Silver drummer

[Volitan]

I know a spot where there are reportedly a lot of silver drummer on a consistent basis. I’ve never targeted these fish before but would like to give them a go. I’ve googled fishing for them and it is a bit daunting. 

Has anyone here had any experience with them ? Any advice ?

 

cheers

Edited March 10, 2019 by Volitan

[noelm]

Same tactics as Black Drummer basically, but not so flash to eat, plenty of them around.

[Koalaboi]

Great fun to catch, dunno about targeting them...I've picked them up when fishing for blackfish. 

Not too good eating wise.

KB

[wazatherfisherman]

Hi Volitan as said above, same type of tactics as for Rock Blackfish (Black Drummer) they also respond really well to berleying with both white bread and chicken pellets (as do Black Drummer)- soak pellets until they break down into a 'mud' like consistency- then keep a moderate trail going in the wash and fish either pea size or smaller ball-on-hook rig or bobby cork for them if terrain is bad. Bait is either fresh bread, peeled green prawns or cunje. They also like quartered red crabs and large cabbage baits (too large for Luderick). Best all round hook is 2/0 suicide (octopus pattern). They grow pretty big in some locations (over 15kg) with plenty of smaller ones in Sydney Harbour and unlike their Black namesakes fight reasonably cleanly. No amount of preparation turns them into a decent eating proposition, but they are a great fighting sports fish to catch and release. If you have any other questions, happy to answer.

Cheers Waza

[wazatherfisherman]

Just wanted to add that rabbit pellets are also ok for berley for them and have caught a few at both Pelican Pt and Soldiers Island on squid fishing for other species, as well as plenty of smaller (mostly under a kg) on cabbage while Luderick fishing around the harbour. At different times, their teeth become quite sharp and they will bite through mono, so bite-off's often attributed to 'Jackets can sometimes be Silvers