential health risks.   A diet rich in Sheepshead fish can help in improving heart health by lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart diseases. It can also support brain function, boost immunity, and aid in muscle growth and repair. Whether grilled, baked, or fried, Sheepshead fish is an excellent addition to any meal.  So, if you have not tried this fish yet, it is time to do so and discover its exceptional taste and health benefits.