Silver Drummer

Introduction

A vegetarian family of deep-bodied, fast swimming fish, the Silver Drummer is highly rated by sports-fishers for their fighting ability. They are not good table fare and seldom reach fish shops, but if caught for consumption, they should be skinned and cleaned immediately upon capture.

Drummers are tough, tenacious fighters, running fast and determined when hooked. They bite warily, with smooth mouths and live close to rocks or hiding places, feeding on algae, grass, crabs and shellfish. They have a tendency to dive for shelter into the rocks/reef, requiring strong arm tactics

Legal Minimum Length

No Minimum Legal Length Limits apply in South Australian waters.

Bag Limit

No Bag or Boat Limits apply in South Australian waters.

Type of Tackle

Use line between 3 to 7kg. Should the Drummers not be around, you have atleast the line strength to cope with other and larger species of fish.

A rod around 1.8m is ideal for rock and boat fishing.

Hook Selection

1/0 - No. 6 snelled hooks. Naturally, size of hook used is dependant on species size being caught.

Baits Used

Abalone Gut, Bread, Cabbage Weed, Crab, Prawn, Mackerel Pieces (Skinned)

Berley Mix

Respond well to a berley mix of stale bread, chicken pellets and cabbage weed mixed with water and distributed by a couple of handfulls every 5 - 10 minutes.

Rigs Used

Rig No. 1
This rig is best suited if fishing off a rock ledge, or a boat. When fishing off a rock ledge, look at the tide and motion of waves to determine the best place to cast. Otherwise your rig may float towards the rocks and snag.

The Sliding Stopper offers ease of adjusting the reach of the hook, dependant upon water depth.

Rig No. 2
This rig is ideal for boat fishing, where the tidal movement is not extreme, allowing for the rig to float down towards the fish.