TALE WATERS & TIDES · POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
Freshwater Drum
GO100SCORE
ARKANSAS RIVERHOME +10
🔥 SPAWN NOWGaspergou. The river's hidden heavyweight.
SIZE
12–22 in
MAX
36 in
WEIGHT
Up to 40 lbs
HABITAT
RiversReservoirsTailwaters
Big rivers, reservoir flats, bridge scour holes.
DIET
Crawfish, mussels, minnows, insects — bottom feeder.
BEST BAITS
Nightcrawlers on bottom · Crawfish jigs · Cut bait
SEASONAL PATTERN
SPRING
BESTSUMMER
FALL
WINTER
Summer: PEAK — bottom-feed all day.
ANGLER INTEL · RIGHT NOWHIGH CONFIDENCE
DEPTH
2–6 ft
shallow cover
TIMING
Any time today — steady bite
TOP LURE · LURE
Nightcrawlers on bottom
reaction strikes on bed — aggressive
TACKLE
Medium-heavy, 12–20 lb line
TECHNIQUE · Slow presentation in shallow cover
ANGLER STATS
SPAWN 65–78°F TEMP MATCHBITE
70
FIGHT
82
STEALTH
50
FUN FACT
Freshwater drum 'drum' — a true sound, made by vibrating muscles against the swim bladder. Their lucky stones (otoliths) are still given as gifts and worn as jewelry across the Mississippi watershed.
STATUS
Secure
Native · Sciaenidae
PFG SIGNAL · EST74°F · Arkansas River● GO 100