Reader Archie Jenuns asks where to go to catch a record-class freshwater drum (sheepshead). In-Fisherman Editor In Chief Doug Stange offers his perspective . . .

Doug Stange: Sheepshead are widely distributed yet seldom targeted, so it's hard to suggest a specific destination to catch a monster. The present world record is a 54-pound 8-ounce fish from Nickajack Lake, Tennessee, in 1972. Fertile reservoirs of the Midsouth and Southeast offer the best overall shot at fish surpassing 15 pounds and may approach 30 pounds, or even record weight. Fish in these waters often feed heavily on shad and have a longer growing season than fish farther north. In the deep South, meanwhile, drum grow fast but may not live quite long enough to reach record status. Still, a record drum is possible from most areas of the country.

Most extremely large drum are "mistakes" caught by anglers seeking other species, usually during spring and early summer, when lots of different fish run into tailwater areas to spawn and feed. Small drum are aggressive, often abundant, and often are caught on just about "anything and everywhere" in many bodies of water. On the other hand, we know little about targeting huge drum once they move from tailwater areas into deeper water. The chance that the record will be broken is slim given what we know about targeting huge drum.