They are rubbery textured meat....I don't keep them.
I used to catch a few back when I crappie fished. I usually threw them back but one day I caught one about the size of the one in the picture and put him on the stringer with the crappie and when cleaning fileted him right along with the rest. My fishing buddy was over when we ate the fish that had the drum in and I gave him one of the filets. He was adamant that we would throw no more of them back. miles
