Spawning season: In May and June, usually at water temperatures between 18-26°C (Wrenn 1969; Swedberg and Walburg 1970; Fremling 1980).
Spawning location: Open water. In the Upper Mississippi River, eggs and larvae were abundant in the main channel collections (Holland 1986).
Reproductive strategy: Nonguarders; open substratum spawners; pelagophils – characterized by numerous buoyant eggs (Simon 1999). Eggs and sperm released in the water column; eggs are buoyant, larvae are planktonic (Daiber 1953). Males “drum” communicate to form spawning aggregates by vibrating specialized muscles against gas bladder (Fremling 1980); only sexually mature males possess this structure, which may be fully developed by the third year of life (Priegel 1967b).
Fecundity: 600,000 eggs for large females (3.5 kg; Wrenn 1969; Fremling 1980). Number of vitellogenic oocytes ranged from 34,000 to 66,500, in 6-9 year-old fish measuring from 307-386 mm long; egg diameters post fertilization ranged from 1.39 to 1.57 mm; hatching occurred in 27 hours at a water temperature of 23°C (Swedberg and Walburg 1970). Large-yolked, unfertilized eggs from a mature 5-year-old female averaged 0.72 mm in diameter (Daiber 1953).
Age/Size at maturation: Ages 4 to 6, with males measuring at least 203 mm TL and females 221 mm TL (Diaber 1953; Priegel 1969; Wrenn 1969). Dryer (2007) reported that maturation occurred most often during years 3 – 4, in Alabama populations.
I have NO personal experience with drums in ponds. This is simply based on looking at research and then evaluating the knowns and how they would fit into the unknowns of ponds...
My opinion, freshwater drum would attempt to spawn in ponds. They lay their eggs out in open water, where the eggs float to the surface and remain their until hatched. In big bodies of water, this spawning method is fine as out in the middle of a large lake or river, there are few species of fish hanging out near the surface. Also, wind is less likely to blow the floating eggs to the shoreline where there are hungry mouths waiting. However, in a pond fish tend to be more concentrated and wind is very likely to blow those eggs to the shore. I suspect the predation on those floating eggs would be VERY high. Plus, the eggs washing on shore much more likely and therefore causing low survival rates for the eggs. Then throw in that freshwater drum are fairly fusiform, don't have spines and are silvery and tasty looking, their young would be prime forage for all predators around. My guess, having a sustaining population of drum in a pond would be a trick!
