Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)

The Freshwater Drum or Aplodinotus grunniens is a freshwater fish found in many places in North and Central America.  This fish goes by many different names including Grunt, Wuss Fish, Shepherd's pie, Croaker, Silver Bass, Sheephead, Gray Bass, Gasper goo and Grinder. These fish have a swim bladder that allows them to make a grunting or croaking sound, hence their nicknames.

Freshwater Drum can grow to about 54lbs maximum and can live for over 70 years! Female Drums are almost always larger then their male counterparts. These fish are nocturnal and feed on insect larvae, mussels and small fish.  Freshwater Drum are considered to be quite edible, but some anglers are put off by their smell and mucus lining.  You can check out a Freshwater Drum in action in the video below.

If you have any additional information about the Freshwater Drum please leave us a comment.

White Bass (Morone chrysops)

The White Bass or (Morone chrysops) is also called the Sand Bass, Barfish, Streaker and Silver Bass. It is found in freshwater lakes and rivers in the United States. This fish can be identified by its narrow dark incomplete stripes running horizontally down its body. It has white sides and underbelly, while its back is much darker. They are not related to the Largemouth Bass or the Rock Bass, which are part of the Centrarchidae family. You can learn more about White Bass in the video below...

White Bass look very similar to Striped Bass, but can be differentiated by the fact that they only have one sharp point on their gill covers and one tooth patch, where the Striped Bass has two of each. They are also very quick growers and only live to about 4 years old maximum.

White Bass grow to about 18" in maximum length and weigh up to 6lbs. They are fished for in many places in the United States including Virginia, Texas, The Great Lakes, and the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. This fish is also the state fish of Oklahoma.If you are fishing for White Bass remember that they travel in schools, so if you catch one chances are that there are more. Popular lures include spoons and spinners, as well as bottom fishing with live bait at night. Like other Bass, they provide one of the best fights pound for pound and are good to eat as well.

Do you have any fishing tips for the White Bass? Share your expertise in the comments below...